RDG’s cEMV standards project, delivered in phases, seeks to define the services and standards that would enable the acceptance of contactless payment cards for travel on British rail services.
Phase 1 sought to define a common mechanism to tokenise contactless card data that will protect sensitive cardholder data whilst enabling interoperability between different operator or modal ticketing solutions.
RDG partnered with Innovatious to define and evaluate tokenization options for enabling seamless contactless payments across independent transit solutions in the UK. We researched technical solutions for consistent token generation from cEMV card data and developed a robust stakeholder engagement plan, involving workshops and focused sessions with rail industry bodies, operators, suppliers, payment providers, and government entities.
Through extensive stakeholder engagement, we gathered crucial insights and feedback on various tokenization options, considering factors like cost, complexity, risk, and compliance. We then developed and applied a rigorous evaluation methodology, assessing options based on criteria such as security, feasibility, impact on existing systems, and card scheme compatibility.
Working collaboratively with an internal RDG team, we evaluated each option against the defined criteria, ultimately selecting a recommended tokenization solution. We documented our findings and recommendations, including detailed descriptions of the evaluated solutions, key stakeholder feedback, and the rationale behind the final selection.
Since completion, our report is being taken forwards as the basis for the definition of an ISO standard for a cEMV interoperable transit token.
