EXHIBIT 3 - EVALUATION CRITERIA.docx

EXHIBIT NO. 3 - EVALUATION CRITERIA

Financial Products and Card Services for Transportation Subsidy Programs The Evaluation Criteria will consist of two steps. Step 1 will be based on Minimum Qualifications Requirement (Pass/Fail) and Step 2 will be based on weighted evaluation factors/criteria.

Proposers must first meet the Minimum Qualifications Requirements of the Evaluation Criteria. Any Proposer not meeting the Minimum Qualifications Requirements will be eliminated and will not be further evaluated.

Those proposers that meet the Minimum Qualifications Requirements will continue in the evaluation process and proposals will be evaluated against the weighted evaluation criteria detailed herein.

The Minimum Qualifications Requirements and the weighted evaluation factors are described below in greater detail.

Step 1: Minimum Qualifications Requirement (Pass/Fail) The Minimum Qualifications Requirements will be evaluated on a Pass/Fail basis. A fail score on the Minimum Qualifications Requirements shall render the proposal unacceptable and it will be eliminated from further consideration. Only those Proposers that meet the Minimum Qualifications Requirements will have passed the Pass/Fail criteria and will be considered as having met the Minimum Qualifications Requirements.

Only those Proposers who have met the Minimum Qualifications Requirements will be evaluated further on the weighted criteria described therein. The evaluation may, at Metro’s discretion, be augmented by verbal or written requests for clarification, or additional information as necessary, and may include a demonstration of the proposed solutions to determine whether the minimum technical requirement can be met.

Step 2: Weighted Evaluation Factors/Criteria Any proposals resulting from this Request for Proposal (RFP) will be evaluated according to the following criteria and associated weights; provided Step 1 of the Pass/Fail criteria has been met.

Step 1: Minimum Qualifications Requirement (Pass/Fail)

MINIMUM CARD REQUIREMENTS

Demonstrated compliance with all baseline requirements, including payment security standards, pre-authorization rules, transparent fee disclosures, PCI DSS compliance, and customer protections in accordance with state and federal regulations.

EMV Level 1 & 2 Certification: Compliance with EMV standards for contact and contactless payments.

NFC/EMV Payment Support: Software must be able to process payments via the EMV chip and contactless payments through NFC.

Tokenization and Encryption: Payment data should be tokenized and encrypted to enhance transaction security.

Pre-authorizations may be held for up to 24 hours or as otherwise permitted under standard payment network rules. After this period, any unused pre-authorization amounts shall be automatically released.

No Overdraft Fees No Inactivity Fees No Minimum Balance No ATM Fees

Physical cards must be able to be added to digital wallets (such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, and others.).

Ability to issue virtual-only cards. These cards must be able to be added to digital wallets such as Apple Pay or Google Pay.

No Cash Withdrawals or Transfers

Returning Unused Funds – Unused funds must be swept back to the Program Administrator (or an adjustment account) at any point and/or at card expiration.

Full compliance with the current version of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), including secure storage, processing, and transmission of cardholder data.

Offer customers a quick balance check through an automated call line, a customer service representative, or an automated text service provided by the proposer.

Step 2: Weighted Evaluation Factors/Criteria

b.

Organizational Capacity and Resource Management

Demonstrated organizational strength, including staffing depth, financial stability, operational systems, and administrative capacity necessary to implement and sustain a large-scale prepaid card, credit card or financial product program.

c.

Project Experience

Demonstrated successful completion of comparable projects in scope and complexity, particularly with public sector clients, large-scale mobility initiatives, or programs serving low-income and underserved populations.

Demonstrated ability to implement transaction restrictions based on MCC/MID, automated fund disbursement processes, and reconciliation protocols.

Demonstrated fraud detection, reporting, and mitigation strategies supported by real-time monitoring and administrative dashboards.

Demonstrate the ability to provide EMV-compliant, NFC/contactless, and mobile wallet-compatible prepaid cards, credit cards or financial products. A transparent, tiered pricing structure must be provided for all card processing fees, detailing costs by volume, usage level, or other relevant factors, and listing any additional charges (e.g., activation, reload, inactivity, or disbursement fees).

· PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) compliance for the protection, storage, transmission, and processing of all payment card data by bulk, mail, combination, digital

· Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) regulations as applicable to prepaid/credit card programs; and

· State and federal privacy laws governing the secure collection, storage, and use of personally identifiable information (PII).

Compliance with the Americans with Disability Act to ensure that all users, regardless of physical or cognitive abilities, can fully access and use the card program.

Demonstrated capacity to provide administrative controls, including reporting dashboards, fraud monitoring, and data export capabilities.

d.

Card Personalization and Custom Card Art e.

Program Administrator Data

Contractor should provide a secure, web-based Admin Data Portal that allows Metro to access, monitor, and analyze program data from participants who have opted to share information. The system must include the following features: Fraud Detection and Audit Logging: Secure, traceable transaction logs supporting compliance and audit requirements. Reporting Dashboards: Real-time and/or scheduled dashboards with export options (e.g., CSV). Customer Service Tracking: Monthly logs summarizing all customer service requests and resolutions. Custom Reporting: Configurable monthly reports with the ability for Metro to define or add data fields as needed.

Demonstrated ability to provide multilingual customer service, consistent with Title VI requirements, across at least nine Metro-specified languages and compliance with ADA accessibility standards across physical cards, digital platforms, and customer support channels.

Demonstrated ability to deliver responsive customer service, including live agents, digital balance tools, timely card replacement, and satisfaction benchmarks.

Demonstrated ability to provide robust administrative controls, including reporting dashboards, fraud monitoring, and data export capabilities. The user dashboard shall offer real-time balance checks, transaction history, customer service contact access, and the ability to report a lost or stolen card, all accessible via both a website and mobile application

Demonstrated innovative use of tools, services, training, and technologies that improve scalability, efficiency, security, or user experience.

Demonstrated formation of strategic partnerships with subcontractors, 3rd party vendors, fintechs, CBOs, or transportation providers to enhance program delivery.

Proposers should clearly demonstrate:

· Clear delineation of project phases (e.g., onboarding, testing, deployment, ongoing operations) with corresponding deliverables and estimated completion dates.

· Clarity and transparency in presenting all costs associated with the program, including unit card costs, processing fees, and any additional charges such as transaction, activation, replacement, or administrative fees.

· Proposed implementation schedule aligns with Metro’s milestone timelines and demonstrates the proposer’s ability to meet key delivery deadlines (e.g., platform setup, card issuance, participant onboarding, reporting).

Lowest Cost Proposed X 30% Proposer's Cost

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