FAQs

Withdrawal of Solent Go Smartcards

Why are Solent Go smartcards being phased out?

Use of the Solent Go smartcards have reduced over recent years as most customers now choose to buy their tickets through bus operator apps or on the bus. Maintaining the smartcard platform is no longer cost effective, and all Solent Go ticket types are now available through other channels.

When will I no longer be able to buy a Solent Go smartcard?

Smartcards purchased online through the Solent Go webpage will no longer be available from 6 April 2026.

Can I still use my existing smartcard?

Yes. Existing Solent Go smartcards will remain valid for travel until 29 June 2026, giving customers time to use any remaining tickets.

Will Solent Go tickets still be available after the smartcard is phased out?

Yes. All Solent Go ticket types will continue to be available. The only change is how you buy them. From 6 April 2026, tickets can be purchased:

Through bus operator mobile apps
On the bus (paper tickets)

What ticket options will be available on operator apps?

From 6 April 2026, bus operators including First Bus, Go South Coast and Stagecoach will offer the full range of Solent Go products on their apps, including 28 day and 91 day options.

Can I still buy tickets on the bus?

Yes. One day paper tickets will continue to be available on the bus for customers who prefer not to use an app.

What happens if I do not have a smartphone?

You can continue buying paper day tickets directly from the driver. These remain valid options for customers who prefer not to use digital ticketing.

Can I still travel across different operators using Solent Go tickets?

Yes. Solent Go tickets continue to give you the flexibility to travel with participating bus operators across the Solent area. You can start your journey with one operator and continue with another on the same ticket.

What do I need to do before 29 June 2026?

If you currently use a Solent Go smartcard, you should:

Use any remaining tickets before 29 June 2026
Switch to buying tickets through your operator’s mobile app or buy paper tickets on the bus

Will I lose access to any Solent Go ticket types?

No. All existing Solent Go ticket types will remain available. This is a change to the sales method, not to the tickets themselves.

Will I receive communication about this change?

Yes. Solent Transport will contact all registered smartcard users directly and will share updates on the Solent Go website, social media channels and through operator partners.

What should I do if I have questions?

Please view our FAQs for full details or contact your bus operator’s customer services team.

General

Can I sign up for news updates?

Yes, you can sign up to our news updates on the homepage of the Solent Go website.

Is Solent Go the same as Oyster?

No, Oyster is a scheme run by Transport for London. Solent Go uses similar technology, but it does not have the same functions and features as the Oyster scheme.

What does the ITSO logo stand for?

ITSO is the UK body responsible for the smart ticketing specification. More information can be found on the ITSO website.

How long will my Solent Go card last for?

If cared for, your card should last for at least 5 years. You can care for your card by following these tips:

Keep your card in a protective wallet in its own section
Don’t bend the card. Card readers cannot read bent or cracked cards reliably
Don’t wash, scratch or write on your card
Don’t punch a hole in your card

I am a business and wish to offer Solent Go to my staff.

For information tailored to your business, fill out the contact form and we’ll be pleased to help.

Is the website safe?

Yes. The website is compliant with best practice for the secure processing of both information and payments.

How do I submit a complaint or suggestion?

Please use the contact form at the bottom of the support page. All complaints and suggestions must be submitted using the online form. If your complaint or suggestion relates to a particular bus or ferry operator please contact them directly. Full contact details can be found on the travel information pages of the Solent Go website.

Can I still purchase a paper Solent Travelcard?

Solent Go is the new name for the Solent Travelcard. A one day and seven day Solent Region paper ticket valid for bus travel only is still available to purchase from any participating bus operator, just ask your driver.

Where can I download the Solent Go app for Android?

You can download the Solent Go app for Android on the Google play store

Why is my Solent Go app for Android not working?: Check you have an Android enabled device running Ice Cream Sandwich (version 4.0.x) or later, capable of using Near Field Communication (NFC). Ensure your device has an NFC reader and that you have this enabled.

My device doesn't read my travel card using the Solent Go app for Android.

Ensure your device has an NFC reader and that you have this enabled as this is required in order for the travelcard to be detected. Check you are holding your travelcard to the correct part of your device. The location varies on different devices so if you are unsure check with the manufacturer.

Is there an Apple app I can use to load my purchased tickets onto my Solent Go travelcard?

We try to make purchasing and loading tickets onto your Solent Go travelcard as simple as possible. Currently the technology does not exist with Apple based products but we do have an Android app that can be used for this purpose.

Fares

What tickets can I purchase?

Full ticket information can be found on the fares section of the Solent Go website.

How much do tickets cost?

Full pricing details can be found on the fares section of the Solent Go website.

I’m a student / child, do you offer discounted tickets?

Not at the moment.

Is there an electronic cash purse option? (pay as you go)

Not at the moment.

How long are bus tickets valid for?

Bus tickets are valid for a set number of consecutive days.

Your ticket will activate upon first use.

Is there a family ticket?

Not at the moment.

Lost or stolen & faulty cards

My card has never worked?

Please contact us using the contact us section of the Solent Go website.

My travelcard only sometimes works?

If your travelcard has become damaged, it may be necessary to order a replacement.

This can be ordered by logging into your account. A £2 fee is charged for all cards.

If you would like to have your travelcard tested, you can go to any of First’s travel shops located in Southampton, Portsmouth and Fareham.

How do I cancel and/or replace my travelcard?

You can only cancel and replace your travelcard if you have registered your travelcard online.

To cancel a travelcard log in to your online account and click on 'Hotlist' next to your card number. You will be asked if you want to order a replacement. On confirmation of this you will need to pay £2 using a credit or debit card.

How long will it take to get a replacement travelcard?

Approximately 5 working days.

How much does a replacement travelcard cost?

A replacement travelcard costs £2. This covers the travelcard and postage to your registered address.

Will my ticket(s) still be on my replacement travelcard?

If you have purchased a bus ticket which is valid for longer than a week (7 days) your ticket(s) will be reissued on a new travelcard. Unfortunately we cannot extend the expiry date to account for the time taken to print and post your replacement travelcard.

If you have purchased a ferry ticket, we will be able to reissue the travelcard with any remaining trips.

Because of the delay to print and post a replacement travelcard, we will only reissue tickets that have 10 or more days remaining until they expire (not applicable to ferry tickets).

Travel information

How do I use my travelcard?

Your travelcard is a smart travelcard. When travelling you will need to place your travelcard on the travelcard reader. Most equipment will emit an audible noise to let you know when you can remove your travelcard. Some equipment also has a green and red light.

If your travelcard fails to read it could be for a number of reasons:

Do you have a valid ticket to travel?
Have up uploaded your top up or new ticket to your Solent Go travelcard using the collection method you have selected when you purchased the ticket?
Have you waited the necessary length of time if you topped up online?
Is your travelcard damaged?

If you remove your travelcard too quickly from the reader, it is possible that any tickets purchased online may not have been added to your travelcard. Please be patient as this process can sometimes take a few seconds.

Equipment to read your travelcard can be found at the following locations:

Buses

Travelcard readers can be found at the front of the bus and are located next to the driver. Please ask the driver if you need any further assistance.

Some bus operators may provide you with a paper receipt.

Ferry

Travelcard readers are located close to the point of boarding. These will either be fixed to a wall or could be portable and held by a member of staff. As you would on a bus, it is important that you place your travelcard on the reader.

Some ferry operators may provide you with a paper receipt or a boarding pass.

Where can I view timetable information?

Limited travel information can be found on the Solent Go website.

For full timetable information please visit Traveline or the My Journey website where there is a comprehensive journey planner tool.

Where can I travel with Solent Go?

Where you can travel depends upon the type of ticket you have purchased.

Bus operator zones include a Solent region zone and two smaller city zones for Southampton and Portsmouth.
Ferry tickets provide travel between two points e.g. Gosport and Portsmouth.

Maps and boundary information can be found on the travel information pages of the Solent Go website.

How can I use the City Car Club?

Solent Go has teamed up with the Enterprise Car Club to enable you to use your Solent Go travelcard to access their vehicles.

If you are interested in adding this function to your travelcard you need to tick the box as part of the signup process. There are additional charges payable to Enterprise Car Club and someone will telephone you to complete your application.

All annual membership fees and other charges are payable to Enterprise Car Club directly.

Further information can be found on the travel information pages of the Solent Go website.

Is bus and ferry travel to and on the Isle of Wight included?

No. Bus travel on the Isle of Wight and IOW ferriy travel is not currently included.

Will my travelcard work with another ITSO scheme?

In the future this is likely, but for now the Solent Go travelcard is specific to this scheme.

Which bus operators accept Solent Go?

Bluestar
Emsworth & District
First Hampshire
Stagecoach South
Unilink
Wheelers
Xelabus

Which bus services are excluded?

Certain bus services are excluded:

All services for which no fare is charged
All Park and Ride services
All Rail Replacement bus services
All football specials
All night services for which a premium fare is charged and which commence journeys between the hours of 0100 and 0359 inclusive
All locally registered long distance, National Express, Megabus or similar services
All sightseeing tour bus services
Stagecoach 737, 747 and Peter Symonds Service
First S3, S4 and S5
College buses

Can I add a rail ticket?

Not at the moment. We are working to try and offer a local rail add-on ticket in the near future.

Where can I view information on the bus stop boundaries?

You can view full bus stop boundary information, including the name of the stop and NAPTAN number on the travel maps page.

Why do your maps not show specific bus routes?

The maps have been designed to provide information on the boundary of the scheme. More detailed bus stop boundary information can be found by downloading the bus stop boundary information sheet.

For specific timetable and bus route information please visit the relevant bus operator website, or why not try using the My Journey Journey Planner?

Buying tickets & topping-up

Can I use my Southampton City Council Smartcities card?

No not currently.

Can I get a refund on tickets purchased online?

Yes. If your tickets have not been used. Any refund will be subject to a £10.00 administration fee. A refund request must be submitted online using the contact form. All refunds will be issued by cheque and can take up to 30 days to issue.

Can tickets be purchased in advance online?

Yes. Your tickets will activate upon first use.

How do I collect tickets recently purchased online?

Topped-up or newly added tickets

You can top up or add new ticket types to your Solent Go travelcard.

Topping up your Solent Go travelcard means buying the same types of tickets online that were previously on your travelcard.

Adding a new ticket means adding a new ticket type online to the travelcard which was previously not on your travelcard.

Buying tickets online does not automatically load them to your travelcard – this is a separate process.

If you wish to add tickets for a different bus zone to your existing Solent Go travelcard in the future, you can buy these online and upload them onto your Solent Go travelcard using the Solent Go app.

If you have selected to upload your top up or new ticket using the Solent Go app, you will be able to upload these onto your Solent Go travelcard within a few minutes after having purchased the ticket online.

If you have selected to upload top up tickets at any of the participating four bus operators, we recommend leaving 24 hours between topping up online and travelling, however in most cases you can top up by 9pm the night before you want to use your ticket and it will be ready to use the next day. This is to allow our equipment to receive this information overnight and to ensure the top up occurs successfully when you use your travelcard.

There are a variety of collection methods available to upload top up or newly added tickets to your existing Solent Go travelcard. Here is a list of where and how tickets can be uploaded to your existing travelcard. The Solent Go Android app will require an Android enabled device running KitKat (version 4.4) or later and capable of using Near Field Communication (NFC).

1) Solent Region or Southampton City Bus Tickets

You can upload New Tickets to your existing Solent Go card:

Through the Solent Go NFC Android app

and

You can upload Top Up Tickets to your existing Solent Go card:

On Wheelers Bus
On Xelabus
Bluestar Bus
Through the Solent Go NFC Android app

Please note that the above bus companies are the only ones which can upload Top Up Tickets and the time period starts from the time it is uploaded. After the ticket is loaded it can then be used with the other participating operators.

2) Portsmouth City Bus Tickets

You can upload New and Top Up Tickets to your existing Solent Go Card:

Through the Solent Go NFC Android app

3) Hythe Ferry

You can upload Tickets to your existing Solent Go Card:

Through the Solent Go NFC Android app

General information about uploading tickets

If you have access to an Android Smartphone with Near Field Communication (NFC) you can download the Solent Go application to load your ticket(s) to your Solent Go travelcard.

If you are unlikely to travel with one of the bus operators above to upload bus top ups, we strongly recommend that you purchase your travel tickets from your most frequently used operator.

A range of travel tickets are also available to purchase directly from participating operators - details of the operators can be found under the travel information section.

Please be aware that you will need to leave your card on the card reader or validator equipment for slightly longer when you are first loading a top up made online. This is necessary to allow the card to fully update.

Why can I not load my tickets purchased online with every participating operator?

We are working towards this being possible.

How long does it take to load a new ticket(s) purchased online onto my existing travelcard?

If you have selected to upload your top up bus tickets at any of the participating four bus operators, we recommend leaving 24 hours between topping up online and travelling, however in most cases you can top up by 9pm the night before you want to use your ticket and it will be ready to use the next day. This is to allow our equipment to receive this information overnight and to ensure the top up occurs successfully when you use your travelcard.

A one day Solent Go paper ticket valid for bus travel only is available to purchase from any participating bus operator, just ask your driver.

Can I use my Solent Go travelcard to buy a ticket from another website?

No. Your card can only be used on the Solent Go website.

Can ferry tickets be bought for bicycles or motorcycles?

Not currently on a Solent Go card.

Can I still purchase a paper Solent Travelcard? (1)

Solent Go is the new name for the Solent Travelcard.

One day and seven day Solent Region paper tickets valid for bus travel only are still available to purchase from any participating bus operator, just ask your driver. Southampton and Portsmouth City tickets can only be purchased from the Solent Go website.

Can I get a refund on tickets purchased directly from a bus or ferry operator?

Tickets purchased directly from a bus or ferry operator cannot be refunded by Solent Go. Please contact the operator directly to enquire about their refund policy.

How do I top up online if I only use First, Unilink or Stagecoach?

If you have a Solent Go branded smart travelcard you cannot presently load tickets purchased online to your existing travelcard with First Hampshire, Unilink or Stagecoach.

If you have access to an Android Smartphone with Near Field Communication (NFC) you can download the Solent Go app to collect your ticket(s) and add them to your Solent Go travelcard if you select this method when purchasing them online.

You can also select to collect your top up or new ticket from a Ferry Ticket Vending Machine.

Topped up tickets purchased from the Solent Go website which you have chosen to be uploaded on a bus can currently only be loaded onto your travelcard with the following operators:

Xelabus
Emsworth & District
Wheelers
Bluestar Bus

You can purchase a 1 day or 7 day Solent Go regional bus travel paper ticket directly from the driver with most of the participating operators.

I have uploaded a bus ticket but the expiry date has not changed on my Solent Go card?

If you already have a bus ticket on your card which is still valid the expiry date will not change. Your new bus ticket should show in the ‘Number of Stored Passes’ section as 1

Your new ticket will only be activated when your current ticket has expired and the card is presented on a bus ticket machine.

How do I buy a Solent Go mobile ticket?

To buy your new Solent Go mobile tickets simply follow the instructions below.

Go to the App Store or Google Play on your smartphone and download the mobile ticket apps for Bluestar, First or Stagecoach.

Go to ‘buy tickets' and click on Solent Go travelcards

Day and weekly* tickets are available. Click on your preferred choice.

Solent Regional
Portsmouth City
Southampton City

Follow the instructions (you'll need to register) and pay for your Solent Go travelcard with a credit or debit card. It’s that simple.

When you're ready travel you’ll need to activate your ticket. Show it to the driver on your smartphone when you board the bus and off you go.

With Solent Go you can travel on most bus operator services in South Hampshire.

Operator specific instructions can be found using the links below -

Solent Go app for Android

What can I do with the Solent Go app for Android?

The Solent Go app allows you to upload your tickets purchased from the Solent Go website to your Solent Go travelcard using a compatible Android phone/tablet computer.

How can I check that I have successfully uploaded tickets using the Solent Go app for Android?

When you have uploaded your ticket and put your card back onto the app to be read, it should state the following:

the product you have uploaded
If you have uploaded a bus ticket: ‘Number of Stored Passes’: 1
For ferry tickets: number of trips

Signing up & personal details

I need to change my address or update my personal details?

You will be able to update your address and other personal information by accessing your online account

Solent Go staff are unable to update your personal information.

Why should I register my travelcard on the Solent Go website?

Registering your travelcard will allow you to top up your card online. It will also allow you to report a lost, damaged or stolen travelcard and order a replacement.

What happens if I forget my login details?

Please use the reset function on the Solent Go login page.

What do you use my personal data for?

Your data is kept confidential and is not shared with anyone other than those you have agreed to share your data with when you signed up. Find out more by reading the full terms and conditions

I need to register a travelcard?

If you have been provided with a travelcard at an event, or been issued with a travelcard at a ferry operator ticket office or ticket vending machine you can register your travelcard on the Solent Go website.

Can I manage multiple accounts under one name?

It is possible to add an additional travelcard by logging into your account and selecting ‘purchase a new travelcard’ from the main account management page.

For further information please contact us providing the following information:

First name
Surname
Email address
Card number
Your unique security question answer

How is my personal data stored?

Personal data that is collected for the purpose of registering for a Solent Go travelcard is held on behalf of Solent Transport by Unicard Ltd. Unicard Ltd is registered with the Data Protection Act 2018 for the purpose of processing personal data in the performance of its legitimate business. Any information held by Unicard on behalf of Solent Transport or its commercial partners will be securely processed and stored in compliance with the principles set out in the Act.

Benefits

What benefits does the card bring?

The card currently covers both bus and ferry travel
The card makes it easy to hop-on and hop-off public transport
The card avoids you needing to carry the correct change or multiple paper tickets

We're here to help, please read our FAQs