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Contactless payment terms and conditions

  1. The Contactless Tap and Go Terms and Conditions set out in this Annex form part of and must be read and construed with the Metrolink Conditions of Carriage beenetwork.com/public-transport/tram/conditions-of-carriage and the Bus Conditions of Carriage beenetwork.com/public-transport/bus/conditions-of-carriage.

Definitions & Interpretation

  1. In these Contactless Tap and Go T&Cs, the words set out in this Clause 2 below in bold type have the meaning set out opposite them:

Bee Network means the combined public transport network operated by TfGM to which these Contactless Tap and Go T&Cs apply, known variously as the Bee Network or Metrolink.

Bus means a bus as used on the Bee Network bus system.

Capped Fares relate to the maximum fares that will be charged in any Capping Period, subject to correct use of Contactless Tap and Go as set out in these Contactless Tap and Go T&Cs

Capping Period means the period that fares can be calculated to benefit from

Capped Fares, namely:

(a) Hourly (relates to bus only, known as the Hopper)
(b) 1-day off-peak (relates to tram only, or combined bus and tram - travel between 04:00 and 06:59 and 09:30 and 03:59)
(c) 1-day anytime (between 04:00 and 03:59)
(d) 7-day anytime (between each Monday at 04:00 and Sunday at 03:59)

Contactless Standard (Penalty) Fare a fare that will be charged in the event that a valid contactless tap in is not detected for the inspected journey as set out in the Conditions of Carriage.

Contactless Tap and Go relates to the contactless pay as you go payment method which is offered by TfGM for use by passengers travelling by bus or tram or a combination of both, on its combined bus and tram public transport network operating on the Bee Network, which is known variously as:

a) the Bee Network Bus; and
b) Metrolink Tram;

Contactless Tap and Go Fares means the prices and fares which are available and charged by TfGM for travel by passengers by Bus or Tram on the Bee Network using Contactless Tap and Go as amended from time to time by TfGM and published on its Bee Network website at: tfgm.com/ways-to-pay/contactless/terms

Contactless Tap and Go Fares are only available at full paying adult prices.

Incomplete Journey Fare a fare that will be charged in the event that a valid contactless tap off on tram is not detected to allocate the correct the zonal combination. (Also known as Default Fare)

Inspection Device Smart Reader is a Smart Reader used by authorised ticket/fare inspector for the purposes of inspecting contactless Payment Devices as well as for scanning smart cards and QR codes.

Mode means the transport mode used, either
(a) bus; or
(b) tram

Operational Day means the 24 hour period commencing 04:00am to 03:59am.

Payment Device means and includes a passenger’s contactless debit and credit cards (MasterCard, Visa and Maestro), mobile phones or other devices which are able to make contactless payments (including such mobile payment and digital wallet services as TfGM may accept from time to time).

Smart Reader an electronic card and ticket reader located at Tram Stop platforms and on buses used for the purpose of reading contactless Payment Devices as well as for scanning smart cards and QR codes (bus only).

Standard (Penalty) Fare a fare that is issued in the event that the payment card or device that is presented for inspection is declined.

Ticket Machine a physical ticket purchase and dispensing machine located at Tram stop platforms and on buses on the Bee Network.

Tram means a tram as used on the Metrolink system.

Interpretation:

The words ‘Tap’/’Tapping’ and ‘Touch’/’Touching’ as used in the Conditions of Carriage of which these Contactless Tap and Go T&Cs form part, have the same meaning. Similarly, these terms have the same meaning when presented as part of messaging and signage across the network.

  1. For the purposes of these Contactless Tap and Go T&Cs:

a. To be charged the correct fare passengers must tap in and out with the same Payment Device for Tram travel using a Smart Reader located on a Tram stop platform. For Bus travel passengers must tap in only.

b. To benefit from capping the same Payment Device must be used throughout Capping Periods and across modes.

  1. Passengers cannot use the exact same Payment Device (e.g. the same debit or credit card) as another passenger at the same time.

  2. It is the sole responsibility of a passenger to ensure that their tap is successfully read by the Smart Reader. Passengers using Tram who ‘tap in’ and ‘tap out’ successfully will hear a specific audible sound and see a green tick and the message 'OK' on the Smart Reader at the beginning and end of their Contactless Tap and Go journey by Tram. Passengers using bus who tap in successfully will hear a specific audible sound and see the message ‘Card Accepted’ or ‘Accepted’. If any other message appears on the Tap and Go Reader, then ‘tap in’ or ‘tap out’ has not been successful.

  3. A Passenger who ‘taps in’ or ‘taps out’ using the Smart Reader and sees the message ‘Not Authorised for Travel’ or ‘Card Not Recognised’ or ‘Card Not Accepted’ or ‘Card Declined’ or ‘Declined’ may not use that Payment Device for Contactless Tap and Go travel. That passenger must either:

a. purchase a paper ticket from a Ticket Machine / Bus driver or the Bee Network App for the correct journey fare prior to commencing their journey by Bus or Tram on the Bee Network; or

b. use an alternative Payment Device which generates a ‘successful’ Tap and Go payment.

  1. The Bus driver is not able or authorised to resolve any issues with declined payment cards.

  2. It is the sole responsibility of a passenger to ensure that their Payment Device is working correctly and has sufficient battery life to tap in and tap out as required at the commencement and end of their intended journey.

  3. Each journey must be completed within 120 minutes of tapping in. (‘Maximum Journey Time’)

  4. On Tram, the journey should be completed by a tap out at the Smart Reader on the Metrolink Tram platform.

  5. A passenger who changes their mode of travel from Tram to Bus on the Bee Network, must ‘tap out’ at the Metrolink Tram stop platform before ‘tapping in’ on the Smart Reader as they board a Bee Network Bus to continue their journey on the Bee Network. A passenger who changes their mode of travel from Bus to Tram on the Bee Network, must ‘tap in’ successfully on a Smart Reader when they enter the Metrolink Tram stop before commencing their Tram journey.

  6. A passenger must only ‘tap out’ at the final Metrolink Tram stop from which they finish their Tram journey and not do so at any interim Metrolink Tram stop along the journey route. (If they do so, they will be taken to have completed their journey and will be required to purchase a new Tap and Go fare for any onward journey by Tram on the Bee Network).

Consequences of non-compliance with these Contactless Tap and Go Terms and Conditions

  1. A passenger who does not strictly comply with these terms and conditions for Contactless Tap and Go for travel on the Bee Network is in breach of their Contactless Tap and Go T&Cs and is liable to be:

a. charged:

i. An Incomplete Journey Fare; and/or
ii. A Contactless Standard Fare (Penalty Fare); and/or
iii. A Standard Fare (Penalty Fare);

b. May be prosecuted for an offence of fare evasion as stated in the Metrolink Conditions of Carriage beenetwork.com/public-transport/tram/conditions-of-carriage and the Bus Conditions of Carriage beenetwork.com/public-transport/bus/conditions-of-carriage

c. An Incomplete Journey Fare will apply:

i. if a passenger tapped in, but did not tap out, to mark the end of their journey with Metrolink within the Maximum Journey Time; and/or
ii. if a passenger tapped in and tapped out at the same stop and/or
iii. if a passenger tapped in, but did not tap out, to mark the end of their journey with Metrolink and proceeds to tap in on a Bee Network bus.

d. A Contactless Standard Fare (Penalty Fare) will apply as described as set out in the following terms and conditions.

Authority to charge Contactless Tap and Go fares to passenger

  1. By using Contactless Tap and Go as set out in these Contactless Tap and Go T&Cs, a passenger is deemed to give their consent and approval to TfGM and its authorised contractors and operators of Contactless Tap and Go to the passenger’s card issuer bank account for all payments (including those charges set out in Clause 13 a (i) to (iii) inclusive above). This includes authorisation charges which may be charged by card issuers / payment schemes from time to time as described at beenetwork.com/ways-to-pay/contactless.

Contactless Tap and Go payment charging process

  1. A passenger’s card issuer bank account will be charged after the end of each Operational Day. Payments will be typically taken on or around 3am which may vary from time to time and may appear in passenger’s bank account at a time determined by the card issuer.

  2. Contactless Tap and Go fares are calculated based on the fares and caps set out in beenetwork.com/ways-to-pay/contactless which may be updated by TfGM from time to time.

  3. The Contactless Tap and Go system:

a. Constructs the completed Contactless Tap and Go journeys of a passenger for that Operational Day and any outstanding journeys that relate to previous Operational Day(s);

b. Calculates, (by reference to the fares and caps set out beenetwork.com/ways-to-pay/contactless ), the applicable Contactless Tap and Go payment amount which is due from that passenger for their Bee Network travel during that Operational Day (‘Contactless Tap and Go Payment’) and any outstanding fares or recalculation that relates to previous operational day(s); and

c. Authorises the passenger’s issuer bank to pay that Contactless Pay & Go payment to TfGM.

d. If the payment is declined by the passenger’s issuer bank, the passenger authorises TfGM to seek to take payment using the Payment Device details on a number of additional occasions until we receive full payment.

e. If passengers have unpaid fares from previous travel including unpaid Contactless Standard Fares (Penalty Fares) the Payment Device will not be accepted at Smart Readers and passengers will not be permitted to travel using a Payment Device that has unpaid fares against it.

f. Passengers can contact Bee Network Customer Services to request that a Payment Device is unblocked for travel. This authorises a further attempt to seek payment.

Capped Fare Benefits

  1. A passenger will not accrue the benefits of Capped Fares unless they:

a. consistently use the same Payment Device for all their Contactless Tap and Go Bus and Tram travel on the Bee Network in each Capping Period; and

b. comply with the rules for tapping in and out as set out in these terms and conditions.

  1. Neither an Incomplete Journey Fare, nor a Contactless Standard fare (Penalty Fare) will contribute to any Capped Fares.

  2. Where a Capped Fare has been applied, any Incomplete Journey Fare that applies will be charged in addition to any Capped Fare that has been applied in the Capping Period.

Passenger must provide evidence of their Contactless Tap and Go payment to an authorised ticket / fare inspector

  1. A passenger must, on demand, present the Payment Device that they use to ‘tap in’ with on their current journey to the Inspection Device Smart Reader used by an authorised ticket/fare inspector.

Deemed non-payment of valid adult fare

  1. If the passenger’s Payment Device displays a Declined or Invalid Message, then the passenger will be deemed to have not paid a valid fare for their journey and the authorised inspector is entitled to take appropriate action, including but not limited to, requiring the passenger to pay a Standard Fare (Penalty Fare).

  2. If the passenger’s Payment Device displays an Accepted message upon inspection but, after the end of day journeys and taps are calculated, it is deemed that there was no valid tap for that journey or if the tap in was more than 120 minutes before the passenger tapped their Payment Device on the Inspection Device smart reader, the Contactless Tap and Go system will apply a Contactless Standard Fare (Penalty Fare).

  3. Such Contactless Standard Fare (Penalty Fare) will be taken from the passenger’s card issuer/bank account 48 hours after the inspection of a passengers Payment Device by an authorised inspector.

Passenger’s right to appeal

  1. A passenger may appeal from a finding that they have been deemed to have not paid a valid adult fare for their current travel journey by Bus or Tram on the Bee Network using Contactless Tap and Go, and any action taken by the TfGM ticket/fare inspector at the time pursuant to the consequences set out in these Contactless Tap and Go T&Cs.

  2. A passenger may exercise their right to appeal by strictly complying with the appeal process set out in the Contactless Tap and Go ‘appeal process’ at tfgm.com/tickets-and-passes/refunds-and-penalty-fares.

  3. If the passenger considers that they have valid grounds to appeal, as set out in that process, the passenger must complete the online ‘appeal form’ on the relevant ‘appeal process’ webpage within three (3) months of the date on which they were deemed not to have paid for a valid adult fare for their journey and were issued with a Standard Contactless (Fare Penalty) or a Standard Fare (Penalty Fare), and/or prosecution action initiated by a TfGM ticket / fare inspector. Time is of the essence.

  4. Any appeal by a Customer will be dealt with and handled by TfGM strictly in accordance with the ‘appeal process’ set out in [tfgm.com/tickets-and-passes/refunds-and-penalty-fares].

Rights of passenger if over-charged for their Contactless Tap and Go fare

  1. If a passenger considers that any amount which has been deducted from their issuer bank/account pursuant to the Contactless Tap and Go payment process as set out in these Contactless Tap and Go T&Cs was incorrect and/or has resulted in them being over-charged, then the passenger has the right to contact Bee Network Customer Services. Passengers can query specific payments through the contactless self-service portal at contactless.beenetwork.com/ providing full payment card details.

  2. Alternatively, by using the contact form, information can be found here beenetwork.com/help-and-contact-us, or by phone [0161 244 1000] . Do not include full card details on any form or email. Bee Network Customer Service agents may ask for last 4 digits of the card number, the payment scheme (Visa / Mastercard) and the expiry of the card associated to the Payment Device.

  3. Requests for refunds may only be made within three (3) months of the alleged incorrect payment or over-charged amount.

  4. Other than charging errors, any refunds made to passengers, (for example relating to passenger mistakes or service issues) will be dealt with at the absolute discretion of TfGM and refund requests may be refused.

General FAQ and enquiries

  1. Passengers may at any time refer to the FAQs page (beenetwork.com/ways-to-pay/contactless) and are encouraged to contact Bee Network customer services by emailing hello@beenetwork.com or telephoning [0161 244 1000] to ask about or clarify anything which they do not understand in these Contactless Tap and Go T&Cs. TfGM customer services will use their reasonable efforts to help clarify or help the passenger to understand these Contactless Tap and Go T&Cs.