Greater Manchester Gets Support for Apple Pay Express Mode

Support for Apple Pay's Express Mode has this week been added to the Bee Network in Greater Manchester, enabling passengers to pay for bus and tram travel without unlocking their iPhone or Apple Watch.

apple pay feature dynamic island
The new functionality marks the first time a UK integrated public transport system outside London has implemented Express Mode. According to Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), the launch builds on the network's rollout of contactless "tap and go" earlier this year, which has already led to more than one million contactless journeys per week.

‌Apple Pay‌'s Express Mode was first introduced in London in 2019, allowing ‌iPhone‌ and Apple Watch owners to pass through Transport for London turnstiles with a single tap. The feature is designed primarily for public transit systems, enabling rapid contactless transactions that bypass the biometric or passcode requirement that normally accompanies ‌Apple Pay‌. The feature also supports ‌iPhone‌'s Power Reserve mode, meaning transactions can still be made for several hours even if the device battery is critically low.

Users can select a debit or credit card in the Apple Wallet app as their default transit card under "Express Travel Settings." Once enabled, payment requires only holding the device near a card reader. For most users, the default payment card already selected in Apple Wallet will automatically be assigned to Express Mode, though this can be changed at any time in Settings.

Express Mode is already supported in cities around the world, including London, New York, Beijing, Tokyo, and Sydney.

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Top Rated Comments

MrPresident Avatar
18 weeks ago
Top one, sorted like, sound y’know.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
211 Avatar
18 weeks ago
I wish more people knew about Express Mode in the London Underground. Better yet, I wish they would get their iPhone out of their pockets or purses, wasting time fishing for it, before they get to the gate
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ignatius345 Avatar
18 weeks ago
I was skeptical of Transit Express Mode when it first rolled out to replace the MetroCard here in NYC. I was worried it would be slow, or people would be futzing with their devices and blocking the turnstiles. But as it turns out, it works very quickly and it seems that 95% of people get it and are using it right. You still see people who don't have it set up right or just think they have to unlock their phone to make it work, but most people seem to get that you just tap and keep moving.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Reason077 Avatar
18 weeks ago

Isn't it your local transit service that needs to add it rather than Apple?
No, it’s not something that transit operators can simply switch on or implement on their own. They need to work with Apple to get it enabled, and it seems like Apple prioritises the largest and most prominent operators in certain favoured markets.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Carlson-online Avatar
18 weeks ago

Top one, sorted like, sound y’know.
We don't all speak like that :P
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mrkevinfinnerty Avatar
18 weeks ago
Just about the greatest city in the world tbh.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)