Russia Tests Geolocation-Based Transit Payments

Vladivostok is set to become one of the first Russian cities to roll out geolocation-based transit payments. The pilot project, launched by the city administration in partnership with Sber, was announced at the Eastern Economic Forum.

The new system, called GeoPay, is designed to streamline the boarding process, cut down on cash handling, and reduce the workload for drivers. Using GPS in the 2GIS mobile app, the technology automatically detects the passenger’s route, calculates the fare, and processes payment with just a few taps—eliminating the need for ATMs, paper tickets, or contactless cards.

“For residents and visitors, we’re creating the most comfortable conditions possible by adopting modern technologies,” said Vladivostok mayor Konstantin Shestakov. “Introducing geolocation-based payments is an important step toward that. Life today requires equally modern solutions.”

The system will first be tested on select bus and trolleybus routes, with plans to integrate it into other transit apps in the future.