How can you pay the bus in Edinburgh?

Just tell the driver what ticket you want, pop the coins in the box or tap your contactless card/device, take your ticket and find a seat. If paying by cash, make sure you have coins with you before getting on the bus. You will need to have the exact money as our drivers cannot give you change (except on Airlink).



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Paying by card is also possible. You can also use mobile tickets, on the Transport for Edinburgh phone app, or a top-up 'citysmart' card, which you can purchase in the Lothian Buses Travelshops.

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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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If you forget to tap out, you will be charged maximum fare. Every time you enter a bus, maximum fare is deducted. When you tap out, the system calculates the bus-stops and deducts what is relevant and returns the rest.

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Yes. You can pay by card for bus fares. Which bus is perfect for long travelling?

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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.

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If you live in Scotland and are 5-21 years old you are eligible for a card giving you free bus travel. Children under 5 years old already travel for free on buses and don't need a card. Applications for cards are now open.

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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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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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How can I pay for my ticket? Go Buses accepts payment via credit and debit cards. The quickest and easiest way to purchase tickets is through our website or mobile app. Dispatchers at Newton, MA, Manhattan, NYC, and our call center can assist with credit card processing.

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How it works...
  1. Ask your driver for the ticket of your choice when you board the bus.
  2. Tell the driver that you'd like to pay with contactless.
  3. Place your card or device on the card reader on the ticket machine - it's shown with a bright blue sticker.


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On Lothian city buses, just board and tap. On all other services, board and state your destination, then tap when prompted. Contactless can also be used to pay for paper tickets without capping, so you can pay for a friend or family member using the same card/device.

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Who can get free bus travel? Every 5-21 year old living in Scotland for more than 6 months of the year can travel for free by bus if they have a valid National Entitlement Card (NEC) or Young Scot National Entitlement Card (Young Scot NEC). If you are 5-15 years old, your parent or guardian must apply for you.

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If the time between touching in at the start and touching out at the end of your journey is more than the maximum journey time limit, you'll be charged two maximum pay as you go fares. A single maximum fare is: up to £9.40 in Zones 1-9. up to £26.00 beyond Zone 9, including on the Heathrow Express.

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