Mastercard and Freebike – a platform for bike and e-bike sharing – have partnered to launch what’s claimed to be the world’s first tap-and-ride e-bikes in Helsinki, Finland.
The first 1,100 bikes were made available in city in June and can be rented without registration.
Payment can be made using any contactless bank card, with ‘tap’ technology provided by Mastercard.
The fee is 15 cents (13p) per minute. Daily, weekly and monthly subscriptions are also available on the app, which lets users pause rentals and view their full rental history.
Users will be charged €1.50 (£1.29) for leaving their bikes on the street and €10 (£8.60) for dumping them. This is to encourage users to park at designated virtual stations.
Pekka Laaksonen, country director for Mastercard Finland, said: “Using Freebike is easy and seamless, as anyone who carries a payment card can use them.
“Freebike also encourages its riders to park their e-bikes at virtual stations, which is a step towards a more convenient city.”
The two companies plan to increase the numbers of available bikes next year.
