The Budapest Transport Center (BKK) announced that from March 11, 2026, it will begin installing new ticket validators to expand its Pay&GO bank card payment pilot across the city’s metro network, making the service available on all metro lines by mid-April.
The Pay&GO system allows passengers to purchase and validate tickets in a single step by tapping their bank card or other smart device on the validator—no prior registration, app download, or paper ticket is required, and travel can begin immediately. The bank card also serves as proof of travel entitlement, verifiable by inspectors using Pay&GO-enabled devices.
According to BKK, this contactless payment method is already an international standard, adopted by hundreds of cities worldwide. Installation will start on the M2 line, followed by the M4 and M3 lines, with 2–5 new validators per station, while existing validators remain operational for paper tickets.
Between March 9 and April 1, previously installed NFC readers used for BudapestGO ticket validation will be removed. The expanded pilot enables ticket purchases, and the fully implemented Pay&GO electronic ticket system will later offer multiple ticket types, including passes and discounted options, with configurable spending limits for occasional travelers.
BKK plans to gradually roll out the bank card payment system across Budapest and the metropolitan transport network by 2028.
(MTI)
