With just a few clicks, high-speed train commuters will be able to book and obtain their tickets at the iBon electronic kiosks at 7-Eleven sometime after Lunar New Year.
“Purchasing transport tickets must be fast and in real time, and the transaction system must be able to withstand huge transaction volumes at any given time,” James Hsieh (謝健南), chief operating officer at President Chain Store Corp (統一超商), told reporters during a media trip to Kinmen yesterday.
President Chain runs 7-Eleven, the nation’s largest convenience store chain.
The company has been in talks with Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp (THSRC, 台灣高鐵) for the past two years, but some technicalities had to be resolved. The retailer’s iBon does not support THSRC’s ticket format, which meant extra costs if a different machine had to be introduced.
Both parties reached a settlement by using iBon’s 2D barcode for the ticket identification. Despite the different sizes of the tickets issued by THSRC and iBon, commuters will simply have to apply the iBon ticket barcode on the entry gates to enter the high-speed rail platform.
A NT$10 (US$0.30) fee per transaction will be charged for ticket purchases on iBon machines.
To create a niche amid growing competition in the convenience store sector, President Chain launched the iBon kiosks three years ago with an investment of NT$700 million. There are currently 4,650 kiosks across the nation.
Customers can use iBon kiosks for a variety of services including document printing, show ticket booking and collection, as well as credit-card and parking ticket payments.
Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA) train tickets could eventually be sold on the machines as well, Hsieh said.
President Chain dominates the convenience store sector on the outlying islands, with a total of 43 stores spreading across Penghu, Kinmen, Matzu, Green Island and Siaoliouciou, while Taiwan FamilyMart Co (全家便利商店) has one outlet on Green Island.
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