RTC of Southern Nevada teams up with Masabi and Visa to Introduce the rideRTC Rewards Program

 

The Open Payments tap-to-earn incentives program is powered by Masabi’s Fare Payments solution and Velocia’s rewards program

 

New York, NY & Las Vegas, NV – 10 June 2025 – The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) today introduced an innovative rewards program designed to encourage riders to pay for transit fares using their Visa card. Powered by an Open Payments solution from Masabi, and integrated with the Velocia rewards platform, the initiative aims to enhance rider convenience while offering valuable incentives for tapping to ride.

 

 The program is open to a set number of participating riders within the RTC contactless payment ecosystem, on a first-come, first-served basis. Once enrolled, riders will earn points each time they tap their Visa contactless card, payment-enabled device, or other payment method to pay for an RTC ride. These points can then be redeemed for free rides, making every journey more rewarding. Additional bonus points will be granted to riders who maintain weekly streaks, tapping their payment card or payment enabled device at least four times in a single week, with even greater rewards for those continuing their streaks for up to four consecutive weeks.

 

 The program has been made possible through RTC’s partnership with Masabi, who launched the agency’s Open Payments fare collection system in December 2023. The system allows riders to conveniently pay for transit using contactless bank cards, mobile wallets, and smart devices. Masabi recently launched a new feature, Open Payments Account Linking, which enables riders to link their payment card to a single transit account. This functionality makes the rewards program possible by allowing reduced fares and rewards to be assigned to a rider’s payment card, while also unlocking access to trip history and other account-based benefits.

 

With Velocia’s integration, this initiative combines the ease of open-loop payments with an engaging incentive structure to encourage habit change among riders. The launch illustrates how Masabi equips agencies with practical tools to enable swift policy implementation that encourages rider behaviour changes.

 

 “With contactless payments, we’ve made riding transit easier than ever before in Southern Nevada,” said MJ Maynard-Carey, CEO of RTC. “Now, thanks to this program, we’re demonstrating this exciting step forward in modernizing fare payments and providing real benefits to our riders through an easy and rewarding system.”

 

 To participate, riders must download the rideRTC app, create an account, and register for the program. As a sign-up bonus, each participant will receive 200 points – the equivalent of a free single-ride. The program will run for an initial six-month period, and beyond enhancing rider convenience, it offers valuable opportunities for RTC to gain insights into ridership trends. By collecting trip data and rewarding participants for completing surveys, RTC can plan future transit improvements and innovations.

 

 “This program demonstrates the power of Open Payments and the potential for seamless fare collection solutions to drive rider engagement in new and exciting ways,” said Brian Zanghi, CEO at Masabi. “By integrating rewards directly into the payment experience, based on how much riders travel with the agency, RTC is not only encouraging riders to adopt contactless payments but also providing them with meaningful benefits for doing so.”

 

 “RTC, Masabi, and Velocia are enabling a great opportunity for Las Vegas residents and visitors alike. Both can conveniently tap to pay for their rides with a Visa card, just like they do with other everyday purchases,” said Kirk Stuart, SVP and Head of North America Enablers, Merchants, and Fintechs at Visa. “As contactless payments continue to gain traction, this program serves as an exciting and original model that showcases how transit agencies can leverage open-loop payment systems, and processing by the Visa Acceptance Platform, to improve mobility, encourage ridership, and gain data-driven insights.”

 

“RTC has consistently led the way in delivering rider-first innovations and we’re proud to support their continued leadership with a rewards program that spans both open and closed loop systems,” said David Winterstein, CEO at Velocia. “Together with Masabi and Visa, we’re setting a new standard for how cities can drive sustainable transit habits through seamless, everyday payment experiences that are as convenient as they are rewarding.”

 

For more information, visit rtcsnv.com.