Duncan Solutions achieves industry-first certification for parking payment in China
Payment systems are a critical part of a developing smart city. The transmission of secure, encrypted data between infrastructure, banks and businesses via a comprehensive back-end management system enables cities to implement new and convenient payment methods, whilst reducing the reliance on ‘old-fashioned’ cash. Examples of this locally include tap & go functionality, digital wallets and ‘smart’ transport cards.
In Macau, Duncan Solutions has worked closely with the Government and the Industrial and commercial Bank of China (ICBC) to integrate two ‘smart’ payment systems into the 700 VX parking payment terminals across the region – the local MacauPass card, and UnionPay, the most widely-used credit card in China.
World-first certification in parking payment implementation
Duncan Solutions partnered with ICBC to scope, develop, integrate and test UnionPay credit card transactions on our parking machines. The complex certification process was completed late last year, and drivers in Macau can now pay for parking using their UnionPay QuickPass cards (tap and go) on any Duncan meter.
In Macau, Duncan Solutions have helped implement the equivalent of Paywave in parking terminals.
Expansion of parking management services across Macau
The initial installation of 700 VX parking machines across Macau proved to be a success, integrating seamlessly with the MacauPass system and enhancing accessibility right across the region. Following a strong take-up of MacauPass payments on these, we began work installing a further 500, and all of these machines with transact using UnionPay ‘QuickPass’ cards now” stated Trent Loebel, Duncan’s Chief Executive Officer.
Trent adds “The Duncan team have also helped the Government of Macau (who maintain responsibility for managing parking and compliance across the region) implement ‘AutoISSUE’. This digital infringement issuance application system integrates with the meters and our Parking Enterprise Management System (PEMS) to identify vehicles whose drivers have not paid, introducing considerable efficiencies to the enforcement process and improving compliance and turnover.”
The advent of contactless payments allows people to exist without the need for cash.
Bringing together smart city technology with one system – PEMS
These ‘smart city initiatives’ would not be possible without a comprehensive back-end management system. Duncan Solutions’ PEMS platform facilitates the connection between card providers and the parking system, and between individual bays and the compliance teams. “PEMS was the cornerstone to achieving certification for UnionPay within our system, and is crucial in synthesising each parking and compliance application with the rest of Macau’s smart civic network to improve the driver experience”, says Trent. “This is what a smart city is all about. Meshing technologies to improve how people work, travel, purchase – the way they live.”
“At Duncan Solutions, we’re proud to be a part of that progress. As Visa’s Chris Hughes said in our 2017 interview with him, contactless payments are one of the fundamentals of a smart city – the market penetration and breadth of service you get with PayWave is one of the most tangible hallmarks of the new wave of smart cities. Building networks with technology like UnionPay means more people can travel to places like Macau without having to change the way they spend – in a sense, it’s the globalisation of currency.”