Greece Launches Contactless ‘Tap & Pay’ System on Athens Airport Express Buses

The Greek Transport Ministry on Wednesday launched a pilot ‘Tap & Pay’ contactless payment system for passengers traveling on the express bus lines in Athens that connect to Athens International Airport (AIA).

Passengers can now use digital wallets as well as debit, credit or prepaid cards to board the express buses X93, X95, X96, and X97 to the airport. At the same time, passengers will still be able to use ATH.ENA paper tickets and ATH.ENA personalized cards on the express buses.

“In the first phase, ‘Tap’N’Pay’ will be available in the buses of the express lines to the airport while the entire application will be available to all commuters by the end of 2024,” Greek Transport Minister Christos Staikouras said during a press conference in Athens held to present the new contactless payment system.

More specifically, the new contactless system will roll out by the end of the year on all public transport (metro, electric, buses, trams, and trolleybuses) in Athens. The system is also expected to “travel” to Thessaloniki.

Greek Transport Minister Christos Staikouras.

How it works

Through the new system, passengers can pay contactlessly by swiping their card over the bus validation machines, which display the contactless transaction indication.

Passengers will be charged the fare for the bus route on their cards at the end of the day.

According to officials, discounted fares for eligible commuters – university students, families with many members, children aged 7 to 12, young people aged 13 to 18 and senior citizens – will be available when the scheme is fully operational.

“Installing this system is expected to combat fare dodging, leading to increased revenue and, consequently, better services for citizens,” said Deputy Minister of Transport Christina Alexopoulou.

Deputy Minister of Transport Christina Alexopoulou.

Benefits for passengers

By using debit, credit or prepaid cards, passengers:

– will avoid long lines at the the automatic ticket vending machines or vendors to purchase tickets,

– will not have to search for ticket sales points when they want to board the bus,

– will not have to be informed on the transport fares to choose them.

With this new public transport service, Athens joins the list of European cities such as Madrid, Milan and London that offer passengers the possibility to travel in a simple and safe way, contributing to the increase of public transport use.

Transport Minister Christos Staikouras and the Deputy Minister of Transport Christina Alexopoulou. Photo source: Transport Ministry

The pilot ‘Tap & Pay’ contactless program was developed by the Athens Urban Transport Organisation (OASA) under a contract with Hellas Smart Ticket SA, a subsidiary of TERNA ENERGY, in cooperation with intelligent factory LG CNS. It was also supported by Visa and NBG Pay.

On the sidelines of the event, Staikouras announced a radical upgrade of the public transport fleet and services. According to the minister, 140 new electric buses in a few weeks will begin operating in the Greek capital.