Tap N Go on Roman Transit

If you pay with a credit or debit card using the tap and go, put your card near the validating machine. If the green light comes on you are good to go for 90 minutes. No paper receipt is given. In case the ticket inspectors come on board to verify if you paid, you give them your debit/credit card. The inspector will insert your card in their hand held machine, and the machine can verify that that card was charged the cost of the ticket within the previous 90 minutes.

The above is a description of how it works in Tuscany with AT bus. I presume in Rome their company works the same.

If this is for real, it's a game changer. No more passing your ticket or pass in a crowded bus from person to person trying to get it validated on the other side of the bus. I'd like to hear from folks who have actually used this!

It sounds easy, but this is Rome. A few experiences on Rome buses back in Novrmber:

On our first try, from Colosseum back to Pantheon, it worked fine - tap the card, screen lights up with green arrow.

On second and third attempts, it appeared the card failed to be read on first attempt, so tried a different card - didn't work. Tried a third card - didn't work. Then we were told the reader wasn't working. So we rode twice for free.

Last attempt, the trams weren't running from Trastevere, so there was a mob waiting to get on the bus when it finally arrived. We got on, packed like anchovies in a can - no way to move, never mind getting to the card reader. Not enough room for a pickpocket to take advantage. Rode to the wedding cake for free.

In addition, the red credit card reader was at the front of the bus on red buses, and the yellow validator at the middle or rear; opposite on silver buses. So you have to be mindful which door you enter by.

We never saw a fare inspecter.

Perhaps things will improve as they work out the kinks and prepare for the Jubilee. But if I go back I will try to purchase a multi-day paper pass, validate it, and be done with it - until I can keep a multi-day digital pass on my phone.

Note that the card readers at Metro turnstiles worked every time, so that is progress.

Our experience (from 11 - 15 SEP) was that it worked every time we tried it. Very user friendly experience.

If the bus is too crowded to reach the machine, it is also too crowded for the fare inspector to reach you :-) And - No - we never saw a fare inspector either.

Reference Nancy8's experience in this previous thread:

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/rome-contactless-public-transport

So for anyone who's interested, I used Tap N Go a few time today. On a few of the buses we were on, it was literally the only option -- no facilities for paper tickets at all. One of the buses had nothing working -- no Tap N Go reader, no paper tickets (luckily, no inspectors, either). Tap N Go is very easy to use; you just hold your card up to the reader until it goes all green, and you're done!

Good to hear! BTW, were the buses crowded? Or should I assume they always are crowded?

We were on the 85 and the 87, and neither one was crowded.

My daughter and her friend were just on the tram in Rome. Tapped their cards, which lit green with tick. At the stop before theirs the ticket police scanned their cards and said they had not paid. Printed a letter and made them pay 43Euro on the spot. They know that transactions come through slowly because they went through the Metro 3 times but only 2 have shown up so far - and you can’t get through there unless you have paid. So they could not prove by showing the transaction. The friend was held on the bus until the next stop and had to tram back. The ticketers laughed at her because she was upset. The people at the accommodation told them to make complaints online and would have their lawyer report it for them.

I suggested for the rest of their trip that they film the screen and then body of each other as they tap on as proof. ALSO you don’t have to pay fines on the spot. You can pay at a place that sells tickets. That should give time to get your evidence.

We started tap and go here and I joke its to raise money. No one that knows better travels on individual tickets. Just costs too much and tap and go here is really just an individual ticket. I tried to read up on the Rome system and ticket types and validation requirments but never found anything in print that was user friendly