See frequently asked questions below.
If your question is still unanswered, please use the Contact page to submit your query.
Does my transport operator offer smart travel options?
The vast majority of the public transport network in Scotland is now covered by smartcards, m-ticket mobile apps and/or smart payments.
To see if your transport operator is operating smart, click Smart Operator List or visit the link below.
I have lost my operator smartcard. What do I do?
Contact your smartcard provider. Let them know if there are any other tickets from other operators stored on the card. Keep receipts so you can claim the tickets back or have them added onto your new card.
My smartcard does not work. What do I do?
Contact your smartcard provider. They will take you through their fault finding process.
I have bought a season ticket. Do I need to do anything?
Make sure you register your card and ticket with the operator to ensure your ticket is protected should you lose it or a fault occurs.
What is a National Entitlement Card (NEC)?
The NEC is your concessionary travel card; you may know it as your free bus pass. It is for all Scottish residents over the age of 60 or for eligible disabled persons. Some local authorities issue a standard NEC for their residents.
Where can I get a National Entitlement Card?
You can apply for a Over 60s or Disabled Persons Concessionary Card (bus pass) below if you have not already got one. The card is already smart enabled to allow you to load ITSO tickets for alternative modes of public transport, not just your bus pass.
Some local authorities issue a standard NEC to its residents upon request for additional local services. These too are already smart enabled for storing ITSO travel tickets.
I have lost my National Entitlement Card. What do I do?
If you have lost your National Entitlement Card or require a replacement, please contact your local authority.
Is my smartcard an ITSO smartcard?
If your smartcard has the ITSO dot on, then your card is ready to be used on multiple modes and with multiple operators. ITSO is the Integrated Transport Smartcard Organisation responsible for the technical specification which allows your tickets to be stored and used securely.
Can I use my ITSO smartcard on cross-border rail services?
ITSO smartcards are accepted by all participating Scottish Transport operators.
Most operators currently accept ScotRail season tickets on smartcard, and Cross Country and Transpennine Express also accept some other ticket types on smartcard. We are continuing to work with cross-border operators to extend this to other ticket types.
Please check with your operator before travelling.
Can I load money onto my ITSO smartcard?
Your smartcard can be used to store tickets for multiple modes of transport from multiple transport operators. It is not a payment method.
However, Glasgow Subway users can load Pay As You Go (PAYG) credit onto their ITSO smartcard and the appropriate fare will be deducted when you tap at the gate.
Why can't we have just one ITSO smartcard instead of many?
There are over 2 million smartcards in use across Scotland now, so allowing people to retain those they already have will help to reduce the number of new plastic smartcards being produced.
These ITSO smartcards all now work the same, so any one of them can be used across modes and operators.
Can I load a Stagecoach ticket onto my ScotRail smartcard?
Yes. You can now load any ITSO travel ticket onto any ITSO smartcard, regardless of who issued you the card.
The smartcards available to load any ITSO travel product are listed on our website.
How do I use my ITSO smartcard?
All ITSO smartcards can be loaded with any ITSO smart ticket across transport operators and travel modes.
It is not a payment method, smartcards are used to hold your tickets and reduce the need for multiple paper tickets or plastic smartcards in your wallet.
Depending on your operator, smart tickets can usually be purchased and uploaded at ticket offices, ticket vending machines (TVMs), on board or online and you can pay by cash, card or contactless. Please note that some season tickets require a photo smartcard to be purchased.
Are ITSO smartcards available on mobile?
Not at the moment.
We recognise the potential for mobile technology and convenience for travellers and Transport Scotland have committed to a study on how the over 60s and disabled person's National Entitlement smartcard concessionary travel scheme can be delivered on mobile.
ITSO are working with First Bus to trial this using Google Pay and SPT Subway are currently piloting the SmartApp with ITSO technology on mobile.
For other ITSO tickets, it is a commercial decision for operators to consider adopting this on mobile.
Can I load an SPT ZoneCard onto my ITSO smartcard?
No, the Zonecard is not an ITSO travel product.
In Glasgow there is a bus to bus smartzone available on ITSO, this is the Glasgow Tripper ticket.
We will continue to work with operators to make improvements and expand the range of smart-enabled tickets available moving forward.
Can I load a PlusBus ticket onto my ITSO smartcard?
You can purchase your PlusBus ticket from any ScotRail ticket vending machine and these are widely accepted on ITSO smartcards on Stagecoach buses.
We are continuing to work with other bus operators to accept PlusBus tickets on ITSO smartcards.
Will an ITSO smartcard get me a discount on travel?
The National Concessionary scheme provides free bus travel for eligible cardholders. In some areas your National Entitlement smartcard may get you discounts on other modes of transport depending on where you live, although this is subject to operator's commercial arrangements. You can find out more by phoning the number on the back of your card.
Some operators also provide other types of discounted travel, such as savings on season tickets, student discounts or promotional offers. Please check your operator's website for details.
Who doesn't accept ITSO smartcards?
Most major public transport operators now accept ITSO smartcards, however some do not and use other smart travel ticket and payment methods instead.
For example, Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams do not yet accept ITSO smartcards, however have their own non-ITSO smartcards, and accept m-tickets and contactless payment.