Passengers expect seamless travel: tap a bank card, board the bus, done. But for public transport organisations, enabling that simplicity is anything but simple. It requires connecting operators, banks and payment service providers through a secure, reliable and scalable platform.
Cloud-native open payments platform for public transit
Serverless architecture on AWS for limitless scalability
Secure data exchange between operators, banks and PSPs
Microservices-based Travel Data Portal
Security-first design with encryption and compliance built in
The challenge
How do you create a platform that securely connects transit operators, banks and payment service providers - and scales effortlessly as cities adopt open payments?
Our solution
A serverless, cloud-native Travel Data Portal on AWS: designed for security, built for scale, and ready to power the future of urban mobility.
Flowbird x iO: powering the infrastructure behind smarter urban mobility
Flowbird is a global leader in urban mobility, providing parking and transit ticketing solutions to cities and transport operators worldwide. Their technology helps millions of people move through cities every day.
We are Flowbird's trusted partner for cloud architecture, data integration and security. Our collaboration goes beyond individual projects: together, we are building the digital infrastructure that enables cities to move towards open, seamless and sustainable mobility.
Why open payments demand a new kind of platform
The shift to open payments in public transport is accelerating. Passengers expect to tap their bank card or smartphone and travel - no dedicated transit card required. But behind that simple tap lies a complex web of real-time data exchange, fraud prevention and regulatory compliance.
Traditional, monolithic systems struggle to meet these demands. Flowbird needed a platform purpose-built for this new reality: one that could handle high transaction volumes, integrate with diverse stakeholders and evolve continuously as standards and regulations change.
Designing a Travel Data Portal for scale and security
The Travel Data Portal (TDP) is the answer. We designed a cloud-native, serverless architecture on AWS that processes travel transactions as they happen. Every component is built as a microservice, allowing independent scaling, deployment and maintenance.
Security is foundational, not an afterthought. All data is encrypted in transit and at rest. Access controls, audit logging and compliance measures are embedded from day one. The result: a platform that banks and payment networks trust, and that transit operators can deploy with confidence.
Connecting the urban mobility ecosystem
An open payments platform is only as valuable as its integrations. The TDP connects seamlessly with transit operators' back-office systems, payment service providers, acquiring banks and card scheme networks. Data flows securely between all parties in real time.
This interoperability is key to Flowbird's proposition. Cities and operators can adopt open payments without replacing their existing infrastructure - the TDP acts as the intelligent layer that ties everything together.
Built serverless, built for the future
Choosing a serverless architecture on AWS means the platform scales automatically with demand. During peak travel hours, the system handles surges without manual intervention. When traffic drops, costs scale down accordingly. There is no over-provisioning, no wasted capacity.
This approach also accelerates development. New features and integrations can be deployed independently, reducing time-to-market and enabling continuous improvement. The TDP is not a static product - it is a living platform that evolves with Flowbird's business and the cities they serve.
A secure foundation for the future of urban mobility
The Travel Data Portal gives Flowbird a competitive edge in the fast-moving open payments market. Cities and transit operators gain a platform that is secure enough for banks, scalable enough for peak demand and flexible enough to integrate with any existing system.
For Flowbird, the partnership with iO means faster innovation and lower operational risk. For passengers, it means a simpler, more seamless way to travel. And for cities, it represents a step towards smarter, more sustainable urban mobility.
