Contactless smartcards are being progressively introduced to replace paper ticketing on the buses of Great Britain. The ITSO standard has been developed as a national standard to cover all types of public transport. It is also the format that ENCTS concessionary passes are required to be issued in. The contactless payment function of EMV credit and debit cards is also widely supported across the country.
As of 13 July 2020, the acceptance position is:
Region | Single smartcard valid across multiple operators | EMV credit / debit cards | Single operator period passes | Other operator smartcards for pay-as-you-go | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
For period passes | For pay-as-you-go | For purchasing tickets | For pay-as-you-go | StagecoachSmart card | Go-Ahead (The Key) smartcard | First Touch smartcard | Arriva Connect smartcard | Other operator smartcards | ||
England | ||||||||||
Bedfordshire | Cygnet (Bedford)[1] | Arriva[2]
Stagecoach[3] Thameslink |
Yes[4] | Thameslink (The Key) | Yes[5] | Centrebus (Carbonara & Pecorino)[6] | Thameslink (keyGo) | |||
Berkshire | First Berkshire[7]
Reading Buses[8] Stagecoach[3]
|
Carousel Buses[9]
TfL (touch in only) (Slough)[10] |
Yes[11] | TfL Oyster (Slough)
Courtney Connect[12] |
TfL Oyster (Slough) (touch in with capping)
Courtney Connect[12] | |||||
Bristol | travelwest[13] | travelwest squidcard[14] | First Bristol, Bath & the West[15] | Yes[16] | ||||||
Buckinghamshire | Arriva [2]
|
Carousel Buses[9]
TfL (touch in only) (Denham)[10] |
Yes[4] | TfL Oyster
(Denham) |
TfL Oyster (Denham) (touch in with capping) | |||||
Cambridgeshire | Stagecoach[3] | Yes[4] | Go-Whippet (Busway)[17] | |||||||
Cheshire | Cheshire Travelcard[18] | Arriva[19]
Stagecoach[3] |
Yes[20] | Yes[21] | ||||||
Cornwall | First Kernow[22]
Go Cornwall [23] Stagecoach |
|||||||||
County Durham | Popcard[24] | Stagecoach[3]
Arriva[25] |
||||||||
Cumbria | NowStar[26] | Yes[20] | ||||||||
Derbyshire | Arriva [27]
Stagecoach[3] |
Yes[28] | ||||||||
Derby | Spectrum[29] | Arriva [27] | Trent Barton Mango (touch in and out with capping) | |||||||
Devon | Skipper (Plymouth)[30] | Plymouth Citybus[23] Stagecoach[3] | Yes | Yes (Plymouth Citybus)[31] | ||||||
Dorset | Getting About[32] | First Bus[33]
Morebus[34] Yellow Bus[35] |
Yes (Morebus)[36] | Yellow Bus
Glo[37] |
Yellow Bus Glo Purse[38] | |||||
East Riding of Yorkshire | Transdev Coastliner[39] | |||||||||
East Sussex | Stagecoach[3] | Metrobus | Yes[40] | Yes (Metrobus)[41] | ||||||
Essex | Arriva[42]
TfL (Debden & Thurrock) Ensignbus[43] |
TfL (touch in only) (Debden & Thurrock) | TfL Oyster (Debden & Thurrock) | TfL Oyster (Debden & Thurrock) (touch in with capping) | ||||||
Gloucestershire | travelwest[13] | Yes[44] | Touchcard[45] | |||||||
Greater London | Oyster | Oyster (touch in) | Carousel Buses [46]
Citymapper [47] Stagecoach (Oxford Tube)[48]
|
TfL (touch in only) [10] | Yes (Oxford Tube)[49] | Yes (Metrobus)[41] | ||||
Greater Manchester | Get Me There[50] | Arriva [19]
Stagecoach[3] |
Yes[51] | Yes[21] | ||||||
Hampshire | SolentGo[52] | Stagecoach[3]
Bluestar[53] First[54] |
Yes[11] | Yes (Bluestar)[55] | Touchcard | |||||
Herefordshire | Yes[44] | |||||||||
Hertfordshire | Arriva [42] | TfL (Potters Bar)[10] | Yes[4] | Centrebus (Carbonara & Pecorino)[6] | ||||||
Isle of Wight | Southern Vectis[56] | Yes (Southern Vectis)[57] | ||||||||
Kent | Kent and Medway Connected Smartcard[58] | Arriva [59]
Stagecoach[3] |
TfL (Dartford & Bluewater) | Yes[40] | Yes (Metrobus)[41] | TfL Oyster (Dartford & Bluewater) | TfL Oyster (Dartford & Bluewater) (touch in with capping) | |||
Lancashire | NowStar[26] | Arriva [19]
Stagecoach[3] Transdev Blackburn[60] |
Yes[20] | |||||||
Leicestershire | Onecard (Leicester)[61] | First Bus
[62] |
Arriva[63]
Kinchbus |
Yes[4] | Kinchkard[64]
Centrebus (Carbonara & Pecorino)[6] |
Trent Barton Mango (touch in and out with capping)[65] | ||||
Lincolnshire | Delaine Buses[66] Stagecoach[3] | Yes[28] | Centrebus (Carbonara & Pecorino)[6] | |||||||
Merseyside | MetroCard[67] | Arriva[19]
Stagecoach[3] |
Yes[20] | Yes[21] | ||||||
Norfolk | [68] | [68] | Lynx[69]
Sanders Coaches[70] |
Yes[4] | ||||||
North Yorkshire | Arriva[25]
Harrogate Bus Company [71] |
|||||||||
Northamptonshire | Stagecoach[3] | Yes[4] | Centrebus (Pecorino)[6] | |||||||
Northumberland | Popcard[24] | Arriva[25] Go North East[72] | Yes (Go North East) | |||||||
Nottinghamshire | Robin Hood (Nottingham)[73] | Robin Hood (Nottingham)[74] | Stagecoach[3] Trent Barton[75] | Trent Barton[75] | Yes[28] | Nottingham
City Transport[76] Centrebus (Pecorino)[6] |
Trent Barton (Mango) (touch in and out with capping)[65]
Nottingham City Transport (e-purse)[77] | |||
Oxfordshire | Oxford SmartZone (Oxford)[78] | Stagecoach[79] | Oxford Bus [80]
Thames Travel [81] |
Yes[4] | Yes (Oxford Bus Company, Thames Travel)[82] | |||||
Rutland | Centrebus (Pecorino)[6] | |||||||||
Shropshire | Arriva[27] | |||||||||
Somerset | travelwest[13] | First Bus[33] Stagecoach[3] | Yes[16] | Touchcard[45] | ||||||
South Yorkshire | SYPTE Smartcard[83] | Stagecoach[3] | Yes[28]
also on Sheffield Supertram |
|||||||
Staffordshire | Swift | Arriva[27]
First Bus |
National Express West Midlands | Yes[84] | National Express West Midlands Swift(Cannock and Stafford)[85] | National Express West Midlands Swift(Cannock and Stafford)[85]
Trent Barton Mango (touch in and out with capping)[65] | ||||
Suffolk | Endeavour (16-19 year olds only)[86] | Ipswich Buses | Yes[4] | Ipswich Buses[87] | ||||||
Surrey | [10] Safeguard (Guildford)[88]
Stagecoach[3] Arriva[59] |
TfL (Sunbury, Dorking & Reigate);
Metrobus[89] |
Yes[11] | Yes (Metrobus)[41] | ||||||
Tyne and Wear | Pop card[90] | Pop card[24] | Arriva [25]
Go North East [72] Stagecoach[3] |
Yes[91] | Yes (Go North East) | Yes[92] | ||||
Warwickshire | Stagecoach[3] | Yes[4] | ||||||||
West Midlands | Swift[93] | Swift[94]
Swift Go (account based)[95] |
Arriva[27]
Diamond Buses[96] Midland Metro[97] |
National Express West Midlands | Yes[84] | |||||
West Sussex | Arriva[59]
Stagecoach[3] |
Metrobus[89]
Brighton Buses |
Yes[11] | Yes (Metrobus)[41] | ||||||
West Yorkshire | MCard[98] | MCard[99] | Arriva[100]
First Bus[101] |
Transdev Harrogate[102]
Transdev Keighley[103] |
Yes[28] | |||||
Wiltshire | Salisburys Reds[104]
Thamesdown[105] |
Yes[11][44] | Yes (Salisbury Reds)[106] | Swindon (Thamesdown)[107] | Swindon (Thamesdown)[108] | |||||
Worcestershire | Swiftcard[109] | Diamond Buses[96] | Diamond Buses[96] First Worcestershire[110] | Yes[84] | ||||||
York | York by bus[111] | First York[112] | ||||||||
Wales | ||||||||||
Blaenau Gwent | Yes[113] | |||||||||
Bridgend (Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr) | Yes[113] | |||||||||
Caerphilly (Caerffili) | Yes[113] | |||||||||
Cardiff (Caerdydd) | Cardiff Bus[114] | Yes[113] | Cardiff Bus iff card[115] | Cardiff Bus iff card[115] | ||||||
Carmarthenshire (Sir Gaerfyrddin) | ||||||||||
Ceredigion | ||||||||||
Conwy | Arriva[63] | Yes[21] | ||||||||
Denbighshire (Sir Ddinbych) | Arriva[63] | Yes[21] | ||||||||
Flintshire (Sir y Fflint) | Arriva[63] | Yes[21] | ||||||||
Gwynedd | Arriva[63] | Yes[21] | ||||||||
Isle of Anglesey (Ynys Môn) | Arriva[63] | Yes[21] | ||||||||
Merthyr Tydfil (Merthyr Tudful) | Yes[113] | |||||||||
Monmouthshire (Sir Fynwy) | ||||||||||
Neath Port Talbot (Castell-nedd Port Talbot) | ||||||||||
Newport (Casnewydd) | Yes[113] | Newport Bus: Passport
[116] |
Newport BUS: Freedom[116] | |||||||
Pembrokeshire (Sir Benfro) | ||||||||||
Powys | ||||||||||
Rhondda Cynon Taf | Yes[113] | |||||||||
Swansea (Abertawe) | ||||||||||
Torfaen (Tor-faen) | Yes[113] | |||||||||
Vale of Glamorgan (Bro Morgannwg) | Yes[113] | |||||||||
Wrexham (Wrecsam) | Arriva[117] | Yes[21] | ||||||||
Scotland | ||||||||||
Aberdeenshire | Grasshopper[118] | First [119] | Yes[120] | Touchcard[121] | ||||||
Angus | Yes[122] | |||||||||
Argyll and Bute | ||||||||||
City of Edinburgh | Lothian Buses (Airlink)[123] | Lothian Buses[124] | Lothian Buses: Ridacard[125]
Edinburgh Trams: Ridacard[126] |
Lothian Buses: CitySmart (journey based)[127]
Edinburgh Trams:CitySmart (journey based) [128] | ||||||
Clackmannanshire | ||||||||||
Dumfries and Galloway | Yes[120] | |||||||||
Dundee City | ABC | |||||||||
East Ayrshire | Yes[120] | |||||||||
East Dunbartonshire | ||||||||||
East Lothian | ||||||||||
East Renfrewshire | ||||||||||
Falkirk | Yes[122] | |||||||||
Fife | Yes[122] | |||||||||
Glasgow City | First[129] | Yes[122] | ||||||||
Highland | ||||||||||
Inverclyde | McGills (GoSmart)[130] | |||||||||
Midlothian | Yes[122] | |||||||||
Moray | ||||||||||
Na h-Eileanan Siar | ||||||||||
North Ayrshire | Yes[120] | |||||||||
North Lanarkshire | ||||||||||
Orkney Islands | Yes[131] | |||||||||
Perth and Kinross | Yes[122] | |||||||||
Renfrewshire | McGills[132] | McGills (GoSmart)[130] | ||||||||
Scottish Borders | ||||||||||
Shetland Islands | ||||||||||
South Ayrshire | Yes[120] | |||||||||
South Lanarkshire | ||||||||||
Stirling | Yes[122] | |||||||||
West Dunbartonshire | ||||||||||
West Lothian |