MasterCard is inviting UK coders, designers and developers to battle it out in a three day hackathon building payments-enabled travel apps for the chance to win £10,000.
The card giant has teamed up with British Airways and Transport for London on the Shoreditch event, which will see more than 100 participants split into teams of six and given access to the firms' APIs to enable them to build apps that help people make all kinds of journeys, whether they are day-to-day trips or long haul holiday treks.
A group of high-level execs will judge the efforts at the end of the long weekend in early June, with the winner receiving £10,000, business support from The Traveltech Lab and a slot to pitch their idea at a high profile event during London Tech Week.
Elliott Goldenberg, head, digital payments, MasterCard UK & Ireland, says: "If we look at how contactless has changed the daily commute for Londoners, we are looking ahead to how future payment technology can unify transport systems for the greater benefit of the user."
Phil Young, head, online, TfL, adds: "Millions of people every day use apps powered by our free open data to check the Tube, find a bus or see how the roads are running. We are keen to work with a wide range of partners to see how this data can deliver further benefits to customers and road users and this ‘Hackathon’ is a really helpful step in making that happen."