Bus Contactless Payments

[Halwynd]

I've recently started using my local bus service (Diamond NW, now Bee Network), buying two £2.00 single tickets each day.

I've just thought about the fact that Debit and Credit cards are limited to a certain number of contactless transactions (possibly 20?) before a Chip & PIN transaction is required.

I was just wondering what would happen if I was attempting to purchase a bus ticket but had reached the number of contactless transactions allowed before a Chip & PIN transaction was required. Would I have to pay cash or is there some exemption from this contactless limit for buses?

If anyone has any info on this I'd be very grateful for your guidance.

 

[martin2345uk]

I don't think tapping onto the transport counts like that and should not trigger the PIN requirement.

 

[TheSmiths82]

It is different to making a payment, with a bus contactless they have your card details and payment is made at the end of the day. It is like the underground in London, I have tapped in probably about 25 times if I am doing a lot of travelling around London.

 

[Dai Corner]

There is a 'transit mode' for cards and mobile devices used on board and it works differently to most such transactions.

See section 5.3 of the Contactless Transit EMV Framework, the agreement between banks, card issuers and transport operators. This is the part relevant to you if you're buying paper tickets using contactless.

https://www.ukfinance.org.uk/system/files/UK-Finance-Contactless-Transit-EMV-Framework.pdf

The customer is not verified at the point
of payment (as this requires a Chip & PIN or
signature verification).
• The card is checked as being valid (and not
counterfeit) through the card- terminal
interaction.
• Transit Operators can manage cards associated
with insufficient funds through Deny Lists.
• Hot lists at the terminal can be used to stop
lost or stolen cards completing the purchase.
• Contactless only terminals should be online
capable. Card counters do not trigger a PIN
entry request for online capable, contactless
only terminals.
• Card issuer fraud systems check for any
unusual activity such as the same card identity
being used in two geographically separate
locations at around the same time.
• For authorised transactions the card issuer is
liable for the full amount.

 

[Edvid]

with a bus contactless they have your card details and payment is made at the end of the day.

It works like that with most retail transactions as well, except that "transit mode" transactions (in addition to not triggering PIN checks) only require a preauthorisation of 10p as opposed to the full amount.

In my experience (with a Mastercard credit card / Google Pay), when purchasing tickets from Ticketer-equipped bus operators there is a preauthorisation for each transaction and each payment is listed separately on my statement; this goes for PAYG journeys as well. Stagecoach (who use Vix) are different insofar as ticket purchases are preauthorised in full, though I think they associate multiple PAYG journeys with one preauthorisation like TfL do (up to a certain value).

 

[Halwynd]

I don't think tapping onto the transport counts like that and should not trigger the PIN requirement.

It is different to making a payment, with a bus contactless they have your card details and payment is made at the end of the day. It is like the underground in London, I have tapped in probably about 25 times if I am doing a lot of travelling around London.

Thanks both for you guidance... I did wonder whether there would be some sort of travel mode for Contactless as with TfL. If not, I was thinking of putting some pound coins in a bag just in case!

There is a 'transit mode' for cards and mobile devices used on board and it works differently to most such transactions.

See section 5.3 of the Contactless Transit EMV Framework, the agreement between banks, card issuers and transport operators. This is the part relevant to you if you're buying paper tickets using contactless.

https://www.ukfinance.org.uk/system/files/UK-Finance-Contactless-Transit-EMV-Framework.pdf

I have downloaded the PDF as it looks to be an interesting read on the subject - very much appreciate the info and thank you for providing the link.

It works like that with most retail transactions as well, except that "transit mode" transactions (in addition to not triggering PIN checks) only require a preauthorisation of 10p as opposed to the full amount.

In my experience (with a Mastercard credit card / Google Pay), when purchasing tickets from Ticketer-equipped bus operators there is a preauthorisation for each transaction and each payment is listed separately on my statement; this goes for PAYG journeys as well. Stagecoach (who use Vix) are different insofar as ticket purchases are preauthorised in full, though I think they associate multiple PAYG journeys with one preauthorisation like TfL do (up to a certain value).

On my very first journey with Diamond Bus I noticed a 10p pre-authoristation listed in my bank account pending payments. This disappeared after a couple of days, being replaced with the £2.00 charge. Each subsequent £2.00 ticket was charged normally without any pre-authorisation. Since Bee Network took over the route my card has just been charged £2.00 for each journey and I've not seen any pre-authorisation.

But.... returning home on Friday last week - and this is the first time it has happened - my card was accepted fine, and there is a bank authorisation code on my ticket, but the transaction isn't showing in my pending transactions as I would have expected.