Frequently Asked Questions
The 3 Day and 5 Day tickets are available from your driver and are cheaper than buying individual Day tickets. They give you unlimited travel on all services in your chosen zone for 3 or 5 consecutive days from the day of purchase. Those looking for added flexibility should buy our new Day ticket bundles on the app, as your travel days can be spread over a longer period, with 3 or 5 days of travel spread over any 10 days, 6 or 10 days spread over 20 days or 12 or 20 days spread over 40 days. The bigger the bundle, the cheaper each day of travel becomes.
Where you do choose to buy a 3 Day or 5 Day onboard, you’ll get the same price as the 3 in 10 and 5 in 10 tickets on the app.
The number of days’ validity of the Bundle tickets on the app starts from when you buy them. For example, if you buy a 3 in 10 Day Bundle, you’ll get 3 Day tickets that must be activated within 10 days of purchase, so tickets bought at 08.00 on Monday the 1st can be activated before 08.00 on Sunday the 11th, after which any that are unactivated will disappear from your mTicket wallet. So if you’re not travelling on the day, you’re best to hold off and buy your bundle on the first day you need to use it, so that your ticket lasts for as long as possible.
The new 2-Trip tickets are available on the First Bus app or from your driver and are ideal if you're only going to take 2 buses in a day, for example for a 'there and back' return journey.
It's like a return ticket, but where you are traveling within one of our flat fare zones (either the Bath, Bristol or Weston Zone), you can take your second trip on any other service.
If you're travelling outside one of our flat fare zones, to make 2 trips on any 2 buses over any distance, you can buy a 2-Trip ticket with no distance restrictions from the First Bus app. If you want to buy your 2-Trip ticket from your driver, you can purchase an up to 3 mile or 3 to 6 mile 2-Trip ticket and your second trip will be restricted to the same distance as your first trip. If you're travelling beyond 6 miles, a West of England Day ticket gives you the best value.
When buying a 2-Trip ticket from your driver, the ticket will be issued with a QR code. When making your second trip, just scan your ticket under the ticket machine reader at any time before 4.29am the following morning.
When buying a 2-Trip mTicket in the First Bus app, you'll receive two single tickets. Each ticket must be activated within 24 hours of purchase and will expire after this time, so only buy one at a time. As with any mTicket, just scan your ticket under the ticket machine reader when boarding the bus.
We want more people to give the bus a try, and a good way to encourage that is to have low single fares, which are often used by those who don’t have the means to pay more for season tickets up front.
Despite the increase in our season ticket fares, they still give the lowest cost per trip for frequent travellers, and our new Day Bundles will give many customers a great, lower cost alternative to our traditional week, month and year tickets.
At least 70% of customers who buy a Day ticket use it for no more than 2 trips. These customers can avoid paying more for a Day ticket by switching to our new 2-Trip ticket, which is cheaper than our old Day tickets for customers paying onboard, and in most cases also cheaper for those who buy on the app. Remember too that our new 3 Day and 3 in 10 Day Bundles are cheaper than buying individual Day tickets.
Customers who take more than 2 trips take 4 buses on average, so even if you just buy 1 Day ticket at a time, they still offer good value on a per trip basis, ranging from £0.68 per adult trip in Weston, £1.25 in Bath, £1.33 in Bristol and £1.88 in the West of England Zone. These are still significantly below our single fares.
Even before the pandemic reduced the amount of days many customers travel on, most customers buying a week ticket tended to travel for 5 days or less, so they were paying for days they didn’t use. Our new 5 Day Bundle addresses that and is cheaper than buying a week ticket.
Customers paying onboard can buy a 5 Day ticket that runs for 5 consecutive days from the day of purchase, and those paying on the app can buy our new 5 in 10 Day Bundle, which has the added flexibility of being valid on any 5 days over a 10 day period. Our bigger 10 in 20 and 20 in 40 Day Bundles mean you can save even more.
Customers who are still travelling 6 or 7 days a week are still best off buying a Week ticket, benefiting from lower costs per trip than customers buying shorter duration tickets.
Similar to the Week ticket, those buying Month tickets typically use them for up to 20 days in the month, reflecting a 5 day a week commute. Our new 20 in 40 Day Bundle through the app is the ideal new ticket for these customers, saving money against not only our new Month ticket process but also again the old prices. For those now travelling on fewer days each week, our smaller bundles also give great options to still save against buying individual Day tickets whilst not having to buy a month’s worth of travel and pay for days where you don’t travel.
Year tickets still offer our best value for those that are able to pay up front. For someone who travels on 2 buses a day, 5 days a week, 47 weeks a year excluding 8 Bank Holidays, that’s £1.68 per trip in Bath, £1.73 in Bristol, £0.95 in Weston and £2.24 across the West of England.
Most journeys are made by customers who use the app and benefit from having their ticket and all the other aspects on the app in one place, with journey planning, real time information and live bus tracking on the map at their fingertips.
We do appreciate however that the app isn’t for everyone, with some customers still paying by cash and many using contactless payment. We want customers to make the choice that suits them best but know that where a ticket is available on the app and onboard, they pay the same whichever way they choose to pay.
The pandemic has rapidly changed people’s travel needs, so we’ve changed our tickets and the fares that that go with them in response to that, with lower or frozen single fares, great value return fares and a range of flexible Day bundles. Where some tickets have gone up in price, this is part of an overall set of changes that are in accordance with the rules of the government’s funding scheme.
Tap & Cap
Yes, the cost of each tap and the daily and weekly caps are based on our adult fares as we have no way of distinguishing contactless cards and devices being used by those eligible for discounted fares.
We’re planning a wider roll-out of contactless capping using London style ‘tap on, tap off’ technology later in the year, so customers in all parts of our area will be able to benefit.
The 1st tap each day is at our single fare of £2.20, the 2nd tap takes you to the new 2-Trip fare of £4.30 and the 3rd tap takes you to the Day fare of £5.30. That’s the maximum for a day; the 4th tap and any further taps are free.
We then cap your costs over the 7 days from Monday to Sunday each week. As soon as the 7 day period ends, the cap starts again each Monday.
The simple examples below show you how it works. They key thing is that however you travel, and however your plans may change, you’ll never have bought the wrong ticket. Just tap and we’ll take care of the rest.
Example 1 – the everyday traveller.
This customer uses the bus every day and takes 4 buses as they switch between 1 service for the trip into the city centre and then another service for the last few stops.
Example 2 – the midweek commuter
This customer works from home on Monday and Friday, goes into work Tuesday to Thursday and doesn’t use the bus at the weekend. On Tuesday they car share with a friend but take 2 buses to travel to their favourite coffee shop and back at lunchtime.
Example 3 – the ‘bit of everything’ customer
This customer has a varied travel pattern, with heavy use on some days, just the odd trip on others and some days where they don’t travel at all.
Buying mTickets
Buying tickets is easy! Tap the mTickets button in the app, choose a ticket category, select your ticket from the product catalogue and then simply choose a payment method.
Your selected First Bus region/area is shown on the First mTickets screen; if you need to change it, tap on the area name to choose a different area.
There is no minimum purchase. You can simply buy the ticket you want in advance of your journey or buy several at once.
All of your purchased tickets are automatically put in your wallet and stored there until ‘activated’ so you’ll always be ready for your bus journey.
We have a whole range of tickets available, these vary depending on the area of travel. Check the tickets in your local area to see details:
Yes! You can active multiple tickets at the same time, on the same device.
This feature is available in the First Bus App version 4.5.0 or above, so please make sure you have the latest version.
You can pay by card (Mastercard or Visa Credit or Visa Debit cards), PayPal, Apple Pay (on iPhones), Pay by Google Pay (on Android phones). Sorry, we don't accept Maestro or Electron cards.
To set up a payment card, click on the payment methods screen and select the 'Visa / Mastercard / PayPal' button. Enter the details of your card, and the app will proceed with the purchase process, encrypt your card details and store them securely, so that you can reuse them without having to enter the details again.
The next time you make a purchase, the most recently used card (or PayPal account) will be presented as the default option.
If you wish to use a previously entered card or enter a new one, select 'Change Payment Method'.
On the payment methods screen, select the 'Visa / Mastercard / PayPal' button.
On the next page select 'PayPal Check Out' and the PayPal login screen will be shown.
Enter your PayPal email address and password. If you want to be able to make future PayPal purchases on our app with this account, click the 'Stay Logged in for faster checkout' tickbox. Then select the card you want to use via PayPal and press Continue. The app will proceed with the purchase process, encrypt your card details and store them securely by the system so that you can reuse them without having to enter the details again.
The next time you make a purchase, your PayPal account will be presented as the default option. If you want to use a previously entered card or enter a new one instead, select 'Change Payment Method'.
On the payment methods screen, select the 'Apple Pay' button. On the Apple Pay panel, select the card you want to use (of those stored in the Apple Pay wallet) and unlock your screen with your password or fingerprint. The transaction will complete in a few moments.
On the payment methods screen, select the 'GooglePay' button. On the GooglePay panel, select the card you want to use (of those stored in the GooglePay wallet) and unlock your screen with your password or fingerprint. The transaction will complete in a few moments.
Webform: https://www.firstbus.co.uk/help-and-support/help-our-apps/contact-app-support
0345 646 0707. Normal opening hours: 8am – 6pm, Monday to Friday.
Receipts are sent to the email linked with the account at the time of purchase. If you're going to need your receipt, we would recommend double checking your account details are correct before making a ticket purchase and ensure to check your spam folder once the purchase is made.
Please be aware that as bus travel in UK is zero-rated for value added tax, we are not able to provide VAT receipts.
Please note that this purchase receipt is not valid for travel, and you will need to show the driver your active mTicket displayed on the app.
We can only provide refunds for un-activated tickets; any activated tickets are non-refundable. However, if you have an annual or long term student ticket, then we will listen to your particular case and see if we can help you. Please contact the mTicket support team on:
Webform: https://www.firstbus.co.uk/help-and-support/help-our-apps/contact-app-support
0345 646 0707. Normal opening hours: 8am – 6pm, Monday to Friday.
Promotions for the First Bus App and mTickets are arranged by local teams in different operating areas. Eligible customers will be informed of any new promotions by letter, email, flyers or website. Alternatively, you can contact your local First Bus area via social media to enquire about any current or upcoming promotions.
Promotion codes are set for specific areas and tickets. If you wish to confirm that the promotion is valid for the ticket you wish to buy, please contact our support team and provide us with the code you are attempting to use and the name of the ticket you wish to purchase.
Webform: https://www.firstbus.co.uk/help-and-support/help-our-apps/contact-app-support
0345 646 0707. Normal opening hours: 8am – 6pm, Monday to Friday.
Using mTickets
The First Bus App supports versions above and including iOS 11 and Android 6.
The Windows mobile operating system is no longer supported; Microsoft discontinued updates for Windows Mobile in 2017.
You need an internet/data connection to purchase an mTicket. A weak phone signal when you board your bus should not be a problem. However, the First Bus App does need to communicate with our system on a regular basis to keep itself up to date when you're out and about, so long periods without connection may cause an issue.
Please note the app is not designed to work with Wi-Fi only devices such as tablets and iPods.
If you have GPS location services enabled on your phone and for the app, selecting this will display your closest First Bus areas.
To change area on the app, please go to the mTickets area on the app and then select the area that you’re wanting to travel in.
Once a ticket is purchased and downloaded, it will appear in the 'wallet' of the mTicket section of the app. Tickets in this section are listed from the oldest at the top to the newest at the bottom.
When you want to use a ticket, select the one you want and then select 'Activate Now'.
You'll then be informed of how long the ticket will be active for, before confirming that you want to activate this ticket. We would advise reading this carefully to avoid activating unwanted tickets.
Once activated, the app will generate a moving ticket image on your phone's screen and a QR code. This will stay active for the remainder of the ticket's validity and will include the time and a four letter 'word of the day'.
You'll need to scan the QR when you board the bus.
As long as you have purchased a valid ticket for each person travelling and have version 4.5 (or newer) of the First Bus App you can activate multiple tickets at the same time from the same mTickets account.
Yes, but you need to ensure you have version 4.5 (or newer) of the First Bus App and you have purchased a valid ticket for each person travelling.
Generally, mTickets will stay in your virtual wallet for 1 year, with the exception of some Airport tickets that are 30 days unless stated within the ticket details on the app.
Once activated, the ticket wil start counting down the remaining time available to use it by.
The validity of single tickets varies across each First Bus region. For the most part, single tickets will remain valid for 30 minutes once activated. The app will remind you of this before activating the ticket, to avoid any misactivation.
We advise customers to only activate a ticket when ready to use it.
If the ticket expires after already being scanned, but while you are still on the bus, this is not a problem. The ticket is valid for the entirety of that single trip, and you do not need to purchase another ticket while on the bus.
Customers can send tickets to a child or young person by using the sharing feature on child and young person tickets. As it stands, this function is only available for child tickets – adult tickets cannot be shared. Please visit our ticket gifting page for more information.
The First Bus App is only designed to work with one device per account. However should customers purchase a new handset, or lose or damage their current device, they will be able to transfer their tickets over.
To do this:
1. Log off from your mTicket account on your old phone (if possible).
2. Download the app and login to your mTicket account on your new phone
3. Check the Ticket Wallet screen. You should find a green panel containing a button to start the transfer process.
If the button is not visible, please ensure you have a data connection and refresh the app (on an iPhone tap the screen three times, or on Android select Refresh from the menu button).
Customers are able to complete the above process twice a month but further requests are subject to approval by a member of our mTickets team. Please don’t attempt to share your ticket with anyone else.
If an inspector asks to check your ticket, please show them the active ticket in your mTickets wallet as you would do the driver. For those who boarded using a single ticket which has since expired, the inspector will still be able to see this under the 'expired' tab in your wallet.
If you are using a child or student ticket that requires ID, this must be shown to the inspector together witth the ticket in use. If this is not presented, you may be asked to purchase a standard adult ticket.
No; while you don't need an internet connection at the point you ‘activate’ an already purchased ticket, a regular internet connection is required by the app to keep content up to date and secure.
The validity of mTickets is similar to paper tickets. This means a day ticket is not valid for 24 hours, but rather the remainder of the day on which it is activated.
For example, typical validities are as follows:
(Example tickets, different tickets are available in different areas)
- FirstDay – the remainder of the day the ticket is activated
- FirstWeek – the remainder of the day the ticket is activated plus a further 6 days
- FirstMonth – the remainder of the day the ticket is activated plus a further number of days in the month less one
- First4Week – the remainder of the day the ticket is activated plus a further 27 days
We also include a period of grace past midnight, so if our services end at 2am locally, the period 00:00 to 02:00 forms part of the previous day and the hours & minutes countdown shown on the mTickets screen reflects this.
Please note that any expiry date shown in words on the ticket screen is the last full day of the ticket, and does not reflect the period beyond midnight. This is so customers do not wrongly believe they have an additional full day's travel.
Trip tickets are different as they are valid for the number of trips specified.
Problems with mTickets
Missing tickets are generally caused by your mTicket account becoming logged out, or a prolonged loss of internet connection. To restore your tickets, please make sure you have a good network connection and refresh from the Options button (iPhone) or Menu button (Android). All tickets in your account should reappear after a few seconds.
If your QR code is not being recognised by the scanner and you have purchased the correct ticket for your journey, don’t worry, your ticket is still valid, just show the ticket to the driver.
Take a look at these hints and tips which should help the QR to be scanned:
- Make sure you are using the correct ticket for the bus services and zones for your journey.
- Make sure your phone's app and operating system are updated to the latest versions.
- Turn up the screen brightness if possible.
- Through the settings on your phone, ensure the time on your phone is set to automatic.
If the problem persists, please contact mTicket support team with your journey details: bus stop, service number and ticket purchased - so this can be further investigated.
Webform: https://www.firstbus.co.uk/help-and-support/help-our-apps/contact-app-support
0345 646 0707. Normal opening hours: 8am – 6pm, Monday to Friday.
We do not issue paper copies of mTickets. You will receive an email receipt when you make your purchase, but this will not be valid for travel.
With mTickets, it is the responsibility of the customer to ensure a working mobile phone is available to show the driver the ticket screen. If there is a problem with the system, please let us know and we'll do our best to help.
It is your responsibility to ensure that your phone has enough battery power to be able to show a valid mTicket to the driver and any inspector throughout your journey. If you cannot do this, you will need to buy a ticket from the driver using contactless or cash.
If you are still experiencing difficulties please contact the mTicket support team on:
Webform: https://www.firstbus.co.uk/help-and-support/help-our-apps/contact-app-support
0345 646 0707. Normal opening hours: 8am – 6pm, Monday to Friday.
2-Trip ticket
Like a return, but you don't have to take your second trip on the same service.
Single tickets
Great news - we've reduced many of our single fares and frozen the rest.
Bundle tickets
Our range of day ticket bundles are perfect if you need some flexibility in your bus travel.
Tap & Cap Bristol
Tap & Cap is the ultimate in bus travel convenience.