Bus Online Ticket (BOT) pulls together several major bus operators such as Golden Coach Express, KKKL Travel & Tours Pte Ltd, and Starmart Express under one website. It effectively serves as a one-stop platform for travelers to choose their preferred bus operators with ease.

Origins of Bus Online Ticket (BOT)

The idea for BOT was born nearly 20 years ago, when the three founders (Bong YC and his friends) were in university. At the time, bus tickets connecting Singapore and Malaysia were notoriously difficult to purchase due to a perpetual shortage. In order to secure tickets, it was necessary to travel to bus stations in the early morning - even then, getting tickets was not guaranteed.

Despite the shortage, demand for bus tickets was very high. Students, Malaysians working in Singapore, and people who did not own cars were the key demographic groups driving this demand.

Determined to address this perennial problem, Bong YC and his friends created BOT in 2007 to sell bus tickets online.

Enabling secure digital payments for online bus ticketing services

The challenge

The challenge BOT faced was two-fold: security and digital payment integration.

On the security front, BOT ran into issues when it offered only PayPal as a digital payment method during its early days, which was prone to security and fraud issues then.

As such, BOT recognised the need to expand the scope of its digital payment methods. It was also aware that the countries it served had their own unique local payment methods - Malaysia, for one, has over 50 digital wallets. Add on the fact that many people did not own credit cards in Malaysia and Thailand, and it was clear that BOT needed to cater to everyone in the countries it operated in.

BOT needed the following:

• Ensure that its digital payment system was secure

• Consolidate and integrate a wider range of digital payment methods on its website

How we helped

2C2P’s comprehensive suite of payment solutions effectively countered BOT’s initial security threats due to its security practices and authentication processes.

2C2P’s vast network of banks, payment providers, and payment gateways is also a boon for BOT, allowing them to easily and efficiently integrate a vast range of digital payment systems. With 2C2P onboard, BOT was able to manage the demand surge that resulted from the opening of VTLs between Singapore and Malaysia.

2C2P’s unique Southeast Asian expertise is also greatly beneficial to BOT, whose services primarily target Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. BOT also plans to further expand within Southeast Asia, making 2C2P an ideal partner to work with in the long run.