Replacement and refund

General rules regarding replacement and refund

We can only replace or refund tickets, travelcards and passes if it can be determined without a doubt that they are

original
the ticket/pass type printed onto the paper can be clearly seen including the serial number, no significant part is missing (e.g. the hologram has not been torn off)
and it can be checked whether a single-ride type ticket has been validated or not.

In case a Ticket Vending Machine (TVM) has printed a ticket or a pass incorrectly, due to which it cannot be identified, customers can file a complaint, apply for leniency, request a refund and the investigation of the case at any customer service centre.

Single tickets

Refund for single tickets

Refunds can be requested for unused tickets purchased from 2013 onwards at any customer service centre.
No handling fee is charged for the refund of metropolitan area tickets.

Replacement of single tickets

Unused tickets purchased from 2013 that have been damaged or destroyed can be replaced after the payment of a HUF 300 handling fee, while tickets improperly issued by TVMs or faded tickets will be replaced with one of the same type and validity without the payment of the handling fee at any customer service centre.

In line with relevant regulations, metropolitan area tickets can be replaced or refunded without the payment of a handling fee.

Usability of single tickets

Tickets with a kinegram are valid for travel during the validity period of the indicated price and the transitional period immediately following a price change. The transitional period is one year following the price change. During the three-month replacement period immediately following the transitional period, unused tickets will be replaced in value with tickets with a kinegram at the sales price valid during the replacement period.

Tickets (single, single ticket bought on the spot, block of 10 tickets, airport shuttle bus single ticket, metropolitan area local ticket, boat ticket, ferry ticket, heritage service ticket) with a kinegram or metal stripe purchased from 2013 are valid up to a price change and a year thereafter.

The replacement or refund of tickets issued by Volánbusz Zrt. is not handled by BKK Zrt.; customers can request it from Volánbusz Zrt.

In the case of bank card payment, BKK will apply a bank card refund, provided that this does not encounter any technical obstacle on the part of BKK.

In the event of a price change, exchanges (replacements) will be made at the locations indicated in the price change notices, without any handling fee. When making an exchange, please note the following:

In case of exchange, the total value of the returned tickets must not exceed the total value of the new tickets.
The Book of 10 tickets may only be exchanged with the cover, the value to be taken into account being the product of one tenth of the price on the cover multiplied by the number of unused tickets.
Tickets can only be exchanged during the exchange period and cannot be used for travel after the transitional period.

Change in airport shuttlebus single ticket price; cancellation of the short-section metro ticket and transfer ticket types

Airport tickets purchased on paper at a price of 900 HUF can be used for travel until 30 June 2023, and can be exchanged for single tickets at the current price during the period 1 July - 30 September 2023 without a handling fee, but on payment of the difference in price. Until 30 September 2023, it is also possible to get a refund by paying a handling fee.

Airport tickets purchased on paper at a price of 1,500 HUF can be used for travel until 31 March 2024, and can be exchanged for single tickets at the current price during the period 1 April - 30 June 2024 without a handling fee, but with payment of the difference in price. Until 30 June 2024, it is also possible to get a refund by paying a handling fee.

Transfer tickets purchased at 530 HUF and short-section metro tickets purchased at 300 HUF can be used for travel until 31 March 2024, and in the period 1 April - 30 June 2024 they can be exchanged for single tickets without a handling fee, but with payment of the difference. Until 30 June 2024, it is also possible to get a refund for transfer tickets by paying a handling fee.

If you wish to exchange or get a refund for your ticket, please contact your nearest customer service centre.

Single tickets that cannot be used or replaced anymore

Tickets for a single ride with a kinegram or metal stripe purchased before 2013 were valid for travel up until 31 December 2013 and their replacement was possible until 31 March 2014.

Older type single tickets without a kinegram (security strip) will not be refunded or replaced, nor are they valid for travel any longer.

Tickets with a kinegram that lost their validity due to price change, block of tickets without price or year, as well as the “metropolitan area local ticket 5 km” and “metropolitan area local ticket 10 km” either full price, 50% or 90% discounted price were valid for travel until 31 December 2013.

Replacement of single tickets

Please pay attention to the following when requesting a replacement:

The total value of the tickets to be replaced must not exceed the total value of the new tickets.
The block of tickets will be replaced only if the cover is on the block; the value will be calculated by multiplying the number of unused tickets by one tenth (or twentieth in the case of blocks of 20 tickets) of the price indicated on the cover.
Ticket replacement is only possible during the replacement period, after the transitional period they are no longer valid for travel.

Single tickets purchased in advance

Unused single tickets purchased in advance from 2013 can be replaced after the payment of a HUF 300 handling fee at any customer service centre. Metropolitan area tickets can be replaced or refunded without the payment of a handling fee.

Tickets and passes consisting of several slips

In case of passes consisting of several slips, the slip valid for the given and consecutive period must be handed over. In case of tickets consisting of several slips, each unused slip must be handed over.

Invoice

In case a customer requested an invoice previously, upon purchasing a ticket or pass, when requesting a replacement or refund, the original invoice must be handed over. As an invoice will be issued for replacements, the customer must also present a photo ID to verify his/her name and address, as those data are required for the invoice. For cash refunds of travelcards/passes requiring a photo ID, customers need to present the matching photo ID.

Mobile Ticket

The replacement of tickets, travelcards and passes purchased in the mobile ticket app is not possible; but refunds are provided in the app for unused airport shuttlebus mobile tickets, 30-minute and 90-minute tickets within 1 year after purchase, while for all other types of travelcards and passes refunds are possible before the start of validity. Please note that Discounted annual Budapest-passes are exceptions: no refunds are given, not even before the start of validity.

Fare Products of MÁV-START and Volánbusz

BKK will not replace or refund tickets and passes issued by MÁV-START Zrt. or Volánbusz Zrt. You can request exchanges and refunds at the place of purchase (from the retailer). Please find information here on the replacement and refund of tickets and passes purchased in the MÁV app.

Suburban railway tickets

Unused suburban railway tickets that have been damaged or destroyed will be replaced after the payment of the HUF 300 handling fee, while tickets improperly issued by TVMs or faded tickets can be replaced for ones of the same type and validity without the payment of the handling fee at the customer service centres.

Suburban railway tickets can be refunded prior to the starting day of the validity period at all BKK ticket offices, customer service centres, if the ticket price exceeds the amount of the handling fee (HUF 300).

Please find information here on the replacement and refund of tickets purchased in the MÁV app.

Replaceable travelcard and pass types:

Budapest 24-hour travelcard
Budapest 24-hour group travelcard
Budapest 72-hour travelcard
Heritage service tickets
15-day, monthly (with the exception of the monthly pass for job seekers), quarterly, semester Budapest-passes and different types of annual passes

There are two options for replacement of paper-based tickets/travelcards/passes:

A same type travelcard or pass is requested with the same validity. For example, an accidentally washed or damaged pass is replaced with a new pass of the same type and validity.
The customer receives a travelcard or pass having at least the same value (same or higher price) and the same start of validity. For example, a monthly pass is replaced – after the payment of the price difference – with a quarterly pass with the same start of validity.

Please find information here on the replacement and refund of passes purchased in the MÁV app.

No replacement is available for mobile tickets.

The replacement fee is HUF 1000. Tickets improperly issued by TVMs or faded tickets will be replaced for the same tickets with same validity without the payment of the handling fee (in this case, tickets and passes not listed above can be replaced, as well.)

If a new ID number or name is to be indicated in case of replacements of paper-based travelcards/passes requiring a photo ID, or you wish to change the ID number of a ticket/pass purchased in the mobile ticket app, at least one of the conditions below must be met:

both photo IDs belonging to the same person must be presented: the one used up until the time of replacement as well as the one to be used afterwards;
the new photo ID was issued within no more than 30 days;
up to 3 characters of the photo ID number indicated on the travelcard/pass needs to be modified based on the ID with which the travelcard/pass will be used in the future (this ID must be presented during processing).

The above listed products can be replaced at all BKK ticket offices or any customer service centres, except for the annual passes and products purchased via bank transfer. Annual passes, fare products purchased via bank transfer, and transferable passes are exchanged at the customer service centres at Baross tér, Deák Ferenc tér and Kelenföld. The replacement of tickets and passes purchased via bank transfer need to be requested by the customer online at the website.

In case a person has accidentally purchased two passes with the same validity period, it is possible to replace one of the passes – after the replacement, you will be in possession of two passes with consecutive months (e.g. in case of two passes with the validity period between 1 and 31 March, one of the passes can be replaced with a pass with a validity period 1-30 April). In case of passes issued for a given person which have at least one identical day (e.g. in case of a pass purchased for the validity period between 5 March and 4 April and another pass purchased by accident for the validity period between 4 April and 3 May), the pass with the subsequent validity period can be replaced with the same type of pass with a different starting day of validity (in order that the validity period of the two passes could be continuous, using the above-mentioned example, e.g. a pass with the starting day 5 April can be requested instead of the pass with the starting day 4 April). The passes can be replaced within seven days from the starting day of validity at customer service centres, with the payment of the handling fee charged for each type of pass. In case annual passes or passes purchased via bank transfer are required to be replaced, it is done by the customer service centres at Baross tér, Deák Ferenc tér and Kelenföld. In case the pass to be replaced is a semester pass or an annual pass, or the replacement is subject to pre-purchase restrictions, passes are refunded, not replaced.

Discontinued travelcards

The Seven-Day Budapest-travelcard and the 5/30 BKK 24-hour Travelcard can be exchanged for a higher-priced ticket or pass at the customer service centres for a handling fee of 1,000 HUF and payment of the difference. The validity start date of the ticket or pass issued during the exchange is the same as the validity start date of the exchanged 7-day travelcard or the start date of the 30-day validity period of the exchanged 5/30 BKK 24-hour travelcard.

Refundable travelcard and pass types:

Budapest 24-hour travelcard
Budapest 24-hour group travelcard
Pupil group travelcard
Heritage service travelcard
Budapest 72-hour travelcard
15-day, monthly (with the exception of the monthly pass for job seekers), quarterly, semester Budapest-passes
Monthly-priced annual passes
Transferable annual Budapest-pass

Refund is possible only before the start of validity. Exceptions: monthly-priced annual passes can be refunded during the year (only the price unstarted months will be refunded by BKK) and the 5/30 BKK 24-hour travelcard, which can be refunded before the start of the 30-day validity period.

The refund fee for paper-based tickets/travelcards/passes is HUF 1000. No fee is charged for the replacement of mobile tickets.

The paper-based products can be replaced at all BKK ticket offices, at customer service centres, except for the annual passes and products purchased via bank transfer. The different types of annual passes and transferable passes are refunded at:

the customer service centres at Baross tér, Deák Ferenc tér and Kelenföld.

The refund of tickets and passes purchased via bank transfer can be requested by completing the required form and returning it along with the items to be refunded to the customer service centres at Deák Ferenc tér. The purchase price less handling fee will be transferred to the provided bank account. The replacement of mobile tickets is possible via the mobile application.