Many toll agencies are working to make the systems interoperable--in fact, they are mandated to do so. A law enacted in July called MAP-21 requires electronic toll systems to be interoperable by 2016. With a unified and nationwide system of vehicle mobile payments--boasting likely tens of millions of customers--e-toll transponders could arguably become as appealing to the market as digital payment solutions from Square or Google or any number of brand-name players. (In other words, imagine the market for developers if it was mandated that all smartphone platforms run iOS or Android.)
No wonder the industry is already attracting attention from other business segments. According to Wilkins, major airports in New York and New Jersey are already using the systems to accept payments for parking--no more waiting in line for that parking attendant. And E-Z Pass has received interest from gated communities, which see the system as a possible security solution, and from trucking companies, which could potentially use E-Z Pass someday to track shipments going to and from ports and warehouses.
Perhaps most promising though? A number of years back, E-Z Pass did a pilot project with McDonald's, which was interested in seeing if the system could streamline payments at drive-through restaurants. For a brief time, at five or so locations in New York, customers could pay for Big Macs via E-Z Pass, but ultimately, says Wilkins, "McDonald's decided to go a different route." The problem was that McDonald's wanted to settle payments daily, whereas E-Z Pass and other toll authorities typically settle transactions on a weekly basis. "Our whole system wasn't developed to do fast food," Wilkins says. "If we're going to get into that type of market--and I'm not saying we won't--we're going to have to get into our back-office processes."
» via [Fast Company](http://www.fastcompany.com/3003456/e-z-pass-payments-tolls-parking-and-big-macs?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+fastcompany%2Fheadlines+%28Fast+Company%29)
