If the public procurement procedure just launched is not protracted, MÁV passengers will be able to purchase their train tickets at the expense of their mobile balance in the fourth quarter.
The development involves a minimal cost requirement on the part of MÁV-Start Zrt., In the framework of which the connection between the e-Ticket (internet ticket sales) system and the future solution (from the mobile phone balance) payment systems must be established. According to the plans, MÁV-Start Zrt. Will pay a commission proportional to the operator. According to the company, development has been delayed so far because a number of pieces of legislation specify the parameters that had to be met before the tender could be issued. In 2009 and 2010, the railway company already had unsuccessful public procurement procedures on the same topic.
The solution will allow you to pay for tickets not only by credit card online, but also to your mobile phone balance. Tickets purchased in this way can still be printed from the online ticket machines currently available at forty railway stations, and checks are carried out on board trains and at platform gate entrances in the same way as before - meaning the message received on the phone will not be enough to travel.
The "outdated method".
The limitation when buying from a mobile phone balance is the general security conditions of micropayment and the legal environment. In micropayment, for security reasons, the maximum amount that can be spent on a purchase is typically between 5-10 thousand forints. (90 percent of purchases paid for by credit card on the Internet fall below ten thousand forints.) An additional limit may be if the service provider maximizes the amount that can be spent in one month. Under the current regulations, only full tickets will be charged to the mobile balance.
The company said online ticketing has become increasingly popular since its launch in June 2008. Last year, there were 40 percent more purchases made online through the same period last year. Although only two percent of all domestic sales are still made online, the railway company is confident that growth will be at an ever-increasing rate. The aim is for passengers to be able to print their own tickets online and to receive a travel / ticket verification code on their phone without having to queue at online ticket machines. However, this requires the replacement of on-board control equipment, which requires significant resources and time (public procurement, development, production, training, commissioning), so according to MÁV, the changeover requires at least two years.
