Cashless trams

Ways to pay

You can't buy a paper ticket at tram stops but there are still a number of different ways to pay for your journey:

  • Pay as you go with contactless (card or device) or an Oyster card for £1.75 for a single adult journey
  • Travelcard including Zones 3,4 5 or 6
  • Bus & Tram Pass on your Oyster card
  • Paper Day Travelcard including Zones 3,4 5 or 6

If you're using a contactless card, device or Oyster card, you'll need to touch in on the yellow card reader on the tram platform before boarding.

Our Hopper fare lets you take unlimited pay as you go tram and bus journeys, within one hour of touching in on your first tram or bus, for £1.75. Make sure you always use the same card to touch in.

Find out more about our bus and tram fares.

Where to buy

Top up your pay as you go credit, or buy Travelcards and Bus & Tram Passes:

Auto top-up

Using Auto top-up means you'll never run out of pay as you go credit. When your balance goes below £20, we'll automatically top up your Oyster card with either £10, £20 or £40 from your bank account.

Watch out for card clash

Card clash happens when a yellow card reader detects two or more Oyster, contactless payment or other smartcards at the same time.

If a card reader detects more than one card:

  • It doesn't know which card to take payment from
  • If you get a green light it could take payment from a card you did not intent to pay with
  • If you get a red light it means you won't have paid for your journey

To avoid card clash, keep your Oyster and contactless payment cards separate and only touch the card you wish to use on the reader.