Android NFC phone users travelling on the Moscow Metro system in the Russian capital can now pay for their tickets directly from Google Pay by tapping a turnstile equipped with a contactless fare terminal — without having to first unlock their smartphone.

Owners of mobile devices with the Google Pay payment service and Mastercard can now instantly pay for the entrance to the Moscow Metro and MCC by holding their smartphone to the reader at the turnstiles equipped for accepting bank cards. VTB Bank will conduct the operation.
In the near future, the new functionality will also be available to cardholders of other payment systems represented in Google Pay in Russia. To make a payment, you will need to select the Google Pay service as the main payment method in your phone in advance.

“We see contactless payment become more and more popular among our passengers,” says Maksim Liksutov, Moscow’s deputy mayor for transport.

“The new service by Google is extremely trending during the pandemic: you do not have to take off your gloves or mask to enter the passcode or Face ID on your smartphone, just turn on the screen and this will be enough.”

Moscow Metro can also pay their fares using Samsung Pay, Apple Pay, Mir Pay, Alipay and UnionPay, as well as the Troika transit card and “almost all bank cards”.

London Underground Moscow Metro pay

The London Underground is currently testing a facial recognition payment system called “Touchless Journeys.” Touchless Journeys uses cameras to identify passengers as they enter and exit the Underground network. Passengers who want to use Touchless Journeys need to register their face and bank card information with the TfL website. Touchless Journeys is currently being tested at a limited number of stations on the London Underground.

It is important to note that both Face Pay and Touchless Journeys are voluntary systems. Passengers can choose to use them or they can continue to use traditional payment methods, such as cash or contactless cards.

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