When boarding the bus, users simply need to hold their bank card or mobile device up to the Europay Mastercar Visa (EMV) reader, located next to the driver. The reader will capture the required data for the purchase of a single ticket and process the card payment. If there is a ticket inspection, the e-transaction itself acts as proof of having validated the journey, without the need for a physical ticket.

The idea behind the new system is to offer an easy, secure and practical alternative for payment on board vehicles, particularly for people who do not usually take the bus or who are not in possession of a ticket or pass when they get on board. The system also does away with the need to handle cash and makes the service quicker, reducing waiting times at stops.

Barcelona was the first city in the Spanish state to do away with cash payments on board vehicles in the first few months of the pandemic, and the first to now offer the electronic version of a single ticket across the whole bus network.

Over 500,000 tickets sold

The project was launched in response to the Covid-19 health crisis, the first step coming in May 2021 when it was introduced on the V3 and 46 pilot lines. Since then, over half a million purchases and validations have been recorded on EMV terminals as the system was steadily rolled out on various bus services. The project also means more progress in the tech transformation being developed by the Metropolitan Transport Authority with the T-mobility system.