Merseyrail Tap & Go

[Fawkes Cat]

(I'm as certain as I can be that this is in the wrong place but cannot for the life of me work out where the right place is. Mods - please relocate as appropriate)

Merseyrail are looking for volunteers to try out their 'Tap & Go' system. Per https://www.merseyrail.org/tickets-passes/tap-and-go/tap-go-pilot-programme/, they say

Tap & Go Pilot Registration​

Tap & Go is Merseyrail’s new smart ticketing system, developed in partnership with Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and designed to make travelling on the Merseyrail network quicker and easier. With Tap & Go, there’s no need for paper tickets or queues—just tap your MetroCard when you start and end your journey.

Tap & Go automatically works out the best value fare for you each day and charges the bank card linked to your account. You’ll never pay more than you should, with daily and weekly fare caps. For example:

• Travel off-peak and you’ll never pay more than the Day Saver price.
• Travel regularly and once you’ve reached the price of a weekly Railpass, the rest of your journeys that Monday–Sunday are free.

Following successful testing across the Merseyrail network, we’re inviting 50 people to join our public pilot and be the first to experience the convenience of Tap & Go. To register your interest in taking part, simply complete the form below. If selected, we’ll ask you to share your feedback and complete occasional surveys throughout the pilot to help us improve.

 

[MrJeeves]

I think this seems like the perfect place for this sort of post!

It'd be interesting to know who is running the scheme's backoffice and some more details about how it handles missing taps as the trial progresses!

 

[Bletchleyite]

I think this seems like the perfect place for this sort of post!

It'd be interesting to know who is running the scheme's backoffice and some more details about how it handles missing taps as the trial progresses!

And what the reason is why they've gone for a smartcard rather than contactless based solution in 2025!

 

[cool110]

And what the reason is why they've gone for a smartcard rather than contactless based solution in 2025!

That's only for this initial trial, the plan is to enable straight contactless payment later in the year. Then again the plan was for this stage of the trial to launch last year.

Arriving in two phases, tap-and-go will be available at all Merseyrail stations for passengers using a MetroCard linked to their bank account from summer this year. The second phase will launch later in 2025 and see passengers able to use their bank card, or devices such as phones or watches, without the need for a MetroCard.

 

[stuart100100]

I've registered my interest although I don't travel every day, usually 3 times a week so might not be what they're looking for as won't reach the weekly cap

 

[gray1404]

I do sincerely hope that this doesn't mean concessionary pass holders who travel for free on Merseyrail will have to start tapping in and out at unbarriered stations on the Merseyrail network.

It is also a shame they are basing the weekly cap on a Monday to Sunday week rather then within any 7 days. If they are basing it on rail pass proces then worth remembering that a paper rail pass can start on any day of the week, not just a Monday.

There is no financial benefit of going paper free. They keep mentioning the London model but lower fares are not being offered for those using tap and go.

Again this doesn't look to benefit Railcard holders with no mention of being able to load a Railcard to a Metrocard.

When Merseyrail go contactless I wonder what the implications will be for their Penalty Fare system. Perhaps a higher back end charge if a customer has not tap in with their contactless card.

 

[Bletchleyite]

That's only for this initial trial, the plan is to enable straight contactless payment later in the year.

That's good news. Merseyrail has been in the dark ages on ticketing for a very long time - this is an extremely welcome update. I do have a Metrocard to be fair (for the odd Saveaway) but London is leading the way here.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 16 May 2025 ==

I do sincerely hope that this doesn't mean concessionary pass holders who travel for free on Merseyrail will have to start tapping in and out at unbarriered stations on the Merseyrail network.

I'm not sure why it matters, but in London you don't need to tap in if you have a Travelcard or Freedom Pass that is valid for your entire journey so I don't see why you'd need to on Merseyside. Just be glad of your free travel!

It is also a shame they are basing the weekly cap on a Monday to Sunday week rather then within any 7 days. If they are basing it on rail pass proces then worth remembering that a paper rail pass can start on any day of the week, not just a Monday.

Same as London. It's just easier to implement and will suit almost everyone.

There is no financial benefit of going paper free. They keep mentioning the London model but lower fares are not being offered for those using tap and go.

It's still more convenient. And it means no disadvantage for those preferring to pay cash for a paper ticket, which is a perennial whinge on here. Count your blessings!

Again this doesn't look to benefit Railcard holders with no mention of being able to load a Railcard to a Metrocard.

Railcards aren't applicable to most Merseyrail travel because the day tickets aren't valid for them, so most people won't care. You only save on shorter journeys where a discounted Anytime is cheaper than a day ticket. But as unlike London there's no discount for using contactless, simply purchase a paper ticket with your Railcard if that's what you want to do and you aren't being disadvantaged.

When Merseyrail go contactless I wonder what the implications will be for their Penalty Fare system. Perhaps a higher back end charge if a customer has not tap in with their contactless card.

Guess it depends on how exactly it's implemented, but as a general thing these schemes charge some sort of penalty (or in the case of buses mostly just the maximum possible single fare from where you tapped in) if inspected without having tapped in and similarly if you fail to tap out.

 

[M28361M]

Tap & Go has now gone live for all passengers on Merseyrail - all they need to do is register their MetroCard. Note there is no direct payment using credit/debit card at the moment. https://www.merseyrail.org/tapandgo/

Tap & Go is designed to make travelling on the Merseyrail network quicker and easier. There’s no need for paper tickets or queues - just tap your MetroCard when you start and end your journey on a platform validator or ticket gate. No queues, no fuss, let's go! The smart ticketing system automatically works out the best value fare for you each day and charges the bank card linked to your account, taking the hassle out of travel.

Website says: travel off peak and you will be capped at the cost of a Day Saver, but it seems a bit ambiguous about what happens if some travel is during the morning peak - is it clever enough to work out the best fare in that circumstance? Weekly travel will be capped to the cost of a Railpass.

 

[WirralLine]

I dont understand how its taken them so long to roll out and yet still requires faffing around with Metrocards. The Metrocard introduction itself was a farce - being introduced over 10 years ago (back then as Walrus cards) and still dont have the full array of products available on them. Eg cant get Trio passes loaded onto them, relying on old fashioned ink date stamped tickets from a rail or bus station.

So we are now in a position where London was 22 years ago when the Oyster Card was launched. Yet presumably slightly less convenient - if I tap out of a Merseyrail station and onto a bus I will be charged separately rather than capped at a Saveaway (all mode) fare? Or can Metrocards not yet be used as a tap and go option on a bus without a preloaded product?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Or can Metrocards not yet be used as a tap and go option on a bus without a preloaded product?

They indeed cannot. I suspect that capability is there but they are waiting until the bus network's re-regulation is complete rather than having to build in the costly complexity of transferring revenue to different bus operators which they won't need in a couple of years' time.

 

[M28361M]

Or can Metrocards not yet be used as a tap and go option on a bus without a preloaded product?

Correct. You can only use MetroCard on the bus if you have a ticket loaded (Saveaway, Solo, or one of the bus companies' own products).

Of the bus companies on Merseyside, Arriva has tap on with contactless credit/debit card, with daily capping. Other operators, as far as I know, you have to ask for a ticket and still get issued a paper ticket even if paid for by card.

One thought I had re: the Tap&Go system: is it clever enough to cope with having Tap&Go and a ticket loaded on the same card? For example, I use the train for my daily commute so might well link my card and use Tap on Tap off for that. At the weekends I will sometimes buy a Saveaway so I can use train/bus/ferry to explore as I wish. Will the system recognise that and "use" the Saveaway in preference to Tap&Go?

 

[Ianigsy]

A few weeks ago I was at a Merseyrail station where the booking office staff refused to sell somebody a MetroCard unless they were going to load a ticket on it- presumably that no longer applies if you’re intending to tie it to the app.

But yes, this is where West Yorkshire was about 15 years ago, mostly with the same bus and train operators.

 

[Djgr]

A few weeks ago I was at a Merseyrail station where the booking office staff refused to sell somebody a MetroCard unless they were going to load a ticket on it- presumably that no longer applies if you’re intending to tie it to the app.

But yes, this is where West Yorkshire was about 15 years ago, mostly with the same bus and train operators.

Why would you buy a MetroCard if you weren't going to load to ticket onto it?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Aug 2025 ==

They indeed cannot. I suspect that capability is there but they are waiting until the bus network's re-regulation is complete rather than having to build in the costly complexity of transferring revenue to different bus operators which they won't need in a couple of years' time.

Indeed.

Who thought that deregulation, privatisation and fragmentation would make life so difficult?

(Answer-pretty much everyone)

 

[Kite159]

Why would you buy a MetroCard if you weren't going to load to ticket onto it?

Probably someone who collects smartcards from various operators

 

[ThisIsSurbiton]

One thought I had re: the Tap&Go system: is it clever enough to cope with having Tap&Go and a ticket loaded on the same card? For example, I use the train for my daily commute so might well link my card and use Tap on Tap off for that. At the weekends I will sometimes buy a Saveaway so I can use train/bus/ferry to explore as I wish. Will the system recognise that and "use" the Saveaway in preference to Tap&Go?

One of the first things I did in my "new" job 11 years ago was read the specification about ITSO cards. There was a lot of clever stuff in there about this sort of logic, still, there are some ticket combinations that feel unwise to leave to chance. SWR's Pay As You Go can't live in harmony with a flexi season, I think it is, but a Saveaway valid for today would beat everything else, you'd think.

 

[Ianigsy]

Probably someone who collects smartcards from various operators

I think it was probably more likely to be prevent people travelling with an empty card and then claiming that they bought a ticket this morning and it can’t have loaded up.

 

[Starmill]

I'm not sure why it matters, but in London you don't need to tap in if you have a Travelcard or Freedom Pass that is valid for your entire journey so I don't see why you'd need to on Merseyside. Just be glad of your free travel!

It's an obligation to tap to use ScotRail or Metrolink. At least on paper.

 

[WirralLine]

I think it was probably more likely to be prevent people travelling with an empty card and then claiming that they bought a ticket this morning and it can’t have loaded up.

Can bus only products ie Solo be bought at Merseyrail stations? I know the majority (all?) of the shops that can load saveaways/solos onto the Metrocards dont actually stock the cards. I occasionally buy Saveaways and my local co-op certainly doesnt sell the cards but can top them up. If i needed to buy a solo i'd have to buy a card first, presumably from my local Merseyrail station! A solo day pass of course can be bought in paper format on a bus from the driver, but a weekly etc is card only.

 

[Bletchleyite]

One thought I had re: the Tap&Go system: is it clever enough to cope with having Tap&Go and a ticket loaded on the same card? For example, I use the train for my daily commute so might well link my card and use Tap on Tap off for that. At the weekends I will sometimes buy a Saveaway so I can use train/bus/ferry to explore as I wish. Will the system recognise that and "use" the Saveaway in preference to Tap&Go?

Yes. The T&C make this clear and also that it will only charge a fare for parts of a journey not covered by a ticket on the card. They also seem to imply that if you make a peak journey then some off peak ones it will still cap the off peak ones at the Daysaver rate with the peak journey on top.

What it doesn't say is if it caps a pair of identical but opposite peak single fares at the Anytime Day Return, though, but I would imagine it does as because Merseyrail is not single fare priced so it would be rather expensive compared to paper tickets if it did not.

I can't copy paste from the T&C from my phone for some reason so will post a quote tomorrow if nobody gets there first, however it can be found here:

https://www.merseyrail.org/media/1kkl4i2r/tap-and-go-conditions-of-use.pdf

Added quotes:

Part journey charge and Saveaway combination:

6.13. If you have a valid Saveaway or Merseyrail Only Railpass on your MetroCard that is registered for

Tap & Go, you can use the Tap & Go to pay for the part of your journey not covered by the pre-paid

product. Based on your taps, Tap & Go will only charge you for the portion of your journey not

covered by the Saveaway or Merseyrail Only Railpass.

I note it does say "portion" so I don't know how clever it would be with regard to someone holding a one area Saveaway and doing, for example, Ormskirk to Chester, which would have the Saveaway in the middle.

Peak and off peak:

6.5. Daily capping uses the existing Merseyrail Day Saver fares and validity. If you travel outside of peak

hours (06:31 - 09:29 Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays) Tap & Go will cap your daily fare to

the price of a 1 Area or All Area Day Saver, depending on which areas you have travelled in. The Day

Saver fare cannot be applied to journeys in the peak and each time you board or alight a Merseyrail

train it counts as a separate journey.

The latter is quite interesting as it implies you need to tap at an interchange, which I think is a mistake.

 

[cool110]

What it doesn't say is if it caps a pair of identical but opposite peak single fares at the Anytime Day Return

It does in condition 6.2

Tap & Go fares include Singles, Returns, Day Saver and Weekly Merseyrail Only Railpass. Journeys are created based on your taps and the cheapest fares are automatically calculated and charged based on those journeys.

 

[M28361M]

a Saveaway valid for today would beat everything else, you'd think.

You’d think, yes, but this is Merseytravel we’re talking about, whose record on smart card ticketing has not been brilliant previously.

However, I see someone on X has asked the same question. (Link to original q)

What happens if I put a saveaway on my metro card and tap that, will it recognise that ticket or will it charge me twice?

Hi Rob, you would only be charged if you were travelling during peak hours when the Saveaway isn't valid. Otherwise you would not be charged. ^Claire

So, if that's correct, that’s good. Although I now have another question: can you load a Railpass and then use Tap&Go for occasional jaunts beyond the validity of the ticket without having to tap on/off at the boundary station?

EDIT: I see Bletchleyite has posted a link to the T&Cs which answers my question!

 

[Bletchleyite]

It does in condition 6.2

Thanks, missed that.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Aug 2025 ==

So, if that's correct, that’s good. Although I now have another question: can you load a Railpass and then use Tap&Go for occasional jaunts beyond the validity of the ticket without having to tap on/off at the boundary station?

Yes and the T&C explicitly say so.

 

[JBuchananGB]

I decided to try to register my ancient (maybe 6 years old) Walrus card for the MerseyRail Tap & Go. First step is to create an account. As part of creating and activating the account they send an email with a link to validate the email address. This seemed to be a long time coming so I tried to log in anyway. Told me to activate using the email, so I asked for another email to be sent.
They both arrived at once. I clicked on the link, and Google Chrome rejected the action on grounds that the web site certificate had expired. Invalid SSL Certificate Error code 526.
Deleted those two emails and asked for another. Still waiting.

 

[lfc84]

I decided to try to register my ancient (maybe 6 years old) Walrus card for the MerseyRail Tap & Go.

Surely the card has expired and therefore can't be used for travel

 

[stuart100100]

Made my first return journey yesterday using it, it shows up in my journey history this morning but my bank card hasn't been authorised for the payment yet

 

[JBuchananGB]

Surely the card has expired and therefore can't be used for travel

Don't get as far as entering the Walrus card number. Tried again this morning. Same error. Tried different browser. Same error. Doesn't matter as I wouldn't use Tap & Go anyway, as I often want to use my Senior Railcard, and that is not supported. But I was just curious enough to try to register an account.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Made my first return journey yesterday using it, it shows up in my journey history this morning but my bank card hasn't been authorised for the payment yet

I can't remember where but I did see something that suggested that because of how the capping works it only bills once a week.

 

[stuart100100]

I can't remember where but I did see something that suggested that because of how the capping works it only bills once a week.

Ah ok...I (wrongly) assumed it would be like London where it charges you everyday and then stops taking money when you hit the cap

 

[M28361M]

Surely the card has expired and therefore can't be used for travel

Yes, Merseytravel have set a very short expiry date on the cards. I think it's five years, and it seems to happen regardless of whether the card is used or not. I know my most recent MetroCard has expired and the only option is to pay £1 for a new one.

 

[Starmill]

Yes, Merseytravel have set a very short expiry date on the cards. I think it's five years, and it seems to happen regardless of whether the card is used or not. I know my most recent MetroCard has expired and the only option is to pay £1 for a new one.

What a great rip off scheme, set your cards so people have to keep buying new ones, and waste plastic to boot. They really are rotten.