Contactless digital payments for Dublin Bus by end of 2023

Dublin Bus passengers may be able to pay for journeys using contacless digital payments by the end of 2023.

Currently, Dublin Bus fares can only be paid by Leap Card or exact change in coins.

This new payments initiative will offer Dublin Bus users a full range of contactless payment methods including smartphones, bank cards, smart watches, QR codes, Apple Pay and Google Pay.

A virtual Leap Card may also be introduced, which would allow users make tap payments from a Leap Card account on their phone.

Dublin Bus CEO Ray Coyne stated that the proposed contacless payment system will adjust charges to users based on their journeys: “It dynamically updates, so if you just did one journey and it’s a €1 fare it will charge you a euro, if you did 20 journeys and it’s going to be €2 or whatever it’ll charge you that after the event, it will always give you the cheapest fare.”

The National Transport Authority (NTA) has commenced a tendering process for the new system.

Previously, the NTA had estimated that the contactless payment system would be in place by 2027, but it now says that the end of 2023 or 2024 is a “likely timeline”.