Merseyrail Tap & Go

[gray1404]

My friend simply didn't believe me. So I insisted we bailed at Bache and walked to the Storyhouse. Wasn't too bad of a walk given we wanted that end of town, plus we avoided the crowds and walk across Chester station.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 1 Mar 2026 ==

It is also arguable that the maximum charge of £10.55 for a failure to tap out should not be so high if the tap in occurs at an off peak time. This fare is based on a Southport to Chester anytime single.

 

[Pdarsh35]

Aren't they doing an upgrade to Chester's station concourse anyway at the moment? I haven't been myself for almost a month now, but I thought they were removing the current barriers and swapping them to where the TVMs are now? I would assume that once it is complete, you'd be able to use Tap & Go on the rest of the Merseyrail network. (The station revamp plan link)

 

[vjm1975]

Aren't they doing an upgrade to Chester's station concourse anyway at the moment? I haven't been myself for almost a month now, but I thought they were removing the current barriers and swapping them to where the TVMs are now? I would assume that once it is complete, you'd be able to use Tap & Go on the rest of the Merseyrail network. (The station revamp plan link)

The Ticket Barriers were done last year were they not? Still causes a massive bottleneck when a few trains arrive at once. A few Saturdays back about noon, even though pretty much first off the Merseyrail train, still queueing at the bottom of the stairs. Took best part of 20 minutes to get through. The gates a really slow to open after putting your ticket in. Lots of people seem to have trouble with E -Ticket Aztec codes scanning, and anyone attempting to use the Merseyrail Smartcard was just let through as they 'never work'.

 

[Pdarsh35]

The Ticket Barriers were done last year were they not?

Ah possibly! Last time I visited the station, there was still a lot of construction around the ticket office, and I'm not quite sure what they were working on. However, it's clear that something needs to be done about that entire area. When arriving from the Euston train, there always seems to be a bottleneck at the gatelines.

 

[Skie]

Chester supposedly has a validator on the merseyrail platform which you could use to end your journey. You couldn’t get out the barriers but you would have a good argument of a valid ticket for the journey then.

 

[Fawkes Cat]

Chester supposedly has a validator on the merseyrail platform which you could use to end your journey. You couldn’t get out the barriers but you would have a good argument of a valid ticket for the journey then.

I think perhaps we need to know quite what the poster says... If it's something like 'please touch out in the platform validator and ask to be let out at the barrier line ' then that's just about an adequate work round in that no one arriving at Chester will be penalised. Leaving Chester, you would need a paper ticket to get on to your Merseyrail train, which is hardly optimal.

 

[Edvid]

Chester supposedly has a validator on the merseyrail platform which you could use to end your journey.

I doubt it's one of the new validators, otherwise the FAQs would mention it as an option for contactless Tap & Go passengers.

Come 18 May Bidston will have a validator in place for the initial phase of TfW's scheme, so one hopes interim arrangements for Chester have been agreed for that day (or earlier) as well...

 

[Djgr]

I think perhaps we need to know quite what the poster says... If it's something like 'please touch out in the platform validator and ask to be let out at the barrier line ' then that's just about an adequate work round in that no one arriving at Chester will be penalised. Leaving Chester, you would need a paper ticket to get on to your Merseyrail train, which is hardly optimal.

It doesn't say that.

It says that you can't tap out with contactless (e.g.debit card) at Chester.

Metrocards are not affected (i.e. you can tap in and out) and so probably not an issue for regular travellers (and even irregular ones, if they can stomach the £1 initial charge)

 

[Northerngirl]

The issue is i am still yet to see a single physical information board saying anything about Chester, nor and of the adverts they have online. Especially as its been mentioned that you don't need to sign up online (& read the terms)

 

[Benjwri]

It doesn't say that.

It says that you can't tap out with contactless (e.g.debit card) at Chester.

Metrocards are not affected (i.e. you can tap in and out) and so probably not an issue for regular travellers (and even irregular ones, if they can stomach the £1 initial charge)

Are staff telling people that? It certainly doesn’t sound it from what I’ve heard. The maximum fare is £10.55, not £1. This whole situation sounds to me on pretty dodgy legal grounds, but regardless someone being surprised like this when they arrived at Chester to tap out is exactly the complicated type of situation that puts people off using the railway.

 

[Fawkes Cat]

The maximum fare is £10.55, not £1.

The £1 is the charge for a Metrocard.

 

[Benjwri]

The £1 is the charge for a Metrocard.

Sure, but that doesn't help someone who was not properly notified they can't use contactless, and has travelled to Chester and is now being charged a new ticket ontop of their maximum fare.

 

[Djgr]

This is what it says on the Merseyrail website.

Please note, at Chester station only Tap & Go with MetroCard is available. Bank card and smart device payments are not currently supported at this station.

 

[lfc84]

There's posters on the walls in Moorfields.

Northern line northbound platform. Probably others.

 

[Fawkes Cat]

From the Special Offers Discussion thread:

Merseyrail are giving away free return tickets to Chester for Cheshire Day (30th of March)

https://www.merseyrail.org/tickets-passes/chester-free-ticket-promotion/

Which I suppose is a partial (one day / first come, first served) mitigation for not being able to use your credit card...

 

[Formby EMU Fan]

After the Antics I had with using a Saveaway on a Metrocard last year, (see post #37), I was reluctant to do it again, but yesterday (Saturday 2nd May) I thought I'd give it another go as a Saveaway "should be" the best tool for my Transport requirements that day, so I purchased one at Formby Station and had it added to my Metrocard.
Tapped in at Formby (which I failed to do last time), then tapped Out at Liverpool Central ticket barrier, all good so far.
Walked to Liverpool Lime Street to Catch a Northern Rail service to West Allerton due to depart from Platform 8, so no Physical Ticket barrier but there was a card reader. Tapped it anyway to find it was not valid (probably a different TOC). As the Saveaway was supposedly valid for the service I boarded it anyway. Ticket was not inspected so I have no idea what would have happened if it was (if anybody knows please let me know so that I know what to expect if I do this again).
I get off at West Allerton, (a 4 platform station, no Ticket validators, or even a departure board, just automated announcements at short notice, leaving you having to sprint up the steps and over the footbridge if you get it wrong, not easy at my age . Sorry, that's off topic for this thread.).
I later re-board a train at West Allerton (correct platform ) and Travel to Liverpool South Parkway (Its the City Line so should be covered by Saveaway, again no Ticket inspection) and as I approach the Open Ticket barrier on the exit from Platforms 1-4, I chose to Tap and it shows 'All OK'. traversed the concourse to the Ticket barrier for Platforms 5-6 for Merseyrail Services, I tap and it is refused. I explain to the person manning the barriers and he lets me through 'on Trust' as I had a Saveaway so I tapped on the other barrier. (I am assuming the Card readers cannot distinguish between the various TOCs serving the platforms).
I board the Merseyrail Service from Liv South Parkway as far as Aigburth were I Tap Out (all appears OK, no issues here).
I later board an Arriva bus to travel to Liverpool City Centre (No Issues, Saveaway accepted by card reader on the bus).
I then Tap In at the barrier at Liverpool Central and Travel back to Formby where I Tap Out (No Issues here either).
Today I check my Metro-Smart account to see how "they" think my journey went, and I find 2 missed Taps and the supposed "incorrect" journeys autocompleted.
To me it looks Like they have treated my Tap at Liv S'Parkway as a Tap out, so autocompleted a Tap In from Liverpool Central based on a previous Tapout there, and my Tap out at Aigburth as a Tap In and autocompleted to Liverpool Central based on my later Tap In. As the system has got the Tap In/out information wrong I can not correct this myself, if I try it reports an error. I've now submitted a form for the Merseyrail customer service team to have it corrected, and I awaiting a response.

Can anybody tell me where/if I went wrong, and how I should have conducted this journey, using the services used?

 

[gray1404]

When using a Saveaway on a smart card for travel by train you do not need to tap in or out at unbarried stations. The only time you need to tap the card when using Rail services is to get through a ticket barrier (examples Liverpool City Centre, Southport, Chester, Liverpool South Parkway, St Helens Central) or if you encounter a ticket inspection on and are asked to tap on thr staff members device.

 

[lfc84]

What difference does it make to have the online account corrected? We're you incorrectly charged ?

 

[Djgr]

What difference does it make to have the online account corrected? We're you incorrectly charged ?

A Saveaway does not make use of any online account. It is a one off purchase by cash, credit or debit card. It is not a Tap and Go product.

 

[lfc84]

A Saveaway does not make use of any online account. It is a one off purchase by cash, credit or debit card. It is not a Tap and Go product.

I know.

 

[fandroid]

Today I check my Metro-Smart account to see how "they" think my journey went, and I find 2 missed Taps and the supposed "incorrect" journeys autocompleted.
To me it looks Like they have treated my Tap at Liv S'Parkway as a Tap out, so autocompleted a Tap In from Liverpool Central based on a previous Tapout there, and my Tap out at Aigburth as a Tap In and autocompleted to Liverpool Central based on my later Tap In. As the system has got the Tap In/out information wrong I can not correct this myself, if I try it reports an error. I've now submitted a form for the Merseyrail customer service team to have it corrected, and I awaiting a response.

Can anybody tell me where/if I went wrong, and how I should have conducted this journey, using the services used?

I've had similar problems with SWR's Touch Card. I loaded a normal ticket onto a card which was also set up for their Tap2Go (PAYG) system. I only used it for opening gates and ignored readers at stations with no gates.

I then got a summary of my Tap2Go account telling me of 2 incomplete journeys.

I've now reverted to using another card (not connected to my Tap2Go account) exclusively for loading tickets.

If you can get another Metrocard unlinked to the PAYG system, that's a way around it. You might have to label your cards so you know which is which

 

[Formby EMU Fan]

I'm sure I read somewhere further up this thread that if a Saveaway was loaded onto a Metrocard registered for Tap & Go (which mine is) you still had to Tap In & Out at the start and end of each journey completed, but all I can find in the T&Cs for Saveaway

https://www.merseytravel.gov.uk/tickets-and-pricing/terms-and-conditions/
5. Using your Saveaway Ticket
5.1 Each time you board and alight a bus, or pass through a rail or ferry terminal, barriered or not, it counts as a separate journey.
5.2 To use a Saveaway Ticket, place the Merseytravel Smartcard on the ticket machine, show the paper ticket to the bus, rail or Mersey Ferry staff or present it at the rail gates (where available) to open them (whichever is applicable).

However, the fact that I did does demonstrate that the Autocomplete software has a bug. ... Unless the Gateline at Liv S'Parkway (LPY) Platforms 1-4 (Not Merseyrail) specifically logs as Tap Out only, but then why did the Platform 5-6 Gateline (Merseyrail) refuse a Tap In? (And also access to the Platforms).

What difference does it make to have the online account corrected? We're you incorrectly charged ?

You are correct, it does not make a difference, and the journeys although incorrect were covered by the Saveaway so no additional charge, but it does demonstrate to Merseyrail the potential that I could have been if I just used Tap & Go, hence why I contacted Merseyrail customer support, (although in this case it would have just resulted in an All Area Daysaver @ £6.40).

I've had similar problems with SWR's Touch Card. I loaded a normal ticket onto a card which was also set up for their Tap2Go (PAYG) system. I only used it for opening gates and ignored readers at stations with no gates.

I then got a summary of my Tap2Go account telling me of 2 incomplete journeys.

I've now reverted to using another card (not connected to my Tap2Go account) exclusively for loading tickets.

If you can get another Metrocard unlinked to the PAYG system, that's a way around it. You might have to label your cards so you know which is which

I might consider this the next time I use a Saveaway, even if it does cost me an extra £1 for the card. Thanks for your help

 

[Djgr]

I'm sure I read somewhere further up this thread that if a Saveaway was loaded onto a Metrocard registered for Tap & Go (which mine is) you still had to Tap In & Out at the start and end of each journey completed, but all I can find in the T&Cs for Saveaway

Tap and Go is only available on Merseyrail and so you certainly shouldn't be tapping in and out your Metrocard at other stations (e.g. West Allerton and coming soon Upton, Heswall-which will soon have the North Wales Tap and Go readers!)

I have a non Tap and Go Metrocard but occasionally the barriers won't lift. It's just technology!

 

[Tetchytyke]

Tap and Go is only available on Merseyrail and so you certainly shouldn't be tapping in and out your Metrocard at other stations (e.g. West Allerton and coming soon Upton, Heswall-which will soon have the North Wales Tap and Go readers!)

Tap and Go is only valid on Merseyrail, but that’s not the same as a Metrocard only being valid on Merseyrail.

Using the Saveaway on a Metrocard you have to tap in/out at barriered stations. You’re not getting on to the platform if you don’t.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 4 May 2026 ==

However, the fact that I did does demonstrate that the Autocomplete software has a bug

Not really. The autocomplete just makes a ‘best guess’ based on your previous travel history. It isn’t an exact science.

I’d caution against using Tap and Go for any sort of journey which doesn’t involve distinct journeys. The trouble with these systems is always how they roll journeys together, it’s not as simple as each pass through a barrier/reader being a separate journey. Out of station interchanges cause issues in London and I’d expect them to cause issues in Merseyside too. It won’t matter if you’re using a Saveaway but it might if you’re using PAYG.

As for the South Parkway barriers, I’ve had issues at the Merseyrail barrier a few times there when using a Saveaway on Metrocard. Not sure why. The gate dragon just scanned my card on their phone then waved me through the gate.

 

[Djgr]

Tap and Go is only valid on Merseyrail, but that’s not the same as a Metrocard only being valid on Merseyrail.

Using the Saveaway on a Metrocard you have to tap in/out at barriered stations. You’re not getting on to the platform.

Semantics. You have to tap in and out at barriered stations but that's not the same as being part of the Tap and Go fare scheme. You are tapping to open the gate rather than as part of a fare calculation.

 

[Northerngirl]

The new barriers get very upset with saveaways, i have had the same problem at Parkway a few times

 

[Djgr]

The new barriers get very upset with saveaways, i have had the same problem at Parkway a few times

They do, but I've always found the staff on the gateline fine.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Semantics. You have to tap in and out at barriered stations but that's not the same as being part of the Tap and Go fare scheme.

I think we’re saying the same thing. The OP has a Metrocard enabled for Tap and Go which they also use for Saveaways, so they’re getting confused about when they tap and when they don’t.

I think the OP might be better off spending a quid and having a separate Metrocard for Saveaways, so they don’t need to worry about this.

They do, but I've always found the staff on the gateline fine.

I think fine is stretching it, the last one I dealt with was incredibly rude about it. But they scanned the ticket on their phone then opened the gate, which is all that really matters.

 

[azzarazza]

Can staff not check contactless cards yet? Revenue check on the train today (Carlisle staff), looked rather confused that I had used a debit card and just carried on. He was scanning metro cards against his phone though so had a device that was checking.

 

[Bletchleyite]

They do, but I've always found the staff on the gateline fine.

Surprised they knew what a Saveaway was...my experience is that some of them don't have a clue and think a Daysaver is the same thing.