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If there’s one industry that constantly pushes the limits of biometric tech, it’s public transportation. High volumes, time pressure, and the need for hygiene make it a challenging environment for any authentication system. That’s why we were both cautious and excited when we got the opportunity to pilot a Palm Vein Payment system across a mid-size city’s bus and metro lines.
Our device of choice? The XT-WavePass500 from X-Telcom. And here’s what we learned along the way.
Why Palm Vein Works in Transit
We needed something fast, accurate, and completely contactless. Cards get lost, phones run out of battery, QR codes are too slow during peak hours. But palm vein recognition? It just works.
With the RGB + IR dual sensors, the XT-WavePass500 reliably identified users in under a second—even when hands weren’t perfectly aligned. Riders didn’t have to touch anything, which meant less wear on the hardware and better hygiene during flu season.
Multi-Modal for the Win
What made the XT-WavePass500 stand out was its flexibility. We didn’t have to choose just one method:
- Palm vein for registered users
- QR code scanning for temporary tickets and one-time riders
- NFC compatibility for transit cards
All of that from one device, with AES-256 CBC encryption securing every transaction. We also leveraged its 12–36V power input, making it perfect for installation on buses and terminals without needing extra converters.
Deployment Results and Rider Feedback
Once we went live, the results were clear:
- Boarding time was reduced by 18% during peak hours
- Hardware uptime stayed above 99.9%
- Over 70% of surveyed users preferred palm payment to traditional cards after using it just once
For operations, it meant fewer helpdesk calls about lost cards or failed scans. For passengers, it meant faster, smoother commutes.
If you’re planning to digitize fare collection or modernize your transit gates, don’t underestimate the power of Palm Vein Technology. The XT-WavePass500 gave us the tools we needed to build a system that’s fast, secure, and future-ready.
👉 Dive deeper or book a demo: x-telcom.com/palm-vein-recognition-technology
