Tap-Cap FAQ General contactless queries

Contactless payments are more secure than carrying cash for several reasons:

The information on your card is protected with secure Chip and PIN technology. Data transmitted during transactions is encrypted and protected with a digital signature that is much harder to forge than a handwritten one.

If your card is lost or stolen, you’re protected against unauthorised payments provided you inform your bank as soon as you realise it has gone missing. Your card will be blocked immediately.

The national limit for contactless payments in the UK has been increased to £45. Unfortunately, we’re unable to process single contactless transactions above this value.

For purchases of more than £45 we recommend using mTickets on the First Bus App. For FAQs on mTickets click here.

From time to time, we authorise a payment for a nominal amount. This allows us to check with your card issuer that the card is valid and will be replaced by the full transaction amount in the next 24-48 hours.

Most contactless cards issued outside of the UK will be accepted on our ticket machines. However, if you find that your card doesn’t work, please contact your bank or card issuer. Please be aware that cards issued outside of the UK may incur overseas transaction fees applied by your bank or card issuer.

All Visa and MasterCard cards displaying the contactless symbol   , along with Apple Pay and Google Pay, can be used. Unfortunately, we do not accept payments by American Express or Maestro.
If you’re using a pre-paid card, please ensure you have enough credit before trying to purchase your ticket. Failure to provide funds could result in your card being rejected.