Commuters can now check ez-link card expiry and balance while waiting for the bus
SINGAPORE, 28 December 2016 – EZ-Link Pte Ltd, Singapore’s largest issuer of CEPAS-compliant cards, and OOH Media, Mediacorp’s out of home advertising arm, today announced the introduction of Near Field Communication (NFC) technology-enabled ez-link card readers at bus shelters to bring greater convenience to commuters.
Existing displays at 10 bus shelters along Orchard Road have been retrofitted with these readers, the first of such NFC applications in Asia, to detect and read all ez-link cards, EZ-Charms and mobile phones with EZ-Link NFC SIM. With a simple tap on the reader, commuters can now check their ez-link card expiry and balance while they wait for their bus.
This smart interactive solution is the latest innovation by EZ-Link in the NFC space. In March 2016, EZ-Link launched the EZ-Link NFC SIM, pioneering the use of compatible mobile phones with NFC technology for making public transport payments.
Located in Orchard, CBD and key heartland areas, the 10 Omnified Opti-Prime screens are part of Mediacorp OOH Media’s Digital Out-Of-Home (DOOH) initiative to bridge the gap between online and offline audience interactions, truly sealing the last mile journey of OOH marketing.
These bus shelters are equipped with eCommerce capabilities to offer “digital concierge” type of services. Advertisements displayed can be tailored accordingly based on consumer insights. On top of that, the Omnified screens can pull data from consumers as well.
Advertisers can engage with their desired audiences from their ads on screen for immediate call to action, allowing commuters to grab deals with convenience. With NFC functions, these bus shelters can host interactive games, live feeds, transactions and immediate social media sharing. This enables brands to give their target audience a more personalized experience.
“EZ-Link constantly pushes contactless technology boundaries to make our customers’ daily journeys more efficient and enjoyable. The NFC readers at bus stops will save commuters a trip to the General Ticketing Machines or TransitLink Ticket Offices and also ease anxiety about having insufficient value in their ez-link cards for their bus rides. We look forward to continue working with Mediacorp to give commuters a seamless, integrated experience in using their ez-link cards by tapping on the power of NFC,” said Mr Nicholas Lee, Chief Executive Officer, EZ-Link Pte Ltd.
Mr Henry Goh, Head of OOH Media said, “Mediacorp OOH Media has been constantly improving our OOH assets and we are excited to partner EZ-Link to bring greater commuting convenience via our Omnified Opti-Prime screens. The upgrades on the 10 Omnified Opti-Prime screens will see increased engagement between commuters and the screens, and advertisers can look forward to more value added services on this platform in the future.”
With this collaboration, the NFC readers also dovetail with EZ-Link’s current offer to holders of expired ez-link cards or ez-link cards expiring before 31 Dec 2016, whereby they can get a new ez-link card at a subsidised cost of S$3 per card at any TransitLink Ticket Office.
# # #
About EZ-Link Pte Ltd
EZ-Link’s core business is in the sale, distribution and management of ez-link cards, as well as the clearing and settlement of all ez-link card transactions generated in transit and non-transit (retail/merchant) sectors. To date, more than 17 million new CEPAS-compliant ez-link cards have been issued. In 2015, EZ-Link unveiled two new innovations in Singapore, EZ-Charms, the first non-card form factor, as well as the “EZ-Link Rewards with Perx” to reward commuters for using public transport with the ez-link card. EZ-Link continues to set new cashless trends with the “My EZ-Link Mobile” application, the world’s first Near Field Communication (NFC) mobile application for contactless card top-ups; “EZ-Link NFC SIM”, the first NFC payment service on Singapore’s public transit; and “EZ-Pay”, Singapore’s first free card-less ERP payment service.
About Mediacorp OOH Media
Mediacorp OOH Media – The outdoor advertising arm of Mediacorp Pte Ltd. Appointed to manage all large format & digital screens in 321 Clementi, Bugis Street, Burlington Square, Chinatown Point, iFly Sentosa, JCube, Jubilee Square, Junction 8, Orchard Gateway, Orchard Towers, Safra Punggol, The Star Vista, Westgate, as well as close to 1,300 bus shelters, On the Move Billboard Trucks, coaches, taxis, WE Cinemas and various ambient advertising options such as 3D Mapping Projection.