The ranking offers a clear picture of who may find the service particularly convenient: occasional passengers and visitors to Budapest. There is no need to buy a ticket in advance or use an app. Passengers can simply tap a bank card, phone or smartwatch on the Pay&GO reader.
More than two million additional purchases in six months
The Pay&GO trial began on the 100E Airport Express in June 2023 and was later introduced on metro line M1. On 22 April, it was expanded to the M2, M3 and M4 lines, making it available across all four Budapest metro lines.
A total of 4.7 million tickets had been purchased through Pay&GO by the April expansion. The figure passed five million in mid-May and reached seven million in October. BKK’s figures show that more than two million additional purchases were made through the system over the past six months.
The rise is also visible in the monthly data. Around 197,000 Pay&GO tickets were sold in April, followed by 339,000 in May, 386,000 in August and more than 381,000 in September. Around 2.92 million individual customers have used the service since its launch.
Other popular locations include Kálvin tér metro station, the 100E stop at Deák Ferenc tér and Hősök tere.
Payment and validation in one tap
Pay&GO does not require separate steps for buying and validating a ticket. Tapping a bank card or smart device on the reader completes both actions at once.
During an inspection, passengers use the same card, phone or smartwatch with which they bought the ticket as proof of their right to travel. There is no separate paper or digital ticket to present.
The service is currently available on the 100E Airport Express and all four metro lines. Existing options remain in place, so passengers can continue to use paper tickets and tickets bought through the BudapestGO app.
A wider system could arrive from 2028
In February, the Budapest General Assembly backed the concept of a comprehensive electronic ticketing system. Under BKK’s plans, the new system could be introduced gradually across the entire Budapest and suburban public transport network from 2028.
The current trial is mainly designed for occasional ticket purchases. A future full-scale version could also handle passes and discounted fares. Daily or weekly spending caps may be introduced for occasional travel, allowing fares to reflect each passenger’s travel patterns.
BKK explains how Pay&GO works in a (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmFXc0F0uv8).
Source: BKK – Hírek
