Tap&Go 11/10/2023

What is Tap&Go? 

Our Tap&Go system is a way to make travelling by bus simpler, cheaper and more convenient for you! You simply tap on with your contactless card when you get on the bus and tap off when you leave. It really is that simple. No need to state where you are going, so if you need to get off earlier than planned, you are only charged for the distance you have travelled.

Any journeys you make will be charged to your bank account at the end of the day. Each journey you make is the same price as a normal single ticket. The cost to you is capped at the cost of a Preston Bus Day ticket. So, no matter how many journeys you make you will only be charged the maximum cost of a Preston Bus Day ticket. Of course, if your travel is less than this you will only be charged that amount. To benefit from capping you do need to use the same card or device for the journeys made in that day.

Tap&Go fares are capped at Adult prices so child fares will still need to be bought from the driver. However, child day tickets are available on the Preston Bus app which makes travelling by bus much easier! 

You can pay with Visa, MasterCard, Google Pay or Apple Pay. We also accept Apple Pay Express Mode, which allows you to Tap On and Tap Off without needing to authenticate with Touch or Face ID. 

How Tap&Go works

- When you board the bus, Tap your payment card/device onto the ticket machine card reader at the front of the bus. 

- The machine will Beep to let you know the card has been accepted (if your card is rejected for any reason a Buzzer will sound – See FAQs below) 

- A ticket will not be issued, simply go and take your seat. 

- When you leave the bus, remember to Tap Off on the reader next to the door. The screen on the Tap Off reader will say ‘Card Accepted’ and the drivers ETM will beep to let them know you have tapped off 

- Do this each time you travel with us and we will calculate the correct fare for the journeys you have made. 

- Always remember to Tap Off, when you exit the bus, as the system uses your Tap On & Tap Off to calculate the correct fare. If you do not Tap Off on a service, you will be charged the full route rate, regardless of your alighting point 

- Remember to always Tap on and Tap off with the same payment card/device to ensure you are charged correctly. If you use a different payment card/device you will be charged more. 

Click here for our Instructional video for on how to use our new Tap&Go payment method https://youtu.be/3FJsvew1Jmo

Tap&Go FAQS.

Whats the difference between Contactless Payment & Tap&Go? 

With Contactless Payment, you request a specific ticket from the driver, Once the driver has selected the ticket(s) you require, you then pay for that ticket by tapping your payment card/device on the ticket machine reader and your required ticket(s) is issued for you to carry with you. 

With Tap&Go you do not need to request a ticket or tell the driver where you want to travel to, you simply Tap On the reader when boarding and Tap Off when leaving the bus – our system will record all the journeys you make and debit your card at the end of the day. 

If you wish to make an actual ticket purchase using contactless payment, please wait until the driver has selected your required ticket(s) and asks you to present your payment card/device to the reader to avoid being charged a Tap&Go fare.

Why aren’t Child fares available? 

Tap&Go readers are unable to distinguish if an Adult or Child presents a payment device to the reader, therefore only Adult fares are available on Tap&Go. Onboard tickets and Mobile app tickets are available for the purchase of child tickets.

Is Tap & Go linked to other bus operators?  

Not at this time. If you use Tap & Go on our Preston Bus services, these will be separate to any other Tap & Go schemes with other operators. 

How do I know if my card is contactless? 

All contactless bank cards have the contactless logo on the card. If you are unsure if your card is contactless, ask the driver or seek advice from your bank. 

Can I still buy a normal ticket on the bus? 

Yes, normal bus tickets are still available – if you know you wish to purchase a single, day, week or month ticket you can still ask the driver for a ticket and pay using cash or contactless payment. Tap&Go is ideal if you think your travel plans might change or do not need a period pass. Its also convenient as you don’t need to carry a ticket around with you – simply Tap&Go!

Can I buy return tickets by tapping on and tapping off? 

In short, no. If return fares become available, we will publicise this on our website and on our buses. 

Can I pay for more than one person with Tap&Go? 

No, each person travelling must present a separate payment card for the journeys they are making. The reader will not accept the same payment card/device for a second Tap On after recording a first tap.

I forgot to Tap Off the bus 

If you forget to Tap Off the bus, the reader will charge you the full single fare for that whole route. If you Tap On another service later the same day, the reader will then calculate the day ticket rate for the whole route of your first journey and where you Tap On and Tap Off on your second journey. If you do not Tap Off on a cross boundary service, you will be charged the full route rate, regardless of your alighting point.

How close does my card have to be to the card reader? 

Your card will need to be at most 2cm away from the card reader. The closer your card is, the easier it will be for the card reader to read your card. The reader will beep when your card has been read. 

How will an inspector know I have paid for my travel? 

If an inspector requests a ticket check for your journey when you have used Tap&Go, they will ask you for the last 4 digits of your card number or your device card number which will be checked against a list printed from the bus you are on. 

If you use Apple Pay: The last 4 digits of the Apple Pay device can be found in 'Wallet and Apple Pay' from 'Settings', select the card then click on 'Info' and it will display the Device Account Number. 

If you use Android Pay: The last 4 digits of the Android Pay device, can be found in the Android Pay app, select the card and it will display the Virtual Account Number. 

I have a joint bank account, can I still use my contactless card? 

Yes. No matter how many cards are associated with that account, they will all be accepted and the travel charged to that account. 

My payment card/device did not work 

If your card is rejected for any reason a Buzzer will sound. There are a few reasons why a card may not work. Unfortunately, our driver will not know the reason for a card not being accepted. Some of the reasons why a card may not work include: 

Your Card is outside of the validity dates i.e. expired 

Your Card is not a contactless card (look for the contactless logo) 

Your Card type is not accepted e.g. Maestro American Express 

Your Card hasn't been approved by the bank for the transaction 

Your Bank requires you to perform a chip and pin transaction before a contactless transaction can be made 

You may not have sufficient funds in your account 

Your mobile device has not been set up correctly to use Apple Pay or Android Pay or you are not using the Apps to support the payment properly. 

If you expect your card to work and it doesn’t, please contact your bank for advice. 

If your card is rejected for any reason our driver will ask you to pay another way.

I have a query on the payment you have taken 

If you have a query about a payment that has been made using your card or device, transactions made by Preston Bus will appear on your bank statement. If you believe you have been charged for journeys you haven’t made firstly check your account here https://mytrips.uk.littlepay.com/preston-bus, then you can contact our customer services team who will investigate your complaint. If you have a query regarding any of those transactions, please complete our ‘Contact Customer Care’ form at Prestonbus.co.uk.  

1. Date(s) of the payment in query 

2. The first 6 digits and last 4 digits of your payment card number (Eg. Card Number: 1234 56** **** 1234) or your device card number. 

3. Which services you travelled on and what dates you travelled with us. 

Our customer services department will then look into this for you.

I have a different query 

If you have any other queries about Tap&Go, please complete our ‘Contact Customer Care’ form at Prestonbus.co.uk or call  01772 253671