More people than ever are now using contactless bank cards to purchase their tickets to travel on the Tyne and Wear Metro, according to the latest figures shared by Nexus. More than half of the eight million transactions in ticket machines are now either contactless bank cards, Apple Pay or Google Pay for day and season tickets.
Two thirds of people using the ticket machines now use cards instead of cash across the Metro network and of those 84% use contactless as the easiest way to purchase tickets. In addition Pop Pay as You Go now accounts for 11% of all journeys.
Huw Lewis, Customer Services Director at Nexus, said: “Contactless is the best way to pay for Metro travel. It’s quick and easy, and we are seeing more and more passengers choosing this way to pay. The declining use of notes and coins is a national trend as consumers move away from carrying cash. The growth of smartphone use is undoubtedly a big factor in these changing habits. Metro will of course continue to provide the option of cash payment at ticket machines because some people still want to use notes and coins, but we do save from having less cash flowing through and stored in ticket machines and spending less time handling it. I would encourage people to save time and money by getting a free Pop Pay as You Go, or just save time by using a contactless card to pay. Either way you never need cash to travel on Metro again.”