Yes, First Bus services in the UK generally accept cash, alongside contactless card, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. While cash is accepted, passengers are encouraged to use contactless or the First Bus App for faster boarding. If paying with cash, it is strongly recommended to have the exact fare.
Children above 0.9m in height and below 7 years old can apply for a Child Concession Card at SimplyGo Ticket Office to travel for free on basic bus and train services. Travellers may also opt to pay in cash on buses. Please prepare the exact fare as no change will be given.
Look for the contactless symbol on your credit or debit card to see if your card is contactless enabled. Then, board a bus with the contactless symbol and instead of paying with cash, simply tap your card or contactless-enabled device onto the reader and wait for the beep.
You can pay for buses in the UK primarily with contactless payments (card, phone, watch), mobile apps (Apple Pay/Google Pay), or sometimes cash, but contactless is easiest as it automatically caps fares and works nationwide on most operators like Stagecoach, First Bus, and TfL (London). Just tap your contactless card/device on the reader when boarding, and for London buses, you only tap in; in other areas, you often tap both on and off for the best fare, using the same device to ensure capping.
No need for a ticket just tap on tap off with your contactless bank card. You can also pay the driver cash if you prefer a paper ticket, but we ask that you have the right change if you can. This £1 fare is not available on N1. N2 or N5.
If you don't tap off the bus, you'll typically be charged the single fare to the very end of the route, which is usually the highest possible fare for that bus, rather than the shorter distance you actually traveled, leading to overcharging. This often means you miss out on fare capping and pay more than intended, but you can usually contact the bus company's customer service to get a refund for the overcharge.
All Visa and MasterCard cards displaying the contactless symbol , along with Apple Pay, Apple Pay Express mode and Google Pay, can be used. Unfortunately, we do not accept payments by American Express or Maestro.
Yes, it is generally cheaper to use First Bus's Tap On Tap Off (TOTO) system because it automatically caps your daily and weekly spending at the equivalent of a day or weekly ticket, saving you money compared to buying multiple single tickets, especially for multiple journeys, though buying mTickets on the app can sometimes be even cheaper. You must tap off with the same card to get the best value and avoid being charged a higher default fare, as TOTO calculates your fare based on your specific journeys.
The UK's £2 bus fare cap, originally ending in 2023, was extended multiple times and eventually transitioned to a £3 cap in England (outside London) from January 2025 to December 2025, funded by the government to help with living costs. However, some regions, like Liverpool City Region and Telford, have stepped in with local funding to keep their specific £2 caps running longer, with Liverpool aiming for 2026, while the national scheme shifted focus to the £3 cap to support bus services long-term.
Is it cheaper to buy a bus ticket online or on the bus?
It's almost always cheaper to buy your bus ticket online or via the operator's app before you board, with savings on single fares and significant discounts on multi-day or monthly passes, as onboard purchases often incur a premium or require exact change, making digital booking more convenient and economical.
On a bus or tram you only need to touch in. Because where you touch in and out tells us where you've travelled from and to, so we can charge you the right fare for your journey.
Tap On Tap Off allows passengers to use a contactless debit card, credit card, or smart device to pay for travel. Customers simply tap on when they board the bus and tap off when they leave, with no need to select a ticket in advance or handle cash.
The 10p payment is to check that the card is valid and has some balance. The charge will get updated to the correct amount once the day has completed and TfL have been able to calculate where you went and how much they need to charge you.
Why am I seeing a $0.10 charge when paying for public transport?
When you tap your GXS FlexiCard on the fare gantry, a S$0.10 pre-authorisation charge is made to ensure your card is active and ready. Don't worry, this isn't your actual fare. It will be promptly returned once the final transaction details from SimplyGo are processed.
London buses are all cashless, so you need an Oyster card, Travelcard or contactless payment card to ride. The bus fare in London is £1.75, and a day of bus-only travel will cost a maximum of £5.25. You can make unlimited free transfers to other buses and trams within one hour of touching in for your first journey.
mTickets: One of the best ways to buy tickets is to use mTickets on the First Bus App, it's quick, easy and cash free. Download the app and follow the instructions, it's that simple.
Where to buy your ticket: In public transport with contactless payment. You can pay for your trip using your contactless bank card (debit or credit), smartphone or smartwatch. Every STIB bus, tram and metro station is equipped with a specific contactless payment device.
