You can purchase, store, and use digital copies of transit passes for participating public transport systems.
For some public transport systems, you can use Google Wallet to pay for transportation at the fare terminal with a supported credit or debit card saved to your phone. For others, you can purchase or save a transit pass to Google Wallet and use it at the point of entry.
Google Wallet doesn't work with all public transport systems. For more info, check your public transport system's website.
Select transit cards can also be added to WearOS smartwatches:
- Clipper (San Francisco)
- WMATA (Washington, DC)
- PRESTO (Toronto, ON)
- ORCA (Seattle)
Pay for transportation
Tip: Public transportation systems vary. For more detailed instructions, go to your public transport system's website.
Step 1: Check ways to pay for your public transport system
- To find info on the different ways that you can pay to travel, go to your public transport system's website.
- If your public transport system accepts contactless payments or mobile payment apps:
- If you haven't already, add a debit or credit card to Google Wallet.
- When you get to the public transport entrance, wake up your phone.
- Hold it to the card reader.
- Wait until you get a blue check mark.
- If you need a transit pass to ride your public transport system, follow the rest of the steps below.
Step 2: Buy a transit pass
Through the Google Wallet app
- Open the Google Wallet app
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- Tap Add to Wallet
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- Tap Transit pass.
- Choose your public transport system. Recommended or nearby transit options are at the top. Scroll to find all supported transit options.
- If you can't find your public transport system, follow the instructions in “Through your public transport system.”
- Follow the on-screen instructions.
Through your public transport system
- Use your public transport system's website or mobile app to buy a transit pass.
- Save the transit pass to Google Wallet.
- If you don't find “Save to Google Wallet,” you can't use your transit pass with Google Wallet. For more info, contact your public transport system administrators.
- If you don’t already have Google Wallet, you must download the Google Wallet app.
Step 3: Activate your transit pass
- Open the Google Wallet app .
- Find your transit pass. You may need to scroll to find it.
- Tap the transit pass that you want to use.
- Tap Activate.
Step 4: Use your transit pass
- When you get to the public transport entrance, wake up your phone. Your smartwatch must be unlocked.
- For some public transport systems, you may need to unlock your phone and choose your transit pass.
- Hold your phone or smartwatch to the card reader.
- Wait until you get a blue check mark.
- For some transit systems, you may have to show your pass to an attendant.
For added security, you can set up your phone so that it must be unlocked to complete an NFC transaction.
To turn on this setting:
- Go to Settings
.
- Tap Connected devices
Connection preferences NFC.
- Turn on Require device unlock for NFC.
If you can't find this option, you may need to update your phone to the latest version of Android.
Add money to a transit pass
For supported transit systems, you can add a reusable pass to Google Wallet. You can add money to the transit pass and may be able to set up low balance notifications and autoload.
Convert an existing physical card to a digital transit pass
Important: This feature is only available for Seattle ORCA for now. In the future, this feature will also be available to global partners that use Mifare closed-loop cards.
- On your phone, open the Google Wallet app .
- Tap Add to Wallet Transit pass
- Choose your public transport system. Recommended or nearby transit options are at the top. Scroll to find all supported transit options.
- If you can't find a public transport system, please visit their website to find information on the different ways you can pay.
- Read the Activation Terms.
- Tap Continue.
- Tap Transfer card.
- On the “Transfer card to Google Wallet?” pop-up window, tap Transfer.
- Enter your card details.
- Tap Confirm.
Tip: You may be asked to Verify it’s you. To Verify it’s you, enter the code sent to the email address you registered on your Google Wallet.
Use your transit pass across Google products
Once your transit pass is added to Google Wallet, you can check your balance and status in Google Maps, Assistant, and more. To view your transit pass across Google products:
- On your phone, open the Google Wallet app .
- In the top right, tap your Profile picture or Account
Your data in Wallet Manage passes data.
- Enable Use passes across Google.
Tip: You can always turn off this setting by following the steps above and unchecking Use passes across Google. Learn more in Manage Passes Data.
Important: Transit passes can only be saved to one device at a time.
To manually transfer your transit pass to a different device through the Google Wallet app:
- On your current device, open Google Wallet app .
- Find and tap your transit pass.
- Tap Menu
.
- Tap Move card to another device.
- On the new device, open Google Wallet app .
- On the transit pass, tap Activate.
Tip: For other methods to transfer or restore your transit pass, learn how to transfer a pass or card on Google Wallet.
Use a Transit Insights card
Use the Transit Insights feature to view your progress toward fare discounts and fare capping, savings over time, and recent trips and activity. Learn how to use Transit Insights in Google Wallet.
Find, change, or delete your transit pass
Find or show your transit pass on your phone or smartwatch
- Open the Google Wallet app .
- Find your transit pass. You may need to scroll to find it.
- Tap your transit pass to display it.
Find where you used your transit pass
- Open the Google Wallet app .
- Find your transit pass. You may need to scroll to find it.
- Find and tap the transit pass. You can find the station names and dates and times of travel.
Switch to a different transit pass
Some public transport systems let you switch transit passes. If you don't want to use the currently activated transit pass, go to the transit pass that you want to use and tap Activate. Your other transit pass will be deactivated.
Tip: If you used the transit pass once, deactivating it doesn’t extend the expiry period.
Transfer a transit pass to another device
A transit card can be on one phone at a time. To use a transit card on another phone, you must remove it from the current phone. After it’s removed, you can activate it on a different phone that is signed in to your Google Account.
Delete a transit pass
Fix a problem
Transit pass disappeared
If you remove your Google Wallet app or clear your app data, you lose stored public transit passes. This can happen even if you reinstall the app. Contact your public transport system’s administrators with your transit pass number.
To find your transit pass number:
- Open the Google Wallet app .
- At the bottom of your list of passes, tap Expired passes. You may need to scroll to find it.
- Tap the transit pass.
- In the top-right, tap More
.
- Select the first option, usually your public transport system info.
- Find the “Ticket number” section.
Can't activate transit pass
If you have issues when you activate or deactivate your transit pass:
- Check that the transit pass hasn't already been activated or deactivated.
- Try to activate or deactivate again.
- Make sure that your device is online.
- Check if your device is rooted. Google Wallet doesn't work on rooted devices.
- If nothing works, contact your public transport system for help.
Can't tap again after I tapped once
If you have a multi-use transit pass and tapped it once already, you can tap again after 10 minutes. You can only tap single-use transit passes once.
CVC error when you try to purchase a transit pass
Can't buy a transit pass or add money with Google Maps
For certain public transport systems, a banner in Google Maps lets you know that you can use Google Wallet. To learn how to board that public transport system with Google Wallet, click the banner.
If you can't buy a transit pass or add money from the Google Maps app:
- Open the Google Wallet app.
- Purchase a transit pass or top-up from there.
Dispute a public transport charge
Contact the public transport system’s customer service. Google does not issue refunds.
When users add a transit card, they receive an email with their card number. With this card number, the transit agency can help users retrieve their funds on the card.
Can't find public transport payments in the Google Wallet app
When public transport systems charge your credit or debit card, it usually takes one day for the charge to appear in your app. For some cards like Mastercard, charges may not appear for up to 5 days. For a current breakdown of your fares, check your transport system’s app or website.
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