How widespread is contactless payment on UK buses?

[Cesarcollie]

Which contactless machines are that expensive? If the ticket machine ones are that expensive, it shouldn't be too expensive to have the card reader separate and tell the ticket machine it's a cash transaction.

You can get a card reader for £60 running on batteries or usb power (special offers take that down to £20 at the moment) with fees under 2%. With pricier machines you can get lower fees.

I think the issue is that these need WiFi or 3G/4G to work. Unless the bus has WiFi the only likely source will be the Ticket Machine - and clearly providers are not going to easily enable such a link! Alternatively issue each bus with an accompanying smartphone but that gets messy, prone to theft, and of course the sim and other costs then start mounting again. Plus reading up on some of this kit (which I agree is cheap), I think it will only work with a signal. On many bus routes that’s not available at every stop. The proprietary machines will still enable a sale - and process the transaction when the opportunity arises.

The issue with systems like Ticketer is that although newer machines can be upgraded for contactless, the older ones can’t (though they still work fine in many cases), and so the only option is a new complete machine - which is where the £2500 comes from.

 

[Jordan Adam]

I think the issue is that these need WiFi or 3G/4G to work. Unless the bus has WiFi the only likely source will be the Ticket Machine - and clearly providers are not going to easily enable such a link! Alternatively issue each bus with an accompanying smartphone but that gets messy, prone to theft, and of course the sim and other costs then start mounting again. Plus reading up on some of this kit (which I agree is cheap), I think it will only work with a signal. On many bus routes that’s not available at every stop. The proprietary machines will still enable a sale - and process the transaction when the opportunity arises.

The issue with systems like Ticketer is that although newer machines can be upgraded for contactless, the older ones can’t (though they still work fine in many cases), and so the only option is a new complete machine - which is where the £2500 comes from.

Some local authorities will provide ticket machines for operators who run supported services. One example is Aberdeenshire where all the independents with supported bus services have Ticketer "Standard" and "handheld" units. Obviously not all local authorities are anywhere near as proactive, but it is one example where a solution has been found. It also helps the council more accurately monitor service usage ahead of budget changes etc.