Greater Manchester’s Bee Network has made its Our Pass for young people available to download into Apple Wallet on their iPhone or Apple Watch.

Our Pass allows 16- to 18-year-olds, who live in Greater Manchester, to travel free on buses across the region, and on selected half-price tram tickets.

Holders of an Our Pass need to enable Express Mode, and can then simply tap their iPhone or Apple Watch to a reader when they travel; there is no need for them to wake or unlock their iPhone or Apple Watch, or open an app.

Our Pass is currently used by more than 50,000 young people across Greater Manchester.

It was launched in 2019 to support school leavers and care leavers by providing them with access to free bus travel, half-price tram tickets, and exclusive local discounts, and is the first dedicated travel card in the UK that can be integrated into Apple Wallet.

Customers without an Our Pass in Apple Wallet can still pay seamlessly by using a debit or credit card in Apple Pay through Bee Networks’ contactless tap-and-go system.

To add Our Pass to Apple Wallet, eligible users need to download the Bee Network app, select Tickets, tap My Tickets, then follow the prompts.

Our Pass in Apple Wallet has the same privacy and security as that built into iPhone and Apple Watch, and Apple never sees or tracks transactions or users’ journeys.

Also, customers’ Our Pass card information is encrypted and securely stored on a user’s iPhone or Apple Watch.

By 2030, the Bee Network is due to become the first outside of London to be served by a fully joined-up network of buses, trams, and railways, and with integrated bus, tram, and train tickets.

“We are so excited to make Greater Manchester the first place in the UK to offer a dedicated travel card in Apple Wallet. This will make using Our Pass easier and more convenient for young people. The Bee Network continues to make it easier for people to get around our growing region. We are constantly looking for ways to embrace the latest technology to help with that and using Our Pass in Apple Wallet on iPhone and Apple Watch is the latest example.”

Fran Wilkinson, Customer and Growth Director, Transport for Greater Manchester