Just add open-loop: Littlepay's EMV Overlay. Published 21st September, 2026 by Catherine Goddard Its EMV Overlay solution enables acceptance of open-loop transit payments - without fare system replacements or major technology upgrades. Disruptive thinking uncovered a simple concept. When WMATA set out to make transit easier with open-loop payments, Littlepay proposed a new concept: an EMV Overlay that integrates Littlepay's platform to existing infrastructure to handle end-to-end open-loop payment processing. For agencies and authorities, this is a model that can be re-used, radically reducing the time, cost, complexity and disruption of modernizing fare payments. Benefits of Littlepay's EMV Overlay approach. EMV Overlay: How it works. Littlepay's EMV Overlay uses APIs to connect ticketing technology to Littlepay's payments platform. Working alongside existing fare systems, Littlepay then manages open-loop fare calculation and transaction processing, from tap to settlement. 3 steps to open-loop success. Want to know more? Download and keep its EMV Overlay explainer here. Book time to chat with its team at APTA TRANSform and Expo. Or get in touch today with your questions.

Littlepay, Google and Go-Ahead launch prepaid bus passes in Google Wallet. Published 9th March, 2026 by Andreea In another groundbreaking collaboration, Littlepay and Google have launched an alternative to physical travel passes: passengers on Go-Ahead's Brighton & Hove Buses can now buy and use prepaid travel passes directly in Google Wallet. Passengers can now buy travel passes in Google Wallet and use them by tapping their phone on the bus - just like pay-as-you-go contactless. No paper tickets, no apps to download, no QR codes. This is the first deployment of Littlepay's Card As Authority to Travel (CAATT) model for prepaid passes, with Go-Ahead introducing the first live use of this model. Building on the success of Google 'Transit Insights' Transit Insights brings a number of features that you would normally find in an operator's mobility app, directly into the payment wallet. Earlier in 2025, Go-Ahead completed UK-wide rollout of Google Transit Insights, enabling passengers nationwide to access journey and payment information seamlessly through Google Wallet. This pioneering initiative has already provided passengers with greater transparency and convenience in managing their journeys. With the introduction of prepaid pass purchases, passengers who prefer to pre-pay for their travel can still enjoy the convenience of simply tapping their phone on boarding. No need to find, open and login to an app or search for a QR code. Passengers have instant access to their travel pass as Littlepay links the wallet to the travel right instantly, ensuring no fares are charged while the pass is valid. A global first. A fleet of 5,000 vehicles processing over 45 million transactions annually makes Go-Ahead's network an ideal place to introduce this technology at scale. The benefits for passengers are significant: * Simple: Buy in wallet, then tap to travel * Convenient: No extra apps, no paper tickets * Inclusive: Extends "tap-and-go" to those who rely on pre-purchasing travel Changing the game through collaboration. The project highlights how collaboration between operators, technology providers and platforms can make everyday travel simpler for passengers. By partnering with Google and leveraging their global APIs, Littlepay and Go-Ahead are delivering a passenger-first experience that sets new standards for convenience and efficiency in public transport payments. This pilot paves the way for rollout across other Go-Ahead operators and Littlepay's wider ecosystem, demonstrating how innovations tested in one city can quickly scale globally. "This is a global first for public transport. By bringing prepaid passes into Google Wallet, we're showing what the future of digital travel looks like: simple, inclusive and convenient." said Sarah McLaughlin, Senior Business Development Manager at Littlepay A blueprint for the future. Integrating prepaid passes into Google Wallet paves the way for future enhancements in transit payments. It aligns with evolving passenger expectations and behaviours as digital wallets and contactless payments become integral to daily life. By offering seamless integration between digital wallets, ecommerce platforms, and contactless travel, this initiative paves the way for future enhancements in transit payments, including support for concessionary travellers to verify and access discounted travel. "Enabling users to buy monthly tickets adds a further layer of convenience to the ability to track Pay As You Go spending and progress towards daily and weekly travel caps within Google Wallet. Now users can make quick, easy and secure payments with a Google Pay tap on a bus, and keep informed of their spending for both Pay As You Go and season tickets in Google Wallet" said Jonathan Hill, Head of Transit Partnerships at Google Wallet Littlepay and Go-Ahead: a commitment to innovation. The launch reflects Littlepay's focus on giving operators flexible tools that evolve with passenger needs. Its platform continuously evolves, ensuring every operator in the Littlepay ecosystem benefits from ongoing investment and the introduction of new technologies. For Go-Ahead, it's part of an ongoing effort to make bus travel easier and more accessible to the communities it serves. "For our customers and the industry this is a very positive step forwards and shows the scope for further improvements against the success of Open Loop payments in transit. Our partners Littlepay and Google have developed an extensible and low-friction solution with excellent customer convenience." said Sean McLaughlin, Group Senior Solutions Manager at Go-Ahead Group

WMATA launches new tap-to-pay Metrobus program. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) launched a tap-to-pay program Nov. 18 that allows riders to pay Metrobus fares with credit or debit cards instead of SmarTrip cards. The new "Tap. Ride. Go." bus feature is an expansion of the Metrorail tap-to-pay system that launched in May, which has been successfully used for over six million trips to date. Many Georgetown University students expressed hope that the feature will make their daily bus rides more efficient. Metro General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke said the change is part of WMATA's wider efforts to improve D.C. public transit accessibility and productivity. "Tap. Ride. Go. reduces the barriers to transit and helps us fulfill our goal of making Metro the number one choice for travel in the region," Clarke said at a launch event. Riders who rely on SmartBenefits, a fee-free commuter benefits program, will still have to use SmarTrip cards, which include students who receive funds from the Hoya Transit Program, a Georgetown initiative that provides students with a monthly $50 WMATA credit. Cecilio Sandoval (CAS '26) said he has been slowed down before by SmarTrip complications and hopes the tap-to-pay feature will solve these issues. "It saves me from having to refill/transfer funds to my SmarTrip card," Sandoval wrote to The Hoya. "Most of the time I'm in a hurry, so I can't check to see if I have funds on my SmarTrip card. I've missed a couple of rides (about five) before because I had to stand to the side to add money to get to my next stop." "I've already seen this system be successful for tourists navigating the Metro," Sandoval added. "Would normally see tourists struggling to get SmarTrip cards from the machine, but now WMATA employees direct them to the tap-to-pay feature, and it's done in less than five seconds." WMATA worked with software contractor Littlepay to reconfigure farebox contractor Cubic's Tri-Reader devices to implement the new feature. Littlepay is continuing to work with WMATA to implement parking rollouts and create a "Discounts and Benefits Digital Registration Portal" for seniors, students, veterans and disabled riders. In a press release, Littlepay CEO Amin Shayan said the tap-to-pay feature is a successful milestone that further optimizes the transit system. "Hopefully this marks the end of an era of costly and disruptive system overhauls across the industry," Shayan said in a press release. "We congratulate WMATA on having the confidence and foresight to challenge industry norms and set a new standard that saves taxpayers millions of dollars." Cindy Reyes (MSB, CAS '26), a Capitol Applied Learning Labs (CALL) student, said the new tap-to-pay bus feature has already saved her time during her daily commute. "I had to be on time for work after my class at Capitol Campus, so being able to just tap and pay at Union Station was convenient, since I had left my Metro card at home and didn't have time to go pick it up," Reyes wrote to The Hoya. Reyes said she thinks the program will improve transportation efficiency for riders in the long run. "I think it's already having a successful start, as I saw other Metro users also tapping their phones to pay instead of having to purchase a Metro card and load it," Reyes wrote. WMATA has attempted to crack down on fare evasion since 2022, resulting in the installation of higher faregates and an increase in civil citations after emergency legislation was passed. Metro reported that the agency is currently seeing an eight-year crime low, with fare evasion down 82%. Clarke told the Washington Post that he is hopeful that tap payments will help mitigate fare evasion on buses specifically. Sandoval said he believes the program might help address gate-jumping by reducing the time it takes to get through faregates. "For some, it's an inconvenience to have a SmarTrip card (physical or digital) or not having funds loaded onto their SmarTrip card," Sandoval wrote. "This new system can't guarantee a stop to gate jumping, but it could reduce the chances of it happening if you're able to get through much faster with a simple tap from your phone."