Littlepay, Google and Go-Ahead Launch prepaid bus passes in Google Wallet

In another groundbreaking collaboration, Littlepay and Google have launched an alternative to physical travel passes: passengers on Go-Ahead’s Brighton & Hove Buses can now buy and use prepaid travel passes directly in Google Wallet. Passengers can now buy travel passes in Google Wallet and use them by tapping their phone on the bus – just like pay-as-you-go contactless. No paper tickets, no apps to download, no QR codes. 

This is the first deployment of Littlepay’s Card As Authority to Travel (CAATT) model for prepaid passes, with Go-Ahead introducing the first live use of this model.

Building on the success of Google ‘Transit Insights’

Transit Insights brings a number of features that you would normally find in an operator’s mobility app, directly into the payment wallet. Earlier in 2025, Go-Ahead completed UK-wide rollout of Google Transit Insights, enabling passengers nationwide to access journey and payment information seamlessly through Google Wallet. This pioneering initiative has already provided passengers with greater transparency and convenience in managing their journeys.

With the introduction of prepaid pass purchases, passengers who prefer to pre-pay for their travel can still enjoy the convenience of simply tapping their phone on boarding. No need to find, open and login to an app or search for a QR code.  Passengers have instant access to their travel pass as Littlepay links the wallet to the travel right instantly, ensuring no fares are charged while the pass is valid.

A global first

A fleet of 5,000 vehicles processing over 45 million transactions annually makes Go-Ahead’s network an ideal place to introduce this technology at scale. The benefits for passengers are significant: 

• Simple: Buy in wallet, then tap to travel
• Convenient: No extra apps, no paper tickets 
• Inclusive: Extends “tap-and-go” to those who rely on pre-purchasing travel

Changing the game through collaboration

The project highlights how collaboration between operators, technology providers and platforms can make everyday travel simpler for passengers. By partnering with Google and leveraging their global APIs, Littlepay and Go-Ahead are delivering a passenger-first experience that sets new standards for convenience and efficiency in public transport payments.

This pilot paves the way for rollout across other Go-Ahead operators and Littlepay’s wider ecosystem, demonstrating how innovations tested in one city can quickly scale globally.

“This is a global first for public transport. By bringing prepaid passes into Google Wallet, we’re showing what the future of digital travel looks like: simple, inclusive and convenient.” said Sarah McLaughlin, Senior Business Development Manager at Littlepay

A blueprint for the future 

Integrating prepaid passes into Google Wallet paves the way for future enhancements in transit payments. It aligns with evolving passenger expectations and behaviours as digital wallets and contactless payments become integral to daily life. 

By offering seamless integration between digital wallets, ecommerce platforms, and contactless travel, this initiative paves the way for future enhancements in transit payments, including support for concessionary travellers to verify and access discounted travel.

“Enabling users to buy monthly tickets adds a further layer of convenience to the ability to track Pay As You Go spending and progress towards daily and weekly travel caps within Google Wallet. Now users can make quick, easy and secure payments with a Google Pay tap on a bus, and keep informed of their spending for both Pay As You Go and season tickets in Google Wallet”

said Jonathan Hill, Head of Transit Partnerships at Google Wallet

Littlepay and Go-Ahead: a commitment to innovation

The launch reflects Littlepay’s focus on giving operators flexible tools that evolve with passenger needs. Our platform continuously evolves, ensuring every operator in the Littlepay ecosystem benefits from ongoing investment and the introduction of new technologies.

For Go-Ahead, it’s part of an ongoing effort to make bus travel easier and more accessible to the communities it serves.

“For our customers and the industry this is a very positive step forwards and shows the scope for further improvements against the success of Open Loop payments in transit. Our partners Littlepay and Google have developed an extensible and low-friction solution with excellent customer convenience.”

said Sean McLaughlin, Group Senior Solutions Manager at Go-Ahead Group