iTaxi launches direct carrier billing with Centili and Play

London UK, 24 February 2020 – iTaxi, the leading Polish taxi hailing marketplace has launched a new ticketing model supported by direct carrier billing, which enables its customers to charge taxi rides to their postpaid plans with Play, the biggest telco operator in the country.

Technical integration is the work of the internationally awarded payments and billing company Centili. It is one of the first implementations of direct carrier billing in ticketing in the EU taxi industry, enabling the cost of an individual ride to be calculated upfront and seamlessly charged to the rider’s mobile plan. This makes it different to traditional taxi charges which can only be applied after the ride. By introducing tickets of this kind, taxi services become easier to link with other urban transportation methods, which is a major step towards a stronger participation in the emerging Mobility as a Service (MaaS) model. - The integration with carriers, which we enable on multiple levels, is the key to a smooth functioning of digital and remote services underlying urban mobility – from app-based ride ordering, user reach and identification, to engagement and billing. All this is orchestrated via mobile phones, with the mobile number at the center of enablement, said Lazar Pasajlic Regional Manager Europe at Centili. 

The updated iTaxi mobile app allows users to set Play as the default payment method, or to easily use it alongside other methods. The user experience is the same as with credit card payments, involving only a few taps on the phone screen.

-Our customers can now charge taxi rides to their existing account with Play, a company with considerable reputation and standing in providing payments services. We have introduced another natively mobile capability, as we continue to build cutting-edge mobility services for our customers, says Tomasz Soczówka, Strategic Advisory & Partnerships Manager at iTaxi. 

This pioneering project could facilitate further innovation in the European urban mobility ecosystem. With a population of 40 million, Poland has a booming innovation scene in which mobile network operators are playing a major role. The country has already seen direct carrier billing applied to the areas of parking, electrical scooters rentals and now taxi rides, with a clear vision of becoming a part of a new public transportation model known as Mobility as a Service.

​-We are excited about what’s next in smart city travel as we continue to expand our active role in the space. We’re looking forward to working with startups and partners to unlock new opportunities via integrations that will take urban mobility to the next level, said Łukasz Perzyński, Head of Direct Carrier Billing at Play.

About

Started in 2011 by a team of developers, carrier biller Centili partners with 280+ MNOs and leading global and national merchants to enable micropayments, user identification and mobile engagement.

With more than 15 million subscribers using their services daily, Play is the biggest telco company in Poland. It is the provider of choice for youths, families and small businesses. iTaxi operates 10,000 cars in 100 cities and is a leading taxi hailing marketplace in Poland. It was listed as one of the most prominent Polish startups in 2020.