Instructions for contactless payment

Contactless payment can be used for adult single tickets. The prices below are valid from 1 January 2026. Tickets purchased with contactless payment can also be used by others, not just adults, but the price remains the same.

Ticket prices:

Zones AB, BC, CD, D
€3.50

Zones ABC, BCD
€4.80

Zones ABCD
€5.30

You can use contactless payment to buy adult single tickets for all fare zones. The HSL area is divided into four zones, identified by letters A, B, C and D. Buy a ticket that covers all the zones you will be traveling through.

In Helsinki, Espoo, Kauniainen and Vantaa i.e. zones A, B and C, you always have to buy a ticket for at least two zones (an AB or BC ticket), as there are no one-zone tickets for zones A, B and C.

You can check the zone boundaries in the Journey Planner. If you use the Journey Planner’s route search, it will show you which ticket you need.

Buy a single ticket with your debit or credit card (Visa or Mastercard) at the card reader.

1. First, select the zones.

If you don't see the ticket you need on the first screen, use the arrow button to view more options on the second screen.

2. Tap your debit or credit card to the reader.

3. Your debit/credit card serves as your ticket.

The card reader does not print a ticket. Your debit/credit card serves as your ticket, which you present to ticket inspectors. The reader will not request your PIN code.

You can pay using a contactless-enabled Visa or Mastercard card. Look for the contactless payment logo on the card.

The card must be valid and have sufficient funds to cover the cost of the journey.

When using a combination card, the side (debit or credit) that has been set as the default for contactless payments will be charged. You can check the default setting for contactless payments in your online bank.

You can also buy tickets using the ApplePay and GooglePay apps.

Please note that Amex and Diners Club are not accepted as payment methods.

You can use tickets purchased with contactless payment across all HSL public transport: buses, the Metro, commuter trains, trams, and the Suomenlinna ferry. You can change from one mode of transport to another during the ticket validity.

The validity of the ticket is determined by the zones:

• AB, BC and D tickets 80 minutes
• ABC and CD tickets 90 minutes
• BCD tickets 100 minutes, and
• ABCD tickets 110 minutes.

The reader shows the expiry time of the ticket:

When changing from one service to another, show your debit/credit card to the card reader when boarding the bus. Do not press the zone buttons. On commuter trains, the Metro, trams, the orange trunk route buses, and the Suomenlinna ferry, you only need to show your debit/credit card when requested by an inspector or conductor.

You can purchase adult single tickets for yourself and for one or more persons traveling with you. You can buy up to 10 contactless payment tickets at a time.

1 Select travel zone.
2 Press the + button.
3 Select the number of tickets and press OK.
4 Pay with your debit/credit card.

Show your debit or credit card to the ticket inspector. The inspector uses an app to check whether your ticket is valid. They will not handle your card or take it into their hands. Your card details are processed securely. The inspector can only see information related to your HSL ticket — nothing else about your card or your personal data.

The card reader will alert you if your card is not accepted for your journey.

There may be different reasons for this:

• If you have multiple contactless payment cards in your wallet and place the wallet near the reader, it may not be able to read the card. Present only one card to the reader at a time. 
• You removed the card too quickly. Show the card to the reader again.
• If you are using a new card for the first time for contactless payment on HSL public transport, it may not work because your bank may require you to activate the card at a chip and PIN payment terminal. This cannot be done at HSL card readers.
• The card may be blocked from use on public transport if were previously unable to charge tickets to it. You can use the card again once you have settled the outstanding amount with HSL. 
• The error message may also be due to insufficient credit or reaching daily security limits. You can adjust these limits in your online bank. 

The card reader does not print a receipt for your ticket.

• If you need a receipt, log in to the contactless payment portal here. Enter the requested information in the portal and you will receive a receipt and ticket details.
• You can also obtain a digital receipt through the ReceiptHero eReceipt service. Download the RepeiptHero app on your phone. Add your debit or credit card to the app, and you will get receipts for tickets purchased with contactless payment. This receipt service is especially useful if you buy tickets using your employer’s debit or credit card and need a receipt for an expense claim. Read more https://getreceipthero.com/
• Many banks offer apps that allow you to use your smartphone as a credit card. At HSL card readers, you can buy tickets using the ApplePay and GooglePay apps. If you pay using your bank's app, you can get a receipt via the contactless payment portal if you purchased the ticket with a card linked to the app. 
• Please note that the payment may not appear in your account transactions immediately.
• Contact HSL’s customer service if you have questions about contactless payments.

When you use your debit or credit card at an HSL card reader for the first time, a separate verification is made to ensure that the card functions properly. The card reader treats the card as new if you have not used it at an HSL card reader in the past six days. 

When a Mastercard card is used at a card reader for the first time, a preauthorization of one euro will be placed on the card. For Visa cards, the authorization hold is 0 euros.

Banks may show authorization holds to customers in different ways. The authorization hold is released once the ticket price is charged to your bank account. Similar verifications may also occur in other situations if the card has not been actively used to buy tickets at card readers.