EN 12896-5:2026

• Abstract:

  This document entitled “Public transport – Reference data model – Part 5: Fare Management” is composed of the following data packages:; ⎯ Fare Structure;; ⎯ Access Right Assignment;; ⎯ Fare Pricing;; ⎯ Sales Description;; ⎯ Sales Transaction;; ⎯ Fare Roles;; ⎯ Validation and Control;; ⎯ Explicit Frames for Fares.; This document itself is composed of the following parts:; ⎯ Main document representing the data model for the concepts shared by the different domains covered by Transmodel (normative);; ⎯ Annex A, containing the data dictionary and attribute tables, i.e., the list of all the concepts presented in the main document together with the definitions (normative);; ⎯ Annex B, presenting the model evolution (informative).; ⎯ Annex C, providing details of the significant technical changes between this document and EN 12896-5:2019 (informative)

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 30-Jun-2026
• ICS: 35.240.60 - IT applications in transport
• Technical Committee: CEN/TC 278 - Road transport and traffic telematics
• Drafting Committee: CEN/TC 278/WG 3 - Public transport (PT)
• Current Stage: 6060 - Definitive text made available (DAV) - Publishing
• Start Date: 01-Jul-2026
• Due Date: 22-Sep-2026
• Completion Date: 01-Jul-2026
• Directive: Harmonized Standard2016/797/EU - Directive (EU) 2016/797 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 May 2016 on the interoperability of the rail system within the European Union (Text with EEA relevance)
• Ref Project: SIST EN 12896-5:2026 - Public transport - Reference data model - Part 5: Fare management

• Replaces: EN 12896-5:2019 - Public transport - Reference data model - Part 5: Fare management
• Effective Date: 19-Jun-2024
• Refers: EN 12896-1:2026 - Public transport - Reference data model - Part 1: Common concepts
• Effective Date: 25-Aug-2026
• Referred By: EN 12896-10:2022 - Public transport - Reference data model - Part 10: Alternative Modes
• Effective Date: 08-Jul-2026
• Referred By: CEN/TS 16614-6:2024 - Public transport - Network and timetable exchange (NeTEx) - Part 6: European Passenger Information Accessibility Profile
• Effective Date: 08-Jul-2026
• Referred By: CEN/TS 16614-4:2026 - Public transport - Network and Timetable Exchange (NeTEx) - Part 4: Passenger Information European Profile
• Effective Date: 08-Jul-2026
• Referred By: CEN/TS 16614-1:2020 - Public transport - Network and Timetable Exchange (NeTEx) - Part 1: Public transport network topology exchange format
• Effective Date: 08-Jul-2026
• Referred By: CEN/TS 16614-4:2020 - Public transport - Network and Timetable Exchange (NeTEx) - Part 4: Passenger Information European Profile
• Effective Date: 08-Jul-2026
• Referred By: CEN/TS 17402:2020 - Intelligent transport systems - Urban ITS - Use of regional traffic standards in a mixed vendor environment
• Effective Date: 08-Jul-2026

Overview

EN 12896-5:2026 - Public transport - Reference data model - Part 5: Fare management is a European standard developed by CEN, focusing on fare management within the broader Public Transport Reference Data Model (Transmodel V5.1). This document establishes a unified data structure for representing fare-related information, supporting the integration, interoperability, and management of fare systems across different public transport networks. It is built on previous standards, incorporating elements from EN 12896-1 and -2 (Common Concepts), the SIRI suite for real-time information, and NeTEx for network and timetable exchange, ensuring compatibility with modern intelligent transport systems.

Key Topics

• Fare Structure: Defines the modular representation of fare products, fare zones, pricing strategies, and the elements needed to describe any fare system's structure.
• Access Right Assignment: Documents mechanisms for specifying and authorizing different levels of access to public transport services based on fare products or entitlements.
• Fare Pricing: Explains various pricing configurations, calculation parameters, and fare tables needed to handle complex fee structures, discounts, and capping policies.
• Sales Description & Transactions: Details the models for sales offers, retail channels, transaction records, and management of customer accounts and contracts.
• Fare Roles: Classifies the various actors and organisations involved, including fare collectors, validators, technology providers, commercial partners, and service operators.
• Validation and Control: Covers methods and data required for fare validation, revenue protection, eligibility checks, and control activities.
• Data Frames for Fares: Establishes the use of explicit frames (UML modules) to support the flexible, scalable modeling of fare information.

Applications

EN 12896-5:2026 is a core reference for:

• Public Transport Operators & Authorities: Provides a blueprint for designing interoperable fare management systems and integrating fare information with passenger information systems, sales channels, and mobile ticketing.
• ITS Application Developers: Facilitates the development of software solutions that need to handle or exchange fare data in a standardised, modular format, enhancing system compatibility and scalability.
• Mobility as a Service (MaaS) Providers: Enables seamless aggregation and linkage of fare and ticketing information across multiple operators and platforms, supporting account-based and media-centric ticketing paradigms.
• System Integrators & Consultants: Assists in specifying, implementing, or upgrading fare management functions within broader intelligent transport systems, ensuring compliance with European standards and promoting data interoperability.

The standard's modular, UML-described model supports robust fare data handling - from simple flat fares to complex, multi-provider fare products. Its flexible approach also accommodates evolving technologies and business models, such as dynamic pricing, integrated long-distance travel, and contactless ticketing.

Related Standards

• EN 12896-1:2016 - Public transport - Reference data model - Part 1: Common concepts.
• EN 12896-2:2016 - Reference data model focusing on network and timetable integration.
• EN 15531 (SIRI): Service interface for real-time information exchange in public transport.
• CEN/TS 16614 (NeTEx): Network and Timetable Exchange, essential for interoperability in timetable and network data, including for fare structures.
• IFOPT (formerly EN 28701:2012): Now incorporated into EN 12896 parts, addressing the identification of fixed objects in public transport networks.

EN 12896-5:2026 is part of a suite of standards essential for delivering interoperable, customer-focused, and efficient public transport information and fare management systems at both national and international levels.

Keywords: Public transport fare management, reference data model, Transmodel, EN 12896-5, fare structure, fare pricing, access rights, ticketing interoperability, SIRI, NeTEx, intelligent transport systems, MaaS.

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-oktober-2026
Nadomešča:
SIST EN 12896-5:2019
Javni prevoz - Referenčni podatkovni model - 5. del: Upravljanje voznin
Public transport - Reference data model - Part 5: Fare management
Öffentlicher Verkehr - Referenzdatenmodell - Teil 5: Fahrgeldmanagement
Transports publics - Modèle de données de référence - Partie 5 : gestion tarifaire
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN 12896-5:2026
ICS:
35.240.60 Uporabniške rešitve IT v IT applications in transport
prometu
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

EN 12896-5
EUROPEAN STANDARD
NORME EUROPÉENNE
July 2026
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
ICS 35.240.60 Supersedes EN 12896-5:2019
English Version
Public transport - Reference data model - Part 5: Fare
management
Transports publics - Modèle de données de référence - Öffentlicher Verkehr - Referenzdatenmodell - Teil 5:
Partie 5 : gestion tarifaire Fahrgeldmanagement
This European Standard was approved by CEN on 15 April 2026.

CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this
European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references
concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre or to any CEN
member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by
translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management
Centre has the same status as the official versions.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and
United Kingdom.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2026 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. EN 12896-5:2026 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

Contents Page
European foreword . 5
1 Scope . 7
2 Normative references . 8
3 Terms, definitions, Symbols and Abbreviations . 8
3.1 Terms and definitions . 8
3.2 Symbols and Abbreviations . 14
4 General information . 14
5 Public Transport Fare Management Domain . 15
5.1 Scope & Overview . 15
5.1.1 Functional Domains of a Fare Model . 15
5.1.2 Variety and Complexity of Fare Systems . 16
5.1.3 Impact of Control and Validation Technologies . 17
5.1.4 Ticketing Paradigms: Account Based Ticketing & Media Centric Ticketing . 17
5.1.5 Interoperability . 18
5.1.6 Abstract Modelling . 18
5.1.7 Modelling Approach - Access Rights . 18
5.1.8 Possible Simplifications for Implementations . 20
5.1.9 Further Evolution of Fare Systems. 20
5.1.10 Use of Fare Data in Passenger Information services . 21
5.2 Fundamental Concepts . 21
5.2.1 Access Rights . 21
5.2.2 Access Rights Specification . 21
5.2.3 Fare Products. 22
5.2.4 Sales Offer Packages . 22
5.2.5 Overview on Access Rights Levels, Parameter Types and Associated Concepts . 22
5.2.6 Customers and Contracts . 24
5.2.7 Travel Documents, Customers, Contracts and Sales Offer Packages . 24
5.2.8 Distribution and Fulfilment. 25
5.2.9 Sales Transactions . 26
5.2.10 Prices . 27
5.2.11 Consumption Control . 28
5.2.12 Sales and Validation Entries . 29
5.2.13 Revenue protection measures . 30
5.2.14 Roles . 30
5.2.15 Specification, Sales and Validation data sets . 31
5.3 Use Cases for the Fare Model . 34
5.3.1 General . 34
5.3.2 Business context . 34
5.3.3 Actors and use case types . 38
5.3.4 Use Cases . 40
6 Conceptual Model for Fares . 42
6.1 Organisation of the Conceptual Model . 42
6.2 Extensions to the Network Model for fares . 43
6.2.1 General . 43
6.2.2 Fare Zone – Conceptual Model . 43
6.3 Fare Structure . 49
6.3.1 General . 49
6.3.2 Fare Structure Model & Sub-models . 49
6.3.3 Common Fare Structure . 51
6.3.4 Geographical Fare Structure . 52
6.3.5 Time Fare Structure . 56
6.3.6 Quality Fare Structure. 57
6.3.7 Fare Structure Element . 59
6.3.8 Validable & Controllable Elements Validable Element . 66
6.4 Access Right Assignment . 70
6.4.1 Principles . 70
6.4.2 Fare Product . 95
6.5 Fare Pricing . 106
6.5.1 Principles . 106
6.5.2 Fare Calculation Parameters . 106
6.5.3 Fare Price . 107
6.5.4 Price Derivation . 110
6.5.5 Price Groups . 111
6.5.6 Fare Table . 112
6.6 Sales Description . 116
6.6.1 Sales Offer Package . 116
6.6.2 Sales Offer Entitlements . 118
6.6.3 Fare Sales Distribution . 119
6.6.4 Type of Travel Document. 120
6.6.5 Medium Access Device and Medium Application Instance . 122
6.6.6 Example - Sales Descriptions . 123
6.7 Customers and Sales Transactions . 126
6.7.1 General . 126
6.7.2 Sales Transaction – Model & Sub-models . 126
6.7.3 Fare Contracts . 127
6.7.4 Retail Consortiums . 132
6.7.5 Sale Transactions . 134
6.7.6 Fare Contract Events . 140
6.8 Fare Roles . 153
6.8.1 Fare Management Roles . 153
6.8.2 Fare Technology Roles . 154
6.8.3 Fare Transport Customer Roles . 155
6.8.4 Fare Product Roles specific to Fare Management . 156
6.8.5 Service Organisation Roles that are relevant for Fare Management . 157
6.8.6 Administrative organisation roles that are specific for Fare Management . 158
6.8.7 Technology provider roles that are involved in Fare Management . 159
6.8.8 Summary of Fare Roles . 161
6.9 Control and Validation . 163
6.9.1 Control Means . 163
6.9.2 Elementary Controls . 164
6.9.3 Validation . 165
6.9.4 Validation and Control Events . 170
6.9.5 Access Right Control Roles . 176
6.9.6 Summary of Events & Entries . 177
6.9.7 Other Output . 179
6.10 Additional Topics . 180
6.10.1 Fare Version. 180
6.10.2 Information on Fares . 180
6.10.3 Modularisation & Package dependencies . 181
6.10.4 Explicit Frames . 182
6.10.5 Fare Frame . 182
6.10.6 Fare Price Frame . 183
6.10.7 Sales Transaction Frame . 184
Annex A (normative) Data dictionary . 186
Annex B (informative) Data Model Evolution . 286
Annex C (informative) Significant technical changes between this document and the
previous edition . 289
Bibliography . 290

European foreword
This document (EN 12896-5:2026) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 278 “Intelligent
transport systems”, the secretariat of which is held by NEN.
This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an
identical text or by endorsement, at the latest by January 2027, and conflicting national standards shall
be withdrawn at the latest by January 2027.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. CEN shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
This document supersedes EN 12896-5:2019.
This document is part of the European standard EN 12896, known as “Transmodel”. This European
standard is a series of documents that comprises of the following ones:
- EN 12896-1 Public transport - Reference data model - Part 1: Common concepts,
- EN 12896-2 Public transport - Reference data model - Part 2: Public transport network,
- EN 12896-3 Public transport - Reference data model - Part 3: Timing information and vehicle
scheduling,
- EN 12896-4 Public transport - Reference data model - Part 4: Operations monitoring and control,
- EN 12896-5 Public transport - Reference data model - Part 5: Fare management,
- EN 12896-6 Public transport - Reference Data model - Part 6: Passenger information,
- EN 12896-7 Public transport - Reference data model - Part 7: Driver management,
- EN 12896-8 Public transport - Reference data model - Part 8: Management information and
statistics,
- EN 12896-10 Public transport – Reference data model – Part 10: Alternative modes.
Together these documents create Transmodel version 6.2 and thus replace Transmodel V6.0.
In addition to the nine normative Parts of this European Standard, a Technical Report (Public Transport
– Reference Data Model – Informative Documentation) was published in 2016 under the reference
CEN/TR 12896-9. It provides additional information to help those implementing projects involving the
use of Transmodel. It is intended that this Technical Report will be extended and republished as soon as
all the normative parts are revised.
The split into several documents is intended to ease the task of users interested in particular functional
domains. It corresponds to the modularisation of Transmodel into functionally related parts, each made
up of distinct UML packages and subpackages that describe a particular aspect of public transport. The
NeTEx UML model follows the same modularisation, allowing a direct mapping from the conceptual
model to the implementation
Annex C provides details of the significant technical changes between this document and EN 12896-
5:2019.
For information on the conventions, methodology and notations for conceptual modelling, for a clear
overview to help understand the core principles, structure and purpose of Transmodel, and for
information on the Functional domains and Modes of operation, refer to EN 12896-1.
Any feedback and questions on this document should be directed to the users’ national standards body.
A complete listing of these bodies can be found on the CEN website.
According to the CEN-CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organisations of the
following countries are bound to implement this European Standard: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia,
Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland,
Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of North
Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and the United
Kingdom.
1 Scope
This document entitled “Public transport – Reference data model – Part 5: Fare Management” is
composed of the following data packages:
⎯ Fare Structure;
⎯ Access Right Assignment;
⎯ Fare Pricing;
⎯ Sales Description;
⎯ Sales Transaction;
⎯ Fare Roles;
⎯ Validation and Control;
⎯ Explicit Frames for Fares.
This document itself is composed of the following parts:
⎯ Main document representing the data model for the concepts shared by the different domains
covered by Transmodel (normative);
⎯ Annex A, containing the data dictionary and attribute tables, i.e., the list of all the concepts presented
in the main document together with the definitions (normative);
⎯ Annex B, presenting the model evolution (informative).
⎯ Annex C, providing details of the significant technical changes between this document and EN 12896-
5:2019 (informative)
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
EN 12896-1, Public transport – Reference data model – Part 1: Common concepts
3 Terms, definitions, Symbols and Abbreviations
3.1 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in EN 12896-1 and the following apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
⎯ IEC Electropedia: available at http://www.electropedia.org/
⎯ ISO Online browsing platform: available at http://www.iso.org/obp
NOTE The following terms specific to the fares domain are used. Terms which are also data entity names are
defined in the data dictionary in Annex A and are mostly not repeated here.
3.1.1
access right
right to consume a Public Transport service or other service provided along with the transport
3.1.2
account based ticketing
fare collection paradigm which manages ticket issuing and validation through individual customer
accounts held online and controlled by means of a token used on paper or electronic materialisations of
a travel document
3.1.3
activation
triggering of the use of access rights and initiation of consumption
3.1.4
absolute price
price that is stated as a fixed currency amount regeradless of whether it is a base price or notionally
derived from another base price according to some pricing rule.
3.1.5
anonymous customer
CUSTOMER whose identity is not visible from their TRAVEL DOCUMENT, but who may be nevertheless
be a registered customer using an anonymous token, in contrast to an impersonal customer, of whom the
service operator has no individual knowledge
3.1.6
automated fare collection system
fare collection system capable of automatically determining which products the customer must purchase
according to the travel he consumes
3.1.7
base price
price that is provided as a fixed absolute amount and from which other prices may be derived
3.1.8
blacklist
revenue protection mechanism taking the form of a security list identifying travel documents, media, etc.
for which the validity has been cancelled temporarily (denial) or permanently (refusal) and which will
be used to block access to services for customers bearing documents associated with items on the list
3.1.9
booking
placing of a reservation to use a specific transport service, but not necessarily entailing a purchase of a
ticket
3.1.10
cancellation
marking of a TRAVEL DOCUMENT as having been used
3.1.11
capping
setting of an upper limit on the price of the consumption of access rights withon a certain period
3.1.12
card centric
form of media centric ticketing where the media is a smart card
3.13
classical ticketing
non-electronic fare management and ticketing using paper and passive media travel documents, usually
for a single operator and for simple products such as single tips, return trips or period passes.
3.1.14
consumption
using up of access right by a transport customer as a result of travel
3.1.15
control
checking of a passenger’s entitlement to consume access rights, involving identification of the traveller
and/or the travel rights
3.1.16
credentials
data or other mechanisms used to authenticate an actor to a system as a legitimate participant
3.1.17
derived price
price that can be computed from another base price using pricing parameters and a pricing rule
3.1.18
distributor
party who sells products on behalf of other product owners
3. 1.19
dynamic price
price that is fetched at run time from a pricing engine as opposed to a static or derived price
3.1.20
easement
change to the normal access rights given to passengers because of a disruption to the network
3.1.21
embargo date
date before which information about a price or product is not to be released to the public
3.1.22
entry
record of an interaction with the system performed by an agent such as a CUSTOMER or ORGANISATION
3.1.23
event
any event, occurring on an OPERATING DAY and recorded in the system as some form of LOG ENTRY,
having some consequences on entities
3.1.23
fare
amount that a customer has to pay for a journey or for acquiring a specific fare
product
3.1.24
fare set
particular version of all aspects of the fare structure, i.e., of the rules and associated parameter values,
also called a ‘tariff’
3.1.25
fare structure
set of parameters that determine the basic tariffs
3.1.26
fare token
materialisation of a travel document, i.e. ticket, as an anonymous physical object, such as a coin-like object
that is captured at validation and subsequently reused, or an ephemeral paper representation that is
cancelled
3.1.27
flat fare
fare that does not increase in proportion to distance or other measure of consumption (and so typically
cannot be derived by calculation)
3.1.28
fulfilment
delivery of a TRAVEL DOCUMENT to the customer once it has been ordered or purchased
3.1.29
graduated fare
type of progressive fare that increases in proportion to consumption, where the increase is based in a
distance increment
3.1.30
identity token
secure, machine-readable instantiation in media of an identity
3.1.31
impersonal customer
CUSTOMER whose identity is not known in any way to the operator, for example the purchaser of a paper
metro ticket
3.1.32
Interlining trip
customer trip made using a single medium and/or fare product that starts in one PT network and ends
in another, in contrast to a local trip or a roaming trip
3.1.33
interoperable fare management system
fare system which is interoperable with other fare systems, possessing all the functions involved in the
fare management process such as management of application, products, security and certification,
registration, and identification to enable customers to travel with participating service operators using a
single portable electronic medium
3.1.34
inventory controlled product
FARE PRODUCT whose supply is constrained by the service provider, such that only a set quota of
capacity is available on a given journey
3.1.35
local trip
trip made entirely within the home network of a fare product
3.1.36
local use fare product
fare product which can only be used on the operator’s own network, in contrast to a roaming product
3.1.37
marking
stamping or defacing a travel document to indicate that it has been activated and its rights consumed or
partially consumed
3.1.38
media
physical support containing a machine readable/writable data/processor application, such as transport
industry smartcards, payment industry contactless cards, public sector issued cards, mobile phones or
paper (for barcodes), new formats such as watches and key fobs, plus NFC mobile
3.1.39
media centric ticketing
ticketing paradigm under which the product sold is held entirely on some form of local media and any
validation and charging is done immediately against the card’s contents
3.1.40
pay as you go
type of reusable fare product giving the right to travel where the user is charged for access rights at the
point of consumption or sometime after completing consumption
3.1.41
post-paid ticketing
type of fare management according to which the user is charged at some time after using the transport
service
3.1.42
prepaid ticketing
type of fare management according to which the user is charged for either a fare product (ticket) or a
deposit prior to riding
3.1.43
price
value of fare or tariff
3.1.44
progressive fare
fare that increases in proportion to consumption of space and/or time
3.1.45
registration
enrolment of a customer as a user of a fare system
3.1.46
retailer
actor who sells products directly to the end customer (as opposed to a distributor)
3.1.47
roaming fare product
fare product that is issued by one operator but valid on the network of another operator (in contrast to a
local product)
3.1.48
roaming trip
customer trip using a single medium and/or fare product from one operator made entirely inside another
operator’s PT network, in contrast to a local trip or an interlining
3.1.49
static price
price that is precomputed and explicitly distributed, as opposed to a derived or dynamic price.
3.1.50
status of consumption
status indicating whether a given access right included in a customer purchase has been activated,
consumed, etc.
3.1.51
tap
industry term for the record of a customer’s interaction with the system that may be collected for
interoperable fare management including, in particular, any sort of VALIDATION ENTRY returned with
specific data from validation devices to the back office in an Account Based System
3.1.52
tap in / out
process of using a mobile device or EMV card to interact with a NFC wireless validation device to check
in or out (or at a waypoint) of a fare control system.
3.1.53
usage-based product
FARE PRODUCT where the calculation of price is made after travel according to the amount of travel
consumed
3.1.54
validation
verification that an access right is valid, has been or is being consumed, and that this consumption is
allowed, achieved by checking the validity of the passenger’s travel rights and comparing them to the
parameters collected by the previous inspections and/or inspection context
3.1.55
waypoint
intermediate point along a route that a user making a trip may tap in at in order to prove that they
followed a particular routing
3.2 Symbols and Abbreviations
ABT Account Based Ticketing
AFC Automated Fare Collection
API Application Programming Interface
AR Access Right
DRT Demand Responsive Transport
EMV Europay MasterCard Visa standards for payment cards
FM Fare Model
FP Fare Pricing
FTS Flexible Transport Service
FS Fare Structure
FSM Full Service Model
GIS Geographic Information System
IFM Interoperable Fare Management
IFOPT Identification of Fixed Objects in Public Transport
ISO International Organization for Standardization
IT Information Technology
NeTEx Network and Timetable Exchange
NFC Near Field Communication
OCR Optical Character Recognition
OJP Open Journey Planner
OSDM Open Sales and Distribution Model
PT Public Transport
PTO Public Transport Operator
SD Sales Description
ST Sales Transaction
SIRI Service Interface for Real-time Information
SMS Short Message Service
TM Transmodel
UML Uniform Modelling Language
URI Uniform Resource Identifier
URL Universal Resource Locator
VC Validation and Control
VDV Verband Deutscher Verkehrsunternehmen (D)
WGS World Geodetic Standard
4 General information
The following standards series are based on the Transmodel conceptual data model for public transport
domain to provide a harmonized, interoperable, and consistent approach for public transport data,
service interfaces, and journey planning across Europe:
• EN 15531 Series [11–17] – Service interfaces for real-time public transport operations.
• CEN/TS 16614 Series (NeTEx) [18–23] – Network and timetable data exchange,
including passenger information and accessibility.
• CEN/TS 17118 [24] – Open API for distributed journey planning.

5 Public Transport Fare Management Domain
5.1 Scope & Overview
5.1.1 Functional Domains of a Fare Model
The fare collection process in public transport may be considered as being composed of the following
functional areas:
⎯ Fare policy definition:
⎯ Characterisation of different fare structures through spatial and/or temporal parameters (e.g.,
sections, zones, time periods, etc.).
⎯ Specification of the access rights allowed on a network, i.e., access to services provided on a
transport network (e.g., trip on the metro network, trip on the bus network, access to the 1st
class waiting area, etc.) within a fare structure and the ways of using them (e.g., trip on the metro
network during a time period of 2 hours, without successive on-board validations, trip on an
open bus network during 1h30 with mandatory on-board validations and with the obligation to
show an entitlement to use this right).
⎯ Specification of marketable combinations of access rights, called fare products (e.g., service
consumption rights granted through a simple ticket), being possibly combinations of access
rights determined by different fare structures for example a return ticket, a day pass, a season
ticket, a seat reservationetc.
⎯ Description of sale principles applied to the fare products (e.g., specification of fare products sold
as a package, and parameters describing the purchase rights, as for instance the obligation to
show an entitlement to purchase a certain fare product).
⎯ Sales organisation:
⎯ Management of the sales network (not covered, some basic retail and distribution elements
relevant for passenger information added).
⎯ Sales operations, including fulfilment (partly covered).
⎯ Management of customers (partly covered).
⎯ Collecting funds or accounting (not covered).
⎯ Pricing:
⎯ Pricing parameters specification (partly covered).
⎯ Exact price calculation (not covered).
⎯ Consumption control:
⎯ Access right validation & control (covered).
⎯ Fraud management and revenue protection measures (partly covered).
⎯ Collection and aggregation of consumption data (partly covered).
⎯ Settlement
⎯ Management of revenue sharing and clearing house activities (not covered).
⎯ Provision of information on fares.
⎯ Provision of fare data in forms suitable for integration with passenger information systems and
operational processes, e.g., control (covered – see also EN 12896-6).
The part of the reference model described in the present subclause is made up of most data necessary for
operating the above functions. However, the functions referring to the management of the sales network
and the management of funds are not covered, while the management of customers is only partly covered.

Figure 1 — Fare collection activities overview
5.1.2 Variety and Complexity of Fare Systems
There is an increasingly large range of solutions, methods and equipment for fare collection in the field
of public transport. Traditional fare systems, as used for many decades in public transport, are relatively
simple to describe. Such fare systems concern only one service (i.e., public transport), are often provided
by only one operator, a single type of travel document is generally used (e.g., throw-away ticket), and the
fare structure is unique, etc.
The current progress of technology is transforming such conventional systems: for example, with
reloadable tickets, remote (hands-off) payment, electronic purse, pay- as- you-go charging, apps in
personal devices, etc. Moreover, such techniques enable the emergence of integrated payment systems,
which federate different service providers, offering different services (public transport associated to car
parking, road tolling or shop or spectacle discounts etc.) and different means of payment or consumption
documents (e.g., electronic cards). Such modern techniques are likely to coexist for a while with the older.
The concepts presented in this fares model are described with reference to public transport operation.
However, they have been designed, as far as possible, to be applicable to other types of services. This is
typically the case for car parking or road tolling and, more generally, to any service based on access rights
and access controls.
5.1.3 Impact of Control and Validation Technologies
The capabilities of the control and validation technologies that are available on a network have a
significant bearing on the range of products that may be offered by an operator. Classical fare systems
are typically paper based and limited to simple pre-purchased products at a fixed price. Media centric
systems on smart cards allow for pay as you go products that debit the user from stored value on the
card at the time of travel; typically requiring appropriate equipment throughout the network. Account
based systems, where the user’s travel is recorded into a back-office system and accounted for post hoc,
may offer even more sophisticated usage-based products, for example applying additional rules such as
volume usage discounts and capping.
5.1.4 Ticketing Paradigms: Account Based Ticketing & Media Centric Ticketing
Account Based Ticketing (ABT), under which the user holds an on-line account to which fares are
charged, has been an area of notable growth, enabled by the widespread availability of internet-based
devices for the end user. Account-based ticketing supports conventional tickets bought in advance, but
also new types of usage-based products with the price calculated after travel, either using payment on
exit or payment based on the itineraries used within a given period. An essential feature is the issuing of
a unique identity token to embed in the Travel Document with which to reconcile transactions made on
the account. The token may be designed not to reveal the user’s actual identity so that passengers can
travel anonymously. ABT allows the use of general purpose consumer technologies such as payment
cards or mobile devices to act as travel documents.
ABT can be contrasted with card or Media Centric Ticketing, under which the product sold is held on
some form of local media and any validation and charging is done immediately against the card’s contents.
Systems that provide media centric products may also involve registration and customer accounts (for
example to manage issuing the card and the customer may be registered, but access to an account is not
necessary for the use of the card). Both systems support pay as you go travel, and furthermore may
support an increased sophistication as to the pricing policies that are used as they can take into account
the user’s overall consumption and not just each individual journey. Media applications may be hosted
on dedicated card platforms issued by public transport operators, or within general purpose smartcards
able to host other types of applications.
Hybrid Media/ABT systems are also possible, for example a card-based system that automatically
recharges from e.g., a bank account that is linked to the customer’s payment card.
ABT & Media centric system interactions can include:
⎯ Register customer account for the customer
⎯ Register EMV media to charge against a customer account
⎯ Recharge customer account (add credit to a customer account)
⎯ Issue media to passenger
⎯ Install application on passenger’s device
⎯ Recharge media (apply credit to local store on card)
⎯ Check-in at start of journey by passenger
⎯ Check-in at way point by passenger
⎯ Check-out at end of journey by passenger
⎯ Compute travel charge and adjust customer account
⎯ Adjust balance on card on check-in/check-out
⎯ Deregister account for customer
Account based systems require the customer to re
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