How to Use the Autolinee Toscane Contactless Payment System

Did you know that it’s possible to pay for public transportation in Tuscany provided by Autolinee Toscane using a credit card? It’s very convenient for those who are taking a bus or tram in Florence, for example. Here’s how it works.

Tap Your Way Through Tuscany: Contactless Bus and Tram Payments

Contactless payment is now available across all urban and extra-urban transport networks in Tuscany. However, depending on the type of line, you need to perform just one tap upon entry or one tap both upon entry and exit!

Below is an image from the Autolinee Toscana website explaining in Italian the differences between using TAP for urban lines versus mixed or extra-urban lines:

Autolinee Toscane Urban Lines

For urban lines, simply bring your card or device close to the contactless validator near the doors and ‘tap’ each time you enter the bus or tram. You will hear a beep and see a green light if the payment is successful.

Autolinee Toscane Mixed and Extraurban Lines

On these lines, identified by the colors orange (mixed), blue (extraurban), and purple (rapid), you need to tap both at the entrance and exit. If you forget to tap out, you will be charged the maximum cost of the route, from the entry point to the terminal.

One card is valid for one journey. If you need to pay for more people, you will need to use another ticket option, see here.

Prices and Purchase Verification – Autolinee Toscane Contactless Tickets

There is no additional cost for using contactless payment, making this option economical and transparent. There is no need to register to verify your purchases; just having made at least one payment with the physical card allows you to access and download receipts for tickets bought via smart devices.

You can check your purchases and download the receipts here.

This is a big win for the environment and a huge convenience for travelers.

Final Thoughts on Tapping Through Tuscany

Being able to pay the fare directly inside the bus or tram is much easier than having to find a ticket machine or an open newsstand to buy a ticket, and then entering the vehicle to validate it.

The alternative to this process was to pay directly to the driver, but in that case, there was a surcharge on the cost of the ticket.

This new feature of paying with a debit or credit card directly inside the bus or tram greatly simplifies the lives of users.

Of course, as with any new feature, it brings a series of uncertainties. For instance, it’s interesting to note that if you are taking multiple urban buses, you have to TAP on each bus, and the payment is charged only once if it is made within the expected time frame of the ticket.

Have you ever paid for a bus in Florence with a “tap”? Tell us about your experience in the comments.

Read also: The best ways to travel from Fiumicino Airport to Florence