Private label cards (PLC) are tokenized by the network provider, but the transactions are routed
within the transit agency's own network, rather than a public network such as Visa. PLCs can only
be used in the transit system where they're accepted. This means that no outside merchant usage is
allowed.
The following table describes the pros and cons of the two card types:
|
Pros |
Cons |
| EMV cards |
- Convenient for users who already have a payment card, such as a credit or debit
card.
|
- Unable to uniquely identify the user to offer discounted fares or reduced price
passes.
- Requires EMVCo L1 and L2 certification.
|
| Private label cards (PLC) |
- Can support all types of passes.
- Can identify a user's eligibility to concession tickets or passes.
- No EMVCo certification requirement.
|
- Requires a unique AID on the terminal.
- Requires a system integrator backend to issue the PLC.
- The transit operator must set up their own PLC.
|