GlobeSherpa and Houston METRO Launch 'METRO Q Mobile Ticketing' App: Houston's First Mobile Ticketing Payment App For Transit

HOUSTON, Feb. 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- GlobeSherpa, the award-winning market leader in mobile book-and-pay ticketing for public transit, and the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (Houston METRO), today announced the launch of the "METRO Q Mobile Ticketing" mobile application. The new METRO Q Mobile Ticketing app allows Houston residents and visitors to purchase mobile tickets for METRO bus and METRORail and use them directly from their smartphone. The app is available for download in the Google Play and Apple iTunes stores.

"GlobeSherpa is excited to provide Houston Metro with METRO Q Mobile Ticketing, an intuitive mobile ticketing application that allows passengers to purchase tickets with just a few taps on their phone," said GlobeSherpa CEO and Co-Founder Nat Parker.  "This innovation will help Houstonians and tourists more easily use Metro, especially during major events, like the upcoming Houston Rodeo."

GlobeSherpa's platform is currently live in some of the largest transit systems in the nation including Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and Portland, OR.

The new METRO Q Mobile Ticketing app allows passengers to:

• Purchase, store, use, and validate full-fare tickets and METRO Day Passes for local bus, METRORail and special event tickets right from their smartphone, removing the need to keep track of paper tickets or stand in line at a ticket kiosk
• Use PayPal to purchase tickets and passes
• Use multiple tickets for multiple riders from a single smartphone
• Create an account, store information for future purchases, and manage account information on the go
• Plan their commute with the built in Trip Planner tool

Houston METRO fares are available for purchase in the app, including full-fare tickets and METRO Day Passes. Riders purchase fares and pay with either a stored debit/credit card or their PayPal account. Tickets are then sent to users' phones in the form of a secure, animated electronic ticket that can be visually validated by vehicle operators, or scanned by a fare inspector's handheld device. 

With GlobeSherpa's proven mobile ticketing system, METRO is delivering industry-leading innovation to its riders at a fraction of the cost of traditional fare collection technology, improving operations through real-time reporting and geo-location data.

"METRO's new Q Mobile Ticketing App is part of our ongoing effort to make the commuting experience more convenient and today we take a significant leap forward for our passengers," said METRO President & CEO Tom Lambert. "We are excited to get METRO Q Mobile Ticketing into the hands of our passengers, adding a new easy-to-use option to buy and use fares."

GlobeSherpa is pleased to contribute to the technological advancements being made by the agency to steadily improve the local transit system. In August 2016, Houston METRO launched its New Bus Network, which created an enhanced transportation system offering seven-day-a-week service and a frequent network of select routes providing service every 15 minutes or less. The new network and METRO Q Mobile Ticketing app will assist riders heading to major Houston events including the 2016 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, 2016 NCAA Final Four, local sporting and entertainment events and the 2017 Super Bowl. For more information about the METRO Q Mobile Ticketing, please visit https://ridemetro.transitsherpa.com.

About GlobeSherpa
GlobeSherpa provides a secure, mobile payment platform for transit systems interested in moving to open payments, open data, and mobile fare collection with minimal infrastructure investment. GlobeSherpa is developing next generation mobile technologies using NFC and Bluetooth Low Energy and is integrating those with our robust back-office business intelligence software to reduce the cost of fare collections and improve operations for transit. GlobeSherpa was acquired by RideScout in June 2015.  Both companies are part of moovel Group GmbH, a subsidiary of Daimler AG. For more information about GlobeSherpa please visit www.globesherpa.com.

Patti Kelly Niewolny
[email protected]
512-731-1863

SOURCE GlobeSherpa

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