Greater Manchester has become the first place in the UK where passengers can buy bus and tram tickets directly in Apple Wallet.

Since 7 October, iPhone and Apple Watch users have been able to add a digital Bee Card to their Wallet and load Bee Network tickets onto it, without needing a separate app.

Tickets available this way include 1-day and 7-day Bee Bus tickets, an off-peak 1-day Bee Bus family ticket, weekend and 7-day tram tickets for all zones, a weekend tram family ticket, and 1-day and 7-day bus and tram tickets.

To set it up, users open the Wallet app, tap the + button, choose 'Travel Card' and select 'Bee Card', then buy a ticket.

Passengers then hold the top of their iPhone, or the display of their Apple Watch, near the reader on the bus or tram platform. With Express Mode, which is switched on by default for the first Bee Card added, there is no need to use Face ID or Touch ID. On trams, passengers must also tap off when they leave the platform.

TfGM says the feature needs an iPhone SE (2nd generation) or iPhone 11 or later running iOS 27, or an Apple Watch SE 2 or Series 8 or later. Only adult and family fares are available through Apple Wallet, and cash value cannot be added; child tickets and other options remain available in the Bee Network app.

Contactless bank cards can still be used to pay as you go. If both a Bee Card and a payment card are in Wallet, the reader will pick the Bee Card first when it holds a valid ticket.

Sources: Transport for Greater Manchester; MacRumors; Rail Technology Magazine. This article was produced with the help of AI tools and checked by an editor against the sources above.