.png)
A few weeks ago, our Consultancy team members Paul Schreuders and Shubham Lakani attended Micromobility Europe in Amsterdam, the world's fastest-growing mobility conference exploring key issues redefining urban mobility.
We connected with top industry leaders, brands, manufacturers, cities, startups, and influencers over meetings, talks, demos, and product previews.
This edition was visited by more than 1,100 participants, reflecting the astonishing pace at which global demand for Micromobility products and solutions is growing.
The current mobility market, particularly micromobility, rapidly evolves with significant growth potential and notable challenges. In 2023, the global micromobility market was valued at approximately $40 billion, with projections to reach $100 billion by 2030.*
Micromobility solutions like bikes, e-bikes, e-scooters, and e-mopeds are increasingly valued for reducing urban congestion and lowering emissions. Regional preferences vary, with different micromobility modes popular in Asia, Europe, and the US. For instance, e-bikes account for over 60% of micromobility rides in Europe.*
Despite promising adoption rates, barriers such as weather, cost, and infrastructure remain. Integration with public transit and a focus on sustainability is key for future success.
*Data is based on a recent BCG survey.
The rise of micromobility services has revolutionized urban transportation, however, as these services expand, they face significant hurdles in establishing efficient payment methods.
In the micromobility sector, traditional payment options such as credit cards and digital wallets present challenges. Issues like the need for card verification and setting up accounts can disrupt the smooth user experience that is essential for these services.
The current payment landscape is further complicated by cumbersome QR code scans, inconsistent payment gateways, and a lack of integration with popular digital wallets mark the current payment landscape.
Some experts suggest carrier billing as a promising solution for these payment challenges. It simplifies payment with quick smartphone transactions, eliminates the need to preload money, ensures secure transactions through mobile network protections, and offers global accessibility through specialized aggregators such as Boku.
In the competitive micromobility industry, diverse payment options are crucial for user satisfaction and business growth. Carrier billing's simplicity and ability to overcome specific challenges make it an ideal choice to add alongside traditional methods as services expand globally.
New online checkout solutions like Click2Pay from Visa, Mastercard, and American Express could be connected to physical world use cases such as micromobility and cover both user registration and payment without manual data entry.
Shubham Lakani, Payment’s consultant at PaymentGenes said:
The micromobility industry is evolving rapidly, enhancing access to e-vehicles worldwide, particularly in metropolitan cities. A significant influx of fleet operators, software providers, and manufacturers is shaping a sustainable ecosystem in line with government regulations.
Payments play a crucial role in the micromobility value chain. Fleet operators need a reliable payment service provider to process transactions and support international growth, eliminating the need to switch providers.
Another emerging trend is companies offering end-to-end employee benefit services, such as e-bikes and mobility budgets. These services relieve employers of concerns about vehicle sourcing, contracts, and insurance. Specifically, in this domain, issuing open-loop expense cards to employees can further streamline reimbursement and reconciliation processes, resulting in significant cost savings for employers.
As the micromobility market continues to flourish, the integration of diverse payment solutions will be pivotal in sustaining growth and meeting user expectations. By addressing these challenges and embracing innovative payment technologies, stakeholders can pave the way for a more accessible, efficient, and sustainable urban mobility landscape.
Join us in shaping the future of micromobility payments. Let's initiate dialogue, feel free to reach our Head of Consulting Ward Hagenaar at ward@paymentgenes.com
Europe's electric car market is booming, but public EV charging faces payment complexities. Currently, fragmented systems lead to inconvenient experiences for drivers. Both consumers and regulators favor card payments, aiming for accessibility.
If Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) solutions are to continue their upward trajectory, businesses must ensure that the payment process is as frictionless as possible. Fortunately, the mobile payments space has developed rapidly over the last few years. When PayPal revolutionized the payments space in the early 2000s, it had few competitors in the nascent digital market. Today, every bank has its own mobile app to facilitate payments and a host of fintech firms have been founded as payment processors or gateways to create a highly competitive ecosystem.
