► Try one-step ticket validation with the BudapestGO app to validate your ticket or scan your pass faster.
You can validate your ticket or scan your pass with the NFC-sticker on the vehicle doors of BKK lines and at station entrances on metro lines without opening the BudapestGO app. The validation will be successful if you hold your phone 1-3 cm away from the sticker: that way the animated image appears immediately.
Why should you use NFC-validation? Because you can validate your ticket faster, in just one step.
One-step validation does not require you to log in to the BudapestGO app, just unlock your phone and if you already have a ticket or pass, you can validate your ticket or scan your pass about 10 seconds faster than scanning a QR-code, as you don't need to open the app.
You can still validate your ticket purchased in other digital ticket apps using the former method of QR-code scanning. If you don't have an NFC-enabled phone, you can still validate tickets purchased in the BudapestGO app using the same method as before.
What is NFC?
NFC (Near-Field Communication) is a technology that provides a fast and secure data connection, which is also used in contactless payment schemes such as Apple Pay or Google Pay. The NFC-sticker only works at close range, so you can validate your ticket or pass purchased in BudapestGO successfully by holding your phone up to the circle on the sticker.
Where can I find the NFC-sticker?
NFC-stickers can be found on the ticket validation machines at the metro entrances, below the QR-code and the slot where the paper ticket is validated. On trams, buses, trolleybuses and trains on suburban railway lines, the stickers are placed on the side of the vehicle next to the door, next to the QR-code sticker.
This is how instant validation works
If you have an iOS device, you don't need to turn on NFC on your phone.
1. Unlock your phone.
2. Hold the top part of your phone up to the circle on the sticker
3. Tap the push message on your phone screen. This will validate your ticket or scan your pass and display the animated icon that you will need to show in case of ticket inspection.
If you have an Android phone, turn on NFC in your phone's settings before using it for the first time.
1. Unlock your phone.
2. Hold the mid-section of your phone up to the circle on the sticker
3. This will validate your ticket or scan your pass and display the animated icon that you will need to show in case of ticket inspection.
For the digital pass and daily travelcard, you still only need to scan the QR-code sticker or NFC-sticker when boarding at the front door or at the metro entrance when access control staff are on duty. If you are using a ticket, you must always validate it by scanning the QR-code sticker or NFC-sticker at the start of your journey. On street-level transport vehicles, this is done outside the vehicle, and in the metro at the ticket validators at the entrance.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is a public transport mobile ticket?
A mobile transport ticket is a form of ticket or pass used in public transport in Budapest that can be purchased on a smartphone. To use it, you need a phone with a mobile internet connection and the BudapestGO app.
How can I buy a mobile ticket?
After registering, you can buy the ticket or pass you need for your trip from the My Tickets menu in the BudapestGO app. To use and prove the validity of your mobile transport ticket, you need an active mobile internet connection.
When does the mobile ticket become valid?
BKK travelcards and passes are valid from 2 minutes after purchase. Please buy your mobile ticket before you board the vehicle. BKK single tickets are valid immediately from the time the code is scanned. The purchased product shows when it becomes valid and from when you can use the daily travelcard or pass.
Can I buy in advance in the BudapestGO app?
For BKK services, you can buy tickets and passes in advance. You need to validate your tickets before the start of your journey by scanning the code on the outside door of the vehicle or at the metro entrance (in case of heritage service single ticket: the inspector will provide you with the code sticker for ticket validation).
For BKK services, when you buy a pass or daily travelcard, you can set from when it should be valid. You can purchase these products up to 30 days before the required validity period starts.
For more information about the conditions of use for other services, please visit the website of the specific service provider.
How can I travel with my mobile ticket?
You can use travelcards and passes purchased on your mobile phone in the same way as their paper counterparts, with a slight difference. The difference is that for mobile tickets and passes, you must scan the code by the door on the outside of the vehicle as you board or at the metro entrance with your smartphone and then show the animated image to the driver or the staff at the metro entrance.
And for occasional tickets, you need to validate your ticket by scanning the displayed code before you travel (in case of heritage service single ticket: the inspector will provide you with the code sticker for ticket validation).
What is the moving image that appears after the code is scanned?
Once the code is scanned, an animated picture is displayed for valid tickets and passes, which changes periodically. This animation informs the control staff that the ticket or pass is valid.
Why is code scanning necessary?
For tickets and passes, code scanning verifies the validity of the product.
For occasional tickets (single ride), the code scan is required for validation.
What is the widget feature and why is it good?
With the widget function, you can display your ticket or pass on the home screen of your mobile phone without having to log in to the app. The widget function allows you to quickly show your valid fare product and also to scan the displayed code.
How will my ticket or pass be checked? What do I need to show the inspector?
During ticket control, please present the ticket code for the valid ticket or pass, which the ticket inspector will check with his/her machine. The ticket code can be found by clicking on the inspector icon in the top right-hand corner of the ticket or pass.
For the quickest and most convenient way to present your ticket or pass, use the widget function on the home screen of your phone.
When and how can I get a refund for my mobile ticket?
BKK day tickets, passes, Pest county passes and Hungary passes can be refunded during the 2-minute technical delay and until the beginning of their validity period (except for discounted annual passes). If the validity period of your BKK daily travelcard, Budapest-pass, Pest county pass or Hungary pass has already started, you can no longer get a refund.
Occasional tickets can be refunded up to 1 years from the date of purchase. To get a refund, click on the "..." (three dots) in the top right corner of the ticket or pass image in the app to access the refund function. You will find the refunded product under used products. In the case of BKK products, the transaction will be cancelled with the status "refund" and the price of the product will be credited to the bankcard you provided at the time of purchase, according to your bank's settlement procedure.
My phone’s battery died or I did not have an active internet connection, so I couldn't show a valid ticket or pass. What should I do?
Please make sure your phone is properly charged before you start your journey, as you will not be able to present your ticket or pass without a charged phone or an active internet connection, and the driver or staff may refuse you boarding or charge you a penalty fare.
If your phone was out of battery power, you can present your valid BKK ticket, pass, Pest county pass or Hungary pass (which was valid during your journey) to BKK Customer Service within 5 working days. Details: https://bkk.hu/en/tickets-and-passes/information-about-penalty-fares/conditions-and-options-of-penalty-fare-payment/
Please bring the following with you to the “pass presentation” procedure:
- a valid mobile ticket
- a charged phone
- a valid photo ID card linked to your pass
I want to change my mobile phone; can I transfer my BKK pass or ticket to another device?
If you would like to use your ticket or pass on another device, you can find the product details for transferring the product by going to your profile in the app on the other device. You can transfer a valid fare product to another device a total of two times during the validity period of the travelcard or pass. You cannot transfer occasional tickets (single ride tickets).
My ID number has changed, what should I do?
If your daily travelcard or pass was already valid when your ID number changed, please visit a BKK customer service centre where our staff will change your ID number after you present your new ID card.
If your daily travelcard or pass was not yet valid when your ID number changed, you can get a refund for it in the app and buy it again by entering the new ID number.
Can I buy a BKK pass or ticket for someone else?
It is not recommended to buy tickets or passes for more than one person with one user account, because in the case of occasional tickets, each ticket must be validated separately when travelling, while passes and travelcards must be presented by scanning the code one by one when boarding at the front door or at the metro station entrance.
For whom can I request an invoice?
You can request invoices for both private individuals and companies, you can set this up when you enter your billing details. The products available for individuals and companies are not the same, so please always select whether you want to invoice an individual or a company first when making a purchase. You cannot request an invoice for BKK student and pensioner passes for a company.
How do I get the invoice?
We will send you an invoice by email after a successful purchase.
What should I do if I receive a notification from my bank that the amount paid has been debited, but the application does not show the ticket or pass I bought?
First, check in the app for the ticket or pass you have purchased in the list of tickets that are not yet valid. The amount of the purchase will first be blocked in your bank account (your bank will inform you of this at the moment of purchase) and will only book the debit once it is sure that the transaction has been successful. In the event that the mobile ticket does not appear in the list of tickets that are not yet valid, the blocked amount is expected to be released by the bank within a few days. In this case, please contact your account-holding bank.
