GUARUPASS

What GUARUPASS does

Guarupass is a private association of urban passenger transport concessionaires founded in 1995 that manages the integrated electronic ticketing system (Bilhete Único) for the municipality of Guarulhos in São Paulo, Brazil. It operates as the shared back-office technology and payment platform for seven associated bus companies (3 concessionaires and 4 associate operators), unifying fare collection, passenger identification, and distribution across all municipal bus lines. The platform serves approximately 350,000 passengers monthly across 9,800 daily trips and 355,000 km of daily fleet operations, with direct employment of 3,500 staff and a broader workforce of nearly 7,000 across its associated carriers.

Its core product is a multi-vertical smart-card ecosystem: the standard Cartão Cidadão (R$5.10/trip), Cartão Escolar (50% student discount), Cartão Vale-Transporte (R$6.20/trip, employer-funded), Cartão Sênior (free for residents aged 60+), Cartão Gratuidade (free for qualifying retirees/pensioners), Cartão Especial (CID-10 disability classification), Cartão Bilhetinho (children 3–6), and Cartão Passe Livre Estudantil (low-income students). All cards interoperate across the seven bus operators with a 2-hour free transfer window. The technology stack includes PIX instant payments (Banco Central do Brasil integration), a facial recognition fraud-prevention system (Biometria Facial, governed by Portaria 06/2016) deployed on bus validators, a WhatsApp-based recharge service (Guarumobi, launched December 2024 in partnership with startup VaideBus on Infobip's platform), a native mobile app on iOS/Android, and an enterprise portal (vtguarupass.com.br) for corporate Vale-Transporte management.

The revenue model combines transit transaction fees across the card ecosystem with commission on recharges processed through its network of more than 100 commercial partner points (supermarkets, pharmacies, shopping centers). Free Wi-Fi is offered on buses and at terminals as a rider-experience differentiator. Customer acquisition is product-led and channel-distributed (app, WhatsApp, ATMs, physical terminals, commercial partners), while corporate sales for Vale-Transporte flow through the employer portal. The company completed a corporate rebranding in May 2025 with the new positioning "Movendo pessoas. Conectando jornadas" (Moving people. Connecting journeys), reflecting a strategic narrative shift from point-to-point transit to integrated human mobility.

Name

GUARUPASS

Legal name

Guarupass – Associação das Concessionárias de Transporte Urbano de Passageiros de Guarulhos e Região

Website

https://guarupass.com.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Guarupass is a 1995-founded association of seven Guarulhos (Brazil) bus concessionaires that operates the integrated Bilhete Único electronic ticketing platform, serving 350,000 monthly passengers through smart cards, WhatsApp/app recharges, and facial-biometric validators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Transportation Ticketing

NAICS

Bus and Other Motor Vehicle Transit Systems (485113), Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation (485)

SIC

Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100), Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

Integrated Ticketing & Fare Management (Capping, Passes, Validators) (THADALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mobile Ticketing & Digital Pass Apps (THAIAMAB), Transit & Mobility Fare Cards (Stored Value) (FSAMANAG)

Keywords

• Electronic fare collection
• Urban transit ticketing
• Integrated transport cards
• Public mobility services
• Contactless payment systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Guarulhos

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Transport Fare Collection: Guarupass manages the electronic ticketing system for public transport in Guarulhos, collecting fares through various card types. Revenue is generated through transaction fees and fare processing across multiple bus companies.
2. Commercial Partner Commissions: Commercial establishments become recharge points and receive commission for each transaction. Partners include supermarkets, pharmacies, and shopping centers across the city.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Guarupass manages the integrated electronic ticketing system (Bilhete Único) for public bus transport in Guarulhos, Brazil. It issues multiple specialized transport cards (Cidadão, Escolar, Vale-Transporte, Sênior, Gratuidade, Especial, Bilhetinho, Passe Livre) and operates recharge channels including mobile app, WhatsApp, ATMs, and 100+ retail partners across 7 associated bus companies. The platform processes fares, enables integration within 2-hour windows, and supports PIX payments for approximately 350,000 monthly passengers.

Product overview

GUARUPASS operates a comprehensive electronic ticketing and urban mobility management platform for Guarulhos, Brazil. The core product is the Bilhete Único system—an electronic fare collection platform managing multiple card types including the standard Cartão Cidadão, student, senior, employer-provided vale-transporte, special needs, child, free passage, and free student pass variants. These cards are accepted across all municipal bus operators and enable integrated transfers within a 2-hour window. Supporting infrastructure includes the Guarumobi WhatsApp recharge app, a network of over 100 ATM self-service kiosks, free Wi-Fi at terminals and on buses, and a facial biometrics fraud-prevention system. The company administers the Bilhete Único across seven associated bus companies, operating 9,800 daily trips and serving approximately 350,000 passengers monthly.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Guarumobi: Mobile application for recharging transport cards via WhatsApp, developed in partnership with VaideBus startup.
• Bilhete Único de Guarulhos

Products and services

• Cartão Cidadão (Bilhete Único) The main electronic ticketing card for Guarulhos municipal bus transport, storing monetary credits for fare payment and enabling free transfers between lines within a 2-hour window. Supports up to 10 trips per day with a maximum recharge limit of R$650 and a standard fare of R$5.10 per trip (vs R$5.30 cash).
• Cartão Escolar (Student Card) Electronic card for students (elementary, high school, technical, and higher education) attending public or private schools located more than 1 km from home. Provides 50% discount on the standard fare (R$2.55) with a monthly quota of 60 trips and semester-based renewal.
• Cartão Vale-Transporte (Employer Transit Card) Employer-provided transit card for formal workers at a fare of R$6.20 per trip. Employers purchase credits through the vtguarupass.com.br portal and credits are loaded when employees tap the card on bus validators. Companies manage cards via a web dashboard.
• Cartão Sênior (Senior Card) Free transit card for Guarulhos residents aged 60 and above, providing unlimited free travel on municipal buses under Lei 8.148 (2023). Requires annual renewal up to 5 days before the cardholder's birthday.
• Cartão Gratuidade (Free Passage Card) Free transit card for retired and pensioned Guarulhos residents meeting income criteria: retired persons receiving up to 3 minimum wages and pensioners receiving up to 2 minimum wages. Beneficiaries must have no other income source and renew annually on their birthday.
• Cartão Especial (Special Needs Card) Free or discounted transit card for persons with disabilities whose medical condition is listed in the CID-10 table. May include a companion when medically required, with renewal following the CID validity table.
• Cartão Bilhetinho (Child Card) Transit card for children aged 3 to 6 years residing in Guarulhos, providing discounted fares for young passengers traveling with a responsible adult. Requires annual renewal 5 days before the child's birthday.
• Cartão Passe Livre Estudantil (Free Student Pass) Free transit pass for low-income students (per capita family income up to 1.5 minimum wages) enrolled in schools located more than 1 km from home. Requires enrollment in CadÚnico and proof of Bolsa Família receipt; managed under Decree No. 36515.
• Guarumobi (WhatsApp Recharge App) Mobile and WhatsApp-based recharge service for transit cards, allowing passengers to purchase credits via PIX. Available on Google Play and Apple Store and via WhatsApp at (11) 9 7208-7001. Service fee of R$2.99 per transaction; credits load within 72 hours or instantly at bus terminal validators.
• Totens de Autoatendimento (Self-Service ATM Kiosks) Self-service kiosks for card recharging, balance inquiry, and Vale-Transporte top-ups. Located at over 100 points across the city including supermarkets, pharmacies, shopping centers, and bus terminals. Accept PIX payment with credits loaded within minutes.
• Wi-Fi Gratuito (Free Wi-Fi Service) Free high-quality Wi-Fi available on municipal buses, at the Guarupass store, and at all five city bus terminals (Pimentas, São João, Cecap, Taboão, and Vila Galvão).
• Biometria Facial (Facial Recognition System) Fraud prevention system using facial recognition cameras installed on buses. Captures passenger images at the moment of card validation and compares them against registered photos, automatically blocking cards with mismatched faces. Governed by Portaria 06/2016.

Quantifiable outcome

• 350,000 monthly passengers served across 277,000 monthly bus trips
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• VaideBuscoreTechnology or IntegrationVaideBus partnered with Guarupass to create Guarumobi, a WhatsApp-based transport credit recharge service. This innovation allows passengers to purchase credits directly through WhatsApp messaging, representing a significant digital channel expansion for the ticketing system.
• InfobipcoreTechnology or IntegrationInfobip provided the technology platform for the Guarumobi WhatsApp service, integrating WhatsApp Pay and WhatsApp Flows to enable secure credit card purchases through the messaging platform.
• Printer Press Comunicação CorporativacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPR agency handling corporate communications and press relations for Guarupass. Contacts: Christiane Nociti ([email protected]) and Eduardo Sanches ([email protected]).
• Barbosa SupermercadosminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChain of supermarkets operating as recharge points for Guarupass cards. Multiple locations including Bosque Maia, Vila Barros, São João, and Jd. Gracinda branches.
• Supermercados NagumominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional supermarket chain serving as recharge points for Guarupass cards. Multiple locations including Pq. Jurema, Bonsucesso, Jd. Cumbica, Uirapuru, Pimentas, and Carmela branches.
• Supermercados LopesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSupermarket chain operating as recharge points for Guarupass cards. Locations include Jd. São João, Cocaia, and Taboão branches.
• Farmaxx, Ultrafarma, Farmahal, FarmaisminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPharmacy chains operating as recharge points for Guarupass cards at multiple locations across Guarulhos.
• Shopping Internacional and Shopping MaiaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorShopping centers operating as recharge points for Guarupass cards.
• CittamobicoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with Cittamobi for route planning and bus arrival timing. Available as a channel for credit recharge through the app alongside trip planning functionality.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/guarupass

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about GUARUPASS