Tap on Tap Off FAQ's North East

How do I see what I've been charged?
You can access you journey and payment history here

What happens if I forget or decide not to to tap off?
You will be charged the single fare from the point you boarded to the end of the route you were travelling on. Please remember to tap off. However, if you forget, please contact our customer services team who will be happy to help. 

Will I still be capped if I forget to tap off?
You will be charged to the end of the route. If that service travels outside of the zones the journey will not be included in the cap. However, if you forget, please contact our customer services team who will be happy to help. 

Will I still be capped if I travel outside of a zone?
Tap on/Tap off is available in Alnwick Town, Morpeth Town, Ashington, Blyth, Morpeth, Tyne & Wear (and their combinations), Northumberland + Tyne & Wear and Regionwide Zones. Tap on/Tap off is also available on Coastliner, Cramlington, Killingworth, Morpeth and Rothbury Routesavers. Bishop Auckland, County Durham, Darlington Town, Darlington District, Durham City & Brandon, Durham District, Hartlepool, Peterlee, Redcar, Sunderland & Seaham, Tees Valley, Teesside and Whitby Zones. Tap on/Tap off is also available on Service 6, Service X1, Service X12 Routesavers. Any journey made within the zones will be capped at the maximum zone price.  Journeys outside of the zone will be capped at the next appropriate zone or capped at our Regionwide price if no further zone exists.

Do I have to use the same card/device?
Yes, your payment history is linked to your card or device so make sure you use the same one each time you travel. If you have your payment method set up on your mobile through Apple Pay or Google Pay, make sure you stick to one method - if you switch to your card, it will be treated as a new payment method and you might not benefit from the price caps.

Please ensure you only present one payment option, as presenting more than one contactless payment cards within a purse/wallet may result in the incorrect card begin charged.

Why was my card declined?
If you've made a purchase on board that was subsequently declined by your bank, your card will, unfortunately, be automatically blocked by our system. Once any outstanding amounts are settled by your bank, your card will be automatically unblocked. Until this happens, you'll need to pay with an alternative method.

Is the Arriva Bus app still available?
The Arriva Bus App is still available, there are some great features in the app such as the live map, journey planning and you can also purchase tickets to use on bus.

Can I use Tap On/Tap Off for myself and also pay for someone else's travel (e.g. a child)?
Tap On/Tap Off only works for one passenger travelling on a card. If you have two cards this would be counted as two separate passengers and Tap On/Tap Off could be used. If you wish to purchase multiple tickets, for example, an adult and two children travelling together, then tickets should be purchased from the driver or through the Arriva UK Bus app in the normal way. No cap is applied to these transactions.

However, it would be possible to purchase the child tickets first using a card with the driver and then tap on using the same card for the adult to travel with Tap On/Tap Off and potentially receive a price cap.

Do I need to tap off if I am a concessionary pass holder?
No, there is no change to the concessionary pass scheme and holders just need to tap on as normal when boarding the bus.

Please ensure you only present your concessionary pass when tapping on, as presenting your pass within a purse/wallet along with other contactless payment cards may result in an inadvertent contactless purchase being made.

Are the prices for Tap on/Tap off different to other on bus prices?
No, the fare you pay is the same as if you bought a standard adult single ticket from the driver. A benefit of using Tap on/Tap off is that you can access price caps which are the same as our Arriva ticket fares.

Does Tap On/Tap Off work for other ticket types?
The system is only designed for adult tickets. If you want to purchase other products, please ask the driver or download the Arriva Bus app.

Will I get a receipt?
No, one of the benefits is that the system is paperless. To see your transaction history please visit our Littlepay portal here

What area is covered by Tap On/Tap Off?
Tap on/Tap off is available in Alnwick Town, Morpeth Town, Ashington, Blyth, Morpeth, Tyne & Wear (and their combinations), Northumberland + Tyne & Wear and Regionwide Zones. Tap on/Tap off is also available on Coastliner, Cramlington, Killingworth, Morpeth and Rothbury Routesavers., Bishop Auckland, County Durham, Darlington Town, Darlington District, Durham City & Brandon, Durham District, Hartlepool, Peterlee, Redcar, Sunderland & Seaham, Tees Valley, Teesside and Whitby Zones. Tap on/Tap off is also available on Service 6, Service X1, Service X12 Routesavers. Any journey made within the zones will be capped at the maximum zone price.  Journeys outside of the zone will be capped at the next appropriate zone or capped at our Regionwide price if no further zone exists.

What are the price cap levels?
Prices are capped at the Day or Week rate for the zone(s) that you travel within.

What about if I travel outside the zones?
All journeys within the zones will be capped at the zone rate, all travel outside of the zone will not be capped.

Please click here to view all ticket options and prices.

How are fares calculated?
Fares are calculated when you tap on and tap off. This allows the fare to be calculated between those two points on the service.

Can I use Apple Pay or Google Pay?
Yes, both Apple Pay and Google Pay can be used. However, please ensure you do not switch the method of which you tap on and off

Do I need to tell the driver where I am going when I board the bus?
A benefit of Tap On/Tap Off is to improve boarding times so you do not need to confirm the destination to the driver just tap on when you board the bus.

Will the money come out of my account straight away?
A single combined payment will be taken at the end of the day for all journeys taken the same day.

You can check what you’ve been charged for each journey on our customer portal here