Can you pay by card for Glasgow Airport bus?

Glasgow Airport Express Ticket Range Buy tickets on board from your driver. Please note we do accept cash at this time, but encourage contactless payment where possible. We also accept Express Mode for Apple Pay.



Yes, you can absolutely pay by card for the Glasgow Airport bus, specifically the First Glasgow Airport Express Service 500. In 2026, the service is fully equipped with "Tap & Cap" technology, meaning you can simply tap your contactless credit card, debit card, or mobile device (Apple Pay/Google Pay) on the reader as you board. You do not need to buy a ticket in advance, although you can still purchase one via the First Bus app for a slightly faster boarding process. The driver can also issue physical tickets for card payments if you need a receipt for business expenses. This "gold standard" of convenience ensures that international travelers arriving at GLA don't need to scramble for British Pounds or coins immediately upon landing. The service runs 24/7, and the contactless system automatically calculates the best fare for you if you use it multiple times within a day or week. It is important to note that while contactless is the norm, the "Tap & Cap" system works best with physical cards or devices; ensure your card is "active" for international transactions if you are visiting from outside the UK.

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Single fares are available to purchase on board from £1.70 (up to 5 stops). Travelling with First Bus has never been easier. We have tickets to suit your travel needs - available to buy onboard from the driver, via contactless payment, or via the First Bus App.

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Scottish ITSO Smartcards Depending on the operator, tickets can be loaded onto your chosen ITSO smartcard at ticket offices, ticket vending machines, on board or in advance online and can be paid for with cash, card or contactless. There are many ITSO smartcard options available to you.

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We can accept payments of up to £50 from bank cards which have the contactless symbol, as shown below. Visa, Mastercard and Maestro cards can be used to make payments on our buses, however we are unable to accept payments made using American Express cards.

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Please check with your airline for this information. As a general rule you should be at the airport 2 hours before your flight for a domestic flight (within the UK), 3 hours before your flight for European flights and 4 hours before your flight for long haul flights.

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Glasgow has so much to offer and we know you'll be keen to see it all. That's why we make it simple and convenient to get around. We accept contactless payments from UK debit and credit cards on all buses, and you can even buy tickets in advance from the First Bus App.

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To reduce boarding times if you are paying with cash, we operate an “exact fare only” service. You can buy single, FirstDay and FirstWeek tickets from the driver.

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You can use Apple Pay to pay as you go across all Transport for London services, including the Underground, buses and trams. Paying for journeys is easy using Apple Pay and works the same as using a contactless card. You just need to touch in at the start of your journey and touch out at the end on yellow card readers.

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Catch the bus Tickets for the Airlink 100, taking you straight to the city centre, can be purchased from the driver as you board using contactless card payment, m-tickets or the exact cash fare. Other bus routes and companies will accept either online bookings or payment on board using cash or contactless card payment.

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2.10 Bus pass holders travel for free. Travel through the national scheme is paid for directly by the Scottish Government. It is a principle of the Scheme that operators should be no better and no worse off as a result of their participation.

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