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: RegionSingle smartcard valid across multiple operatorsEMV credit / debit cardsSingle operator period passesOther operator smartcards for pay-as-you-goFor period passesFor pay-as-you-goFor purchasing tickets For pay-as-you-goStagecoachSmart cardGo-Ahead (The Key) smartcardFirst Touch smartcardArriva Connect smartcardOther operator smartcardsEnglandBedfordshireCygnet (Bedford)Arriva Stagecoach
ThameslinkYesThameslink (The Key)YesCentrebus (Carbonara & Pecorino)Thameslink (keyGo)BerkshireFirst Berkshire Reading Buses StagecoachCarousel Buses
TfL (touch in only) (Slough)YesTfL Oyster (Slough)
Courtney
ConnectTfL Oyster (Slough) (touch in with capping)
Courtney ConnectBristoltravelwesttravelwest squidcardFirst Bristol, Bath & the WestYesBuckinghamshireArriva Carousel Buses
TfL (touch in only) (Denham)YesTfL Oyster (Denham)TfL Oyster (Denham) (touch in with capping)CambridgeshireStagecoachYesGo-Whippet (Busway)CheshireCheshire TravelcardArriva
StagecoachYesYesCornwallFirst Kernow Go Cornwall
StagecoachCounty DurhamPopcardStagecoach
ArrivaCumbriaNowStarYesDerbyshireArriva
StagecoachYesDerbySpectrumArriva Trent Barton Mango (touch in and out with capping)DevonSkipper (Plymouth)Plymouth Citybus StagecoachYesYes (Plymouth Citybus)DorsetGetting AboutFirst Bus
Morebus
Yellow BusYes (Morebus)Yellow Bus GloYellow Bus Glo PurseEast Riding of YorkshireTransdev CoastlinerEast SussexStagecoachMetrobusYesYes (Metrobus)EssexArriva TfL (Debden & Thurrock)
EnsignbusTfL (touch in only) (Debden & Thurrock)TfL Oyster (Debden & Thurrock)TfL Oyster (Debden & Thurrock) (touch in with capping)GloucestershiretravelwestYesTouchcardGreater LondonOysterOyster (touch in)Carousel Buses
Citymapper
Stagecoach (Oxford Tube)TfL (touch in only) Yes (Oxford Tube)Yes (Metrobus)Greater ManchesterGet Me ThereArriva
StagecoachYesYesHampshireSolentGoStagecoach
Bluestar
FirstYesYes (Bluestar)TouchcardHerefordshireYesHertfordshireIntalink SaverCardIntalink (buy ticket on bus) SaverCard (PAYG)Arriva TfL (Potters Bar)YesCentrebus (Carbonara & Pecorino)Isle of WightSouthern VectisYes (Southern Vectis)KentKent and Medway Connected SmartcardArriva StagecoachTfL (Dartford & Bluewater)YesYes (Metrobus)TfL Oyster (Dartford & Bluewater)TfL Oyster (Dartford & Bluewater) (touch in with capping)LancashireNowStarArriva
Stagecoach
Transdev BlackburnYesLeicestershireOnecard (Leicester)First BusArriva KinchbusYesKinchkard
Centrebus (Carbonara & Pecorino)Trent Barton Mango (touch in and out with capping)LincolnshireDelaine Buses StagecoachYesCentrebus (Carbonara & Pecorino)MerseysideMetroCardArriva
Stagecoach
All other operatorsYesYesNorfolkLynx
Sanders CoachesYesNorth YorkshireArriva
Harrogate Bus CompanyNorthamptonshireStagecoachYesCentrebus (Pecorino)NorthumberlandPopcardArriva Go North EastYes (Go North East)NottinghamshireRobin Hood (Nottingham)Robin Hood (Nottingham)Stagecoach Trent BartonTrent BartonYesNottingham City
Transport
Centrebus (Pecorino)Trent Barton (Mango) (touch in and out with capping)
Nottingham City Transport (e-purse)OxfordshireOxford SmartZone (Oxford)StagecoachOxford Bus
Thames Travel YesYes (Oxford Bus Company, Thames Travel)RutlandCentrebus (Pecorino)ShropshireArrivaSomersettravelwestFirst Bus StagecoachYesTouchcardSouth YorkshireSYPTE SmartcardStagecoachYes also on Sheffield SupertramStaffordshireSwiftArriva First Bus National Express West MidlandsYesNational Express West Midlands Swift(Cannock and Stafford)National Express West Midlands Swift(Cannock and Stafford)
Trent Barton Mango (touch in and out with capping)SuffolkEndeavour (16-19 year olds only)Ipswich BusesYesIpswich BusesSurrey Safeguard (Guildford)
Stagecoach
ArrivaTfL (Sunbury, Dorking & Reigate);
MetrobusYesYes (Metrobus)Tyne and WearPop cardPop cardArriva
Go North East
StagecoachYesYes (Go North East)YesWarwickshireStagecoachYesWest MidlandsSwiftSwift
Swift Go (account based)Arriva
Diamond Buses Midland MetroNational Express West MidlandsYesWest SussexArriva
StagecoachMetrobus
Brighton BusesYesYes (Metrobus)West YorkshireMCardMCardArriva
First BusTransdev Harrogate
Transdev KeighleyYes WiltshireSalisburys Reds ThamesdownYesYes (Salisbury Reds)Swindon (Thamesdown)Swindon (Thamesdown)WorcestershireSwiftcardDiamond BusesDiamond Buses First WorcestershireYesYorkYork by busFirst YorkWalesBlaenau GwentYesBridgend (Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr)YesCaerphilly (Caerffili)YesCardiff (Caerdydd)Cardiff BusYesCardiff Bus iff cardCardiff Bus iff cardCarmarthenshire (Sir Gaerfyrddin)CeredigionConwyArrivaYesDenbighshire (Sir Ddinbych)ArrivaYesFlintshire (Sir y Fflint)ArrivaYesGwyneddArrivaYesIsle of Anglesey (Ynys Môn)ArrivaYesMerthyr Tydfil (Merthyr Tudful) YesMonmouthshire (Sir Fynwy)Neath Port Talbot (Castell-nedd Port Talbot)Newport (Casnewydd)YesNewport Bus: PassportNewport BUS: FreedomPembrokeshire (Sir Benfro)PowysRhondda Cynon TafYesSwansea (Abertawe)Torfaen (Tor-faen) YesVale of Glamorgan (Bro Morgannwg) YesWrexham (Wrecsam)ArrivaYesScotlandAberdeenshireGrasshopperFirst YesTouchcardAngusYesArgyll and ButeCity of EdinburghLothian Buses (Airlink)Lothian BusesLothian Buses: Ridacard
Edinburgh Trams: RidacardLothian Buses: CitySmart (journey based)
Edinburgh Trams:CitySmart
(journey based)ClackmannanshireDumfries and GallowayYesDundee CityABCEast AyrshireYesEast DunbartonshireEast LothianEast RenfrewshireFalkirkYesFifeYesGlasgow CityFirstYesHighlandInverclydeMcGills (GoSmart)MidlothianYesMorayNa h-Eileanan SiarNorth AyrshireYesNorth LanarkshireOrkney IslandsYesPerth and KinrossYesRenfrewshireMcGillsMcGills (GoSmart)Scottish BordersShetland IslandsSouth AyrshireYesSouth LanarkshireStirlingYesWest DunbartonshireWest Lothian
See also
Smartcards on National Rail
References