Bank card tap-and-go system coming to Merseyrail

Merseyrail passengers will be able to "tap-and-go" using bank cards, smartphones, and watches from all stations later this month.

Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram said the roll out of "smart ticketing" on 25 February marked a "huge investment" in the rail network.

Last year, Merseyrail introduced a MetroCard which passengers could link to a bank account and tap in and out of stations without the need to buy a paper ticket.

There has been criticism that the roll out to bank card and digital wallet payments, including Apple Pay and Google Pay, has been too slow but Rotheram said the "back office" technology involved was complex and "an expensive piece of kit".

He told BBC Radio Merseyside the technology would "calculate the cheapest fare" for all journeys a passenger made in a day, similar to the way ticketing works in London and Greater Manchester.

It means passengers will no longer need to queue to buy tickets or worry about buying tickets in advance, he said.

There a few things passengers need to know when the new system starts.

Passengers should use what are called platform validators and new smart ticketing gates which are now available at Merseyrail stations.

Where there is not a gate, there will be a validator, Merseyrail said.

The firm said passengers would need to use the same card or mobile device for every tap throughout their journey.

This is essential for the system to correctly calculate fares and apply daily and weekly caps, ensuring customers never pay more than they should.

More than 53,000 journeys were taken on Merseyrail using the MetroCard tap and go system in August 2025 - the first month it launched.

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