Integrated ticketing is a public transport ticketing system where a person can use a single ticket on different modes of transportation. These modes include, among others, buses, trains, subways, trams and even ferries. The validation process depends on the specific system. Mostly smart cards or magnetic stripe cards are used, but some systems also allow magnetic tickets or smart tickets.
The purpose of integrated ticketing is to simplify and encourage the use of public transportation. Integrated ticketing systems are mainly city or region based. For example, Oyster card lets the user travel in Greater London by bus, Tube, London Overground and other transportation modes. In addition to the development of local systems worldwide, the European Union is trying to create an EU-wide integrated ticketing system.
Integrated ticketing is one of the first steps towards Mobility as a Service which offers users a single platform that combines public and private transportation.