The ‘virtual nol card’ will be available from next year…

The 2019 edition of tech exhibition, GITEX has officially kicked off at the Dubai World Trade Centre and with it comes exciting announcements in the world of technology.

Today, Sunday October 6, the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) have revealed details of a cardless technology which will allow passengers of the Dubai Metro and other forms of public transport to use their smart phone to travel. The ‘virtual nol card’ will allow users to top up their balance with their credit card from within the mobile application.

RTA said the initiative is ‘part of a new package of solutions and applications for nol card users, enabling the public smooth payment of public transport fare as well as other payments such as parking fees, shopping at certain retail outlets, and refuelling stations among others’.

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The virtual nol card will be available to start using from the third quarter of next year, just in time for Expo 2020. After the initial launch, more of the nol card’s features will be added to the virtual application. These could include rewards and discounts currently available with nol Plus.

“We are keen to familiarize the public with this initiative for buying the virtual nol card and saving it in their mobile phones where they can top-up the card directly from their credit cards, which are saved in their phones. The NFC feature has to be enabled in smartphones of riders such that they can use the virtual nol card in paying fares for metro, bus, tram and marine transport services,” said Mohammed Al Khayat, Director of Automated Fare Collection at RTA’s Corporate Technology Support Services Sector.

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Images: RTA