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Apple Wallet Support Coming to Manchester's Bee Card

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Bee-Card.jpg
Apple is preparing to allow the Bee Card to be added to the Wallet app, according to code seen by MacRumors.

When this functionality goes live, you will be able to add the Bee Card to your iPhone or Apple Watch and use it to pay your fare for trams and buses in the Manchester, England area. However, the code does not provide any timeframe for availability, so stay tuned.

Update August 5: Bee Network has officially announced the launch of Apple Wallet integration, which is only available for Our Pass users. Our Pass offers 16- to 18-year-olds who live in Greater Manchester the ability to ride buses for free and purchase select tram tickets for half price. Other riders will still need to use regular contactless tap-and-go payments via Apple Pay with a credit or debit card.

Article Link: Apple Wallet Support Coming to Manchester's Bee Card
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/07/29/bee-card-apple-wallet-support-in-works/
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xnetco said:
Please allow Oyster for TFL too. I can’t use my disabled rail card otherwise.
Click to expand...

I'd love TFL to join the party - for me it would be so that I could put my over-65 Freedom Pass card into Apple Wallet and set it as my default travel card. That card is literally the only reason I carry a (very small) wallet now.

My physical Freedom Card is a photo-ID card so that I can't give it to someone else to use - or at least not without the risk of both of us getting into trouble if that other person was challenged when using my card. I'm guessing that a disabled rail card is the same.

I see articles on this site about various US states allowing drivers licenses to be stored in Apple wallet but never click beyond the headline because it isn't relevant to me but if US driving licenses also carry a photo on them then presumably the basic Apple Wallet functionality can already handle a "prove it's you" photo-ID mechanism so in theory TFL should be able to offer this if it wanted to and could allocate budget to do the necessary development.
 
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I don't live in an area that has a system like this – can someone explain the purpose of such cards to me?

In my area you tap on to a bus with your debit/credit card, and it tots up how many buses you use throughout the day, and at the end of the day it charges you the lowest total price for the journeys you've made (so a fairs if you just make one or two journeys, a day ticket if you make several, etc).

Do the Bee and Oyster (good pub name that) systems have an advantage over this? Maybe the fact that you can prepay them and the money can't be spent on something else is an advantage, anything else?
 
Can anybody look through the code and see if there is a mention for OPUS and/or ARTM ? Android users have already access on their phones but iPhone support (htrough Chrono app and Apple Wallet) is promised in the coming months.

Thanks
 
Is Apple Maps still trying to kill cyclists in Manchester? It’s tried to lead me onto motorways on my bike a few times. Where ‘cycling directions’ aren’t available, people often use ‘walking directions’ to navigate (Tokyo, Manchester, loads of places…). The problem is that once Apple Maps thinks you’re going a bit too fast to be a pedestrian, it switches to ‘driving directions’—often without telling you. You then end up on motorways or bridges where bicycles definitely aren’t allowed. I’d love to know how many people have been seriously injured by this bug/feature and have successfully sued Apple…
 
mazz0 said:
I don't live in an area that has a system like this – can someone explain the purpose of such cards to me?

In my area you tap on to a bus with your debit/credit card, and it tots up how many buses you use throughout the day, and at the end of the day it charges you the lowest total price for the journeys you've made (so a fairs if you just make one or two journeys, a day ticket if you make several, etc).

Do the Bee and Oyster (good pub name that) systems have an advantage over this? Maybe the fact that you can prepay them and the money can't be spent on something else is an advantage, anything else?
Click to expand...
Yes most users of Manchester’s Bee network would just use their debit/credit card. This Bee card is for if you’d rather buy tickets in advance, or if you have a concessionary pass (eg children).
 
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MacRumors said:


Bee-Card.jpg
Apple is preparing to allow the Bee Card to be added to the Wallet app, according to code seen by MacRumors.

When this functionality goes live, you will be able to add the Bee Card to your iPhone or Apple Watch and use it to pay your fare for trams and buses in the Manchester, England area. However, the code does not provide any timeframe for availability, so stay tuned.

Article Link: Apple Wallet Support Coming to Manchester's Bee Card
Click to expand...
Can someone scour the code more and see if Phoenix AZ is added? Considering we use the same exact hardware and system as Manchester!
 
mazz0 said:
I don't live in an area that has a system like this – can someone explain the purpose of such cards to me?

In my area you tap on to a bus with your debit/credit card, and it tots up how many buses you use throughout the day, and at the end of the day it charges you the lowest total price for the journeys you've made (so a fairs if you just make one or two journeys, a day ticket if you make several, etc).

Do the Bee and Oyster (good pub name that) systems have an advantage over this? Maybe the fact that you can prepay them and the money can't be spent on something else is an advantage, anything else?
Click to expand...
Reduced fare. Special fares and employer subsidized fare.
 
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Interesting. Other transport authorities in the UK have been trying to do this for years, but there was apparently some issue with ITSO. Wonder how Greater Manchester managed to do this.
 
Planey28 said:
Interesting. Other transport authorities in the UK have been trying to do this for years, but there was apparently some issue with ITSO. Wonder how Greater Manchester managed to do this.
Click to expand...
tfGM use Vix Pulse and it’s the same system deployed in two major US cities also slated to get virtual card support. The Bee card is not an ITSO card, it’s the same protocol as American MiFare cards. (oyster is also a MiFare card, not an ITSO card).

Here’s the same info for Phoenix who uses the same fare provider as Manchester. (And Dallas, and Edmonton, Canada)
 

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mazz0 said:
I don't live in an area that has a system like this – can someone explain the purpose of such cards to me?

In my area you tap on to a bus with your debit/credit card, and it tots up how many buses you use throughout the day, and at the end of the day it charges you the lowest total price for the journeys you've made (so a fairs if you just make one or two journeys, a day ticket if you make several, etc).

Do the Bee and Oyster (good pub name that) systems have an advantage over this? Maybe the fact that you can prepay them and the money can't be spent on something else is an advantage, anything else?
Click to expand...
Further to the advantages above, a system like this might enable easier administration of your account, e.g. disputing a fare. Also I believe that in London your Apple Watch and iPhone would be identified separately, even if using the same card from your Wallet, so tapping in and out with different cards can lead to overcharging. Perhaps having an Oyster card in your Wallet would enable the fare to be calculated correctly irrespective of the device used.
 
d___d said:
Further to the advantages above, a system like this might enable easier administration of your account, e.g. disputing a fare. Also I believe that in London your Apple Watch and iPhone would be identified separately, even if using the same card from your Wallet, so tapping in and out with different cards can lead to overcharging. Perhaps having an Oyster card in your Wallet would enable the fare to be calculated correctly irrespective of the device used.
Click to expand...
Unfortunately it doesn’t seem to be the case. They want you only using one device because they don’t want you to have your friends ride with your devices, contributing to one fare cap.

Even here SF, a card in your watch is separate from the card on your phone even though it’s all on the same account.
 
machester said:
Yes most users of Manchester’s Bee network would just use their debit/credit card. This Bee card is for if you’d rather buy tickets in advance, or if you have a concessionary pass (eg children).
Click to expand...

dontwalkhand said:
Reduced fare. Special fares and employer subsidized fare.
Click to expand...
Oh of course - I totally didn't think of that. It has no way of knowing if I should have a different price does it?

They could implement that mind you. Would just need a concept of an account, associated with my debit card, but that would complicate the system, and also introduce risk – I'd need to remember to update my account if I get a replacement card otherwise I'd start paying full price.
 
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