What is your most common reason for using public transit?
UX Research · Client: Mastercard
Mastercard
Survey research with 956 respondents on how urban commuters, with a Gen Z focus, engage with transit promotions, informing promotion and marketing recommendations for Mastercard.
I conducted user interviews, analyzed survey data in Qualtrics, prototyped a low-fidelity app, and filmed an example influencer promo video showing how rider incentives could reach Gen Z on social media.
Context & Challenge
What would make riders tap a Mastercard for transit?
BCEC Consulting Group worked with Mastercard to explore how urban commuters engage with public transit promotional offers, with a Gen Z focus. The goal: help Mastercard design high-impact promotional strategies that align with rider motivations.
Objectives
Transit behaviors and motivations
Frequency of public transit use, commute patterns, and decision drivers.
Payment preferences
How riders pay today and which card networks they prefer.
Promotional models
Which promotional structures are most likely to increase transit usage.
Weeks 1–4
Primary research
- Map motivations of transit authorities, government agencies, and riders into a competitive analysis of existing promotion models
- Segment riders into user personas and identify relevant transit touchpoints
Weeks 5–12
Data collection and analysis
- Develop a survey and outreach strategy to gather data on transit promotion awareness and rider pain points
- Test creative promotion models and synthesize findings into growth opportunities and marketing strategies
Research Methods
A 956-response survey, segmentation, and secondary research
User survey
An online Qualtrics survey, chosen for collecting large-scale quantitative data and its analysis tools. Digital marketing, tabling, and personal outreach over a 5-week period drove responses, with cookies as incentives. A validation question (“What month are you taking this survey?”) screened out invalid answers during data cleaning.
- Recorded responses
- 956
- Responses after data cleaning
- 850
- Where respondents currently live
- 19 countries & 27 US cities
Guiding questions
- How do riders currently use public transit, and what factors shape their habits?
- What types of promotions or rewards most effectively motivate riders to use transit more?
- How aware are riders of existing transit promotions, and what gaps exist between awareness and engagement?
Data analysis and segmentation
We cross-tabulated survey responses by income, payment method, employment, age, and city, then segmented riders by location, age, transit need, and payment method.
Personas
Three rider personas built from the survey segments.
Secondary research
Research on novelty decline in rewards programs, a variable-rewards case study, and social norms around transit in Las Vegas, San Francisco, Washington DC, and Los Angeles.
Key Findings
Riders want savings they can feel, and most don’t know promotions exist
How do you usually pay for your transit rides?
Over 50% of respondents already use debit or credit cards for tap-to-pay. The tapping habit is well-established, so only card choice needs to change.
Promotion awareness
- are familiar with transit promotions in their current city
- 37.8%
- are familiar with transit promotions near their hometown
- 29.7%
- are unfamiliar with transit promotions near their hometown
- 70.3%
Participants are slightly more aware of promotions in their current city, reflecting a higher concentration of marketing in urban areas.
Pain points
Riders: reliability
Delays and long wait times are the most pressing pain point (n=645). Riders want predictable transit more than cheaper transit; delays lead to long waits, which lead to overcrowding and perceived poor cleanliness.
Non-riders: safety and cleanliness
Safety and cleanliness are the primary barriers keeping non-riders off transit (n=311). Long waits and crowding increase perceived risk.
Mastercard cardholders have a 54% non-participation rate in transit rewards. It’s a deliberate choice, not a lack of awareness: aware users have evaluated the rewards and found them insufficient.
Promotion testing: top 5 for frequent riders
01
Increasing cashback
Cashback grows the more you ride (e.g., 5% after 5 rides, 10% after 10 rides per week), capped at 30 rides.
02
Milestone cashback
Complete 12 rides in a month and earn an additional $5 cashback.
03
Local gift cards
Earn $5 gift cards to participating local cafés, restaurants, or bookstores after 12 rides in a month.
04
Off-peak credit
For every off-peak ride with tap-to-pay (e.g., 7pm instead of 5pm), get 50% back as a credit toward your next ride.
05
Travel credits
Earn 2% back in travel credits (flights, hotels, or travel experiences) every time you tap-to-pay for transit.
Promotion testing: top 5 for non-riders
01
Travel credits
02
Increasing cashback
03
Local gift cards
04
10% off local attractions
When you take transit with tap-to-pay to get there (amusement parks, zoo, sports games).
05
Off-peak credit
Consistently low performers
7th trip free
Users felt they already took around 6 trips a week, so a free 7th didn’t feel like a meaningful or visible reward next to cashback or gift cards.
Rides that plant trees
Users saw no financial benefit and were skeptical of corporate tree-planting, so the reward felt symbolic rather than valuable.
From the data analysis
- of Gen Z respondents selected student discounts, the most preferred reward
- 87.5%
- of private industry workers have access to commuter benefits (Bureau of Labor Statistics)
- 16%
- of LA hometown residents are aware of LA transit promotions
- 20.9%
- of SF hometown residents are aware of SF transit promotions
- 29.5%
- of Singapore hometown residents are aware of Singapore transit promotions
- 41.8%
Low-income riders are the least informed about promotions despite being the largest transit users. Gen Z’s low interest in eco-friendly rewards contradicts the sustainability stereotype. And U.S. cities aren’t consistently communicating offers in riders’ everyday journeys, where Singapore’s messaging is highly visible.
User Segmentation
Commuters want structure; occasional riders want simplicity
Top rewards by city
Metropolitan commuters see transit as a sunk cost and want to feel they’re making worthy investments. Many people from strong transit cities are unaware of promotions.
San Francisco
1. Increasing cashback · 2. Gift cards · 3. Milestone cashback
Los Angeles
1. Increasing cashback · 2. Travel credits · 3. Local discounts
New York City
1. Milestone cashback · 2. Off-peak discounts · 3. Increasing cashback
Top rewards by age
18–24
1. Increasing cashback · 2. Frequency cash bonus · 3. Gift cards
25–34
1. Frequency cash bonus · 2. Increasing cashback · 3. Off-peak discounts
35–44
1. Gift cards · 2. Off-peak discounts · 3. Travel discounts
Increasing cashback is Gen Z’s favorite: its ramp-up mirrors game-like progression and has higher perceived value for frequent trips. Frequency bonuses and gift cards come next, suggesting a preference for immediate, low-friction rewards.
By transit need, commuters are habit-driven and prefer structured rewards like cashback, while tourists and errand riders are occasion-driven and favor simple discounts and perks. By payment method, transit-app and stored-value users like every reward type, and sustainability ranks last for almost everyone.
Respondents who use Mastercard
- of survey takers use Mastercard; 70.7% of them are 18–24
- 25.6%
- don’t use transit rewards linked to their Mastercard
- 54.4%
- of daily riders are unaware of promotions
- 65.1%
- of daily riders prefer cashback, the favorite across the board
- 44.9%
- of 18–24 users rank dining as the most appealing reward, ahead of travel (33.8%) and shopping (22.5%)
- 39.7%
- are very unlikely to get on board with a tree-planting incentive
- 19.1%
They ride for school and work, prefer food framing, don’t know about promotions, don’t use rewards, and dislike sustainability framing.
Personas
Three riders
Mastercard — Persona 01 Jonathan — The Corporate Worker
All genders · Ages 27–35 · Rides 20–25 times weekly
Jonathan is a high-earning professional in a large metropolitan city. He lives a 20-minute drive from his office without traffic, so he normally takes public transit to and from work. He sees transit as a necessary cost.
Goals
- Real value: Tangible, frequent rewards make transit feel less like a cost and more like an investment.
- Digital payments: Doesn’t like carrying physical payments; wants all things transit to work in one place.
- Local motivation: Local rewards, like a free coffee from a local shop, feel like a big win.
Pain points
- Restrictive rewards: Most transit reward cards stand alone, giving them less value.
- Not aware of promotions: Emails and ads go straight to spam, so Mastercard can’t reach him.
- Employer benefit overlap: Little reason to use a personal card unless benefits are significant and effortless.
Mastercard — Persona 02 Dora — The Explorer
All genders · Ages 30–45 · Rides 2–4 times weekly
Dora is a white-collar worker with plenty of PTO. She normally commutes to work and doesn’t use transit unless she’s traveling. Her goal is to travel at least once a year, for as little as possible.
Goals
- Points efficiency: Wants the most effective way to earn as many points as possible.
- Digital payments: Worried about losing things on the road; wants an easy, convenient way to pay.
- Instant rewards: Instant rewards feel like a big win toward a big trip.
Pain points
- Intimidating: Unfamiliarity with credit cards makes her hesitant to sign up.
- Overwhelmed by options: Too many options make it hard to find the best deal.
- Complex, long-term programs: Wants simpler programs that are easier to navigate.
Mastercard — Persona 03 Abby — The Commuter Student
All genders · Ages 18–24 · Rides 4–6 times weekly
Abby is a full-time student in the Bay Area who balances coursework with a part-time job at a local coffee shop. She walks to most places but takes transit to work a few days each week.
Goals
- Stored transit card: Pays with a stored transit card, preferring to keep it separate from other cards.
- Discounts or cashback: Prefers these over vouchers or local discounts.
- Rewards in transit: Wants rewards that come back to transit, not other parts of life.
Pain points
- Unreliable schedules: Hard to use transit day to day when she can’t plan ahead.
- Long waits and transfers: Wait times make transit inefficient compared with other modes.
- Overcrowded vehicles: Uncomfortable conditions, especially at peak times, push riders to other options.
Secondary Research
Keep rewards surprising, and change how transit feels
Novelty decline
Challenge
Standard, predictable rewards (like fixed cashback) lose their appeal as the novelty effect wears off.
Behavioral insight
Variable reinforcement sustains engagement longer than fixed rewards; surprise and anticipation renew engagement.
Proposed model
A reliable base reward (e.g., 2% cashback on each ride) plus rotating, time-limited missions (e.g., “3× points for 2 off-peak rides this week”, “Surprise $5 local credit at 20 rides”).
Case study: TransLink’s “Tap in to Win”
- customers entered the contest by tapping a Compass Card
- 67,000
- of them were new riders
- 5,000
- customers took more transit
- 9,000
Prizes included five years of monthly passes worth $12,000. Ridership grew from 56% to over 60% of pre-pandemic levels, and the contest came back the next year by popular demand.
Social norms around transit
Las Vegas
Transit is seen as a last resort and a service for low-income residents; most people rely on personal cars, and social media portrays it as dangerous.
San Francisco
Infrequent riders see BART as unsafe, with cleanliness the main signal of safety. But BART is tied to Bay Area culture: Gen Z sees it as trendy, supported by merch, mascots, and BayPass.
Washington DC
Rare, extreme events keep safety perception low; aging infrastructure creates a culture of delays. Its social media is polished, but it lacks a Gen Z persona.
Los Angeles
Riders are cautious, especially at night; transit is a secondary option with a weak social media presence and no strong cultural identity.
Recommendation
Cashback that grows with every ride, promoted where Gen Z already is
Increasing cashback
- 10 rides5% cashback
- 20 rides10% cashback
- 30 rides15% cashback + bonus gift
A progress bar marks milestones along the way (“5 rides! Keep going!”).
Why it works
Loss aversion
A progress bar and streak mechanic trigger aversion to losing progress.
Goal gradient
Motivation and the perceived value of each ride increase as the goal gets closer.
Variable rewards
Unpredictable rewards keep users engaged and delay novelty decline.
Marketing strategy
Surprise Route Reward
An interactive challenge: Mastercard sends influencers on food runs by transit to show how convenient it is, paired with in-app discounts from rider rewards. It targets Gen Z’s identity: food-driven, media-savvy, and trend-loyal.
Influencer messaging
Partner with influencers to make transit feel relatable, modern, and shareable.
Celebrity partnerships
Collaborate with celebrities to align Mastercard with culture, lifestyle, and trust.
Event rewards
Reward transit use around major concerts, sports, and entertainment events.
LA 2028 Olympics
“Go for gold — on transit, with Mastercard.” With LA building out transit for 2028, offer customized Olympic transit cards, rewards like a free ride after 4 trips or discounts near venues, and athlete partnerships.
Channels
On campus
Integrate with student ID and transit pass programs, geo-targeted social ads, and flyers in high-traffic student areas, to capture the 78% of cost-conscious students at their point of need.
Local partners
Co-branded in-store signage and transit ads near partner locations, to build trust and make rewards tangible and local.
Digital engagement
Progress-based push notifications, an in-app transit rewards hub, and monthly savings summary emails, to drive ongoing usage.
Team
- Neha HareshProject Manager
- Sarah WangProject Manager
- Avery Roslansky
- Daisy Huang
- Gabrielle Soetomo
- Keeley Jibben
- Olivia Lin
- Omar Alfaro
- Ruby Chen
- Zachary Ho