A new digital era begins for the public transport services provided to passengers in Athens.

Today, Wednesday, January 15th, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport and OASA will present the new “tap2ride” contactless payment system using a bank card for boarding on all public transport modes under OASA’s jurisdiction.

Athens’ public transport will implement a contactless payment system using a bank card and digital wallets through activated devices (smartphones, smartwatches).

Everything Changes with OASA Tickets

The contactless payment system with bank cards and digital wallets via activated devices (smartphones, smartwatches) will now be available on all OASA-controlled public transport (Buses, Trolleys, Metro, Trams).

Thus, passengers, in addition to ATH.ENA Ticket or ATH.ENA Card, will be able to use their debit, credit, or prepaid card or their “smart” mobile phone to board public transport.

Let us remind you that since last April, the contactless payment system had started as a pilot on the express bus lines of the Athens International Airport (X93, X95, X96, X97).

Passengers using OASA-controlled public transport will have the alternative option of paying for their ticket contactlessly by tapping their bank card on the validation machines, marked with the contactless transaction symbol, and the fare will be charged to the passenger’s account.

With this new service, Athens joins the list of European cities such as Madrid, Milan, and London, which allow passengers to travel in a simple, safe, and comfortable way, contributing to the increased use of public transport.

“Public urban transport will play a crucial role in the development of smart cities and in facilitating users’ movements, with contactless payments (tap & pay) offering a safe and seamless experience for passengers and transport system operators who seek easy, direct, and secure access to these services,” say officials from OASA.

According to OASA’s data, a notable increase in the penetration of the EMV – Tap & Pay app has been seen among passengers using the Airport Express bus lines, as the payment via bank cards has been increasing at a rapid pace.

Since the launch of the pilot program, over 90,000 users have used the service, and the average number of transactions amounts to 9% of all transactions on the Express vehicles.

Contactless Payments: A New Era in Public Transport

With the implementation of using bank cards for boarding public transport, passengers will no longer need to:

• Obtain a ticket via ticket counters or ticket vending machines (AMEK).
• Know the available travel products to select the appropriate one. The fully developed system will charge passengers the most economical fare product based on their travels. This is an extremely useful function for passengers who are unfamiliar with the transport system of Athens, such as visitors from other cities and tourists.
• Look for sales points or wait in queues to buy a ticket in order to travel on public transport.

Benefits for the Passenger

With the implementation of using bank cards for boarding public transport, passengers will no longer need to:

• Obtain a ticket via ticket counters or ticket vending machines (AMEK).
• Know the available travel products to select the appropriate one. The fully developed system will charge passengers the most economical fare product based on their travels. This is an extremely useful function for passengers who are unfamiliar with the transport system of Athens, such as visitors from other cities and tourists.
• Look for sales points or wait in queues to buy a ticket in order to travel on public transport.