Tyne and Wear Metro celebrate success of Pop PAYG ticket service

Nexus, the public body which owns and operates Tyne and Wear Metro, have announced that more than two million Metro journeys have been made, following the launch of the Pop Pay As You Go (PAYG) service. 

The Pop PAYG service, which is available on smartcards and on Google Pay, had over 100,000 customers sign up, and Nexus are encouraging more Tyne and Wear Metro customers to switch. 

The benefits of using the POP PAYG service rather than buying from ticket machines, are discounted prices, which have been frozen since 2021 at between £1.65 and £4.85, leading to customers saving more than £1 a day. 

Anyone aged 22 and over can save money on Metro trips by using a Pop PAYG card, in comparison to purchasing adult paper tickets. 

To use a Pop PAYG card, customers can check and top up the balance at any Metro ticket machine, and tap the card on the gates at the start and end of a journey.

Customers with an Android Phone can use Google Pay for their Pop PAYG card, making the service completely digital. 

Read South Tyneside's news on the go with our free email newsletters - bringing the headlines to your inbox. Catch up on the day's news and sport and enjoy even more from your Gazette. Visit our website here to find out more and sign up.

Nexus Customer Services Director, Huw Lewis, said: “Pop Pay As You Go continues to go from strength to strength, with over 100,000 customers generating an extra two million Metro journeys this year. 

“We have seen just over 14,000 new customers switch to Pop since March, all recognising how much easier and cheaper it makes travelling on Metro.

“Moving to Pop Pay As You Go in Google Pay, or getting a free Pop card from nexus.org.uk, which now has a minimum top of just £5, means you can save a pound per day, compared to paying for travel from a Metro ticket machine.

“We recommend that customers make the switch even if you travel only once a week or less - either by applying for Pop card by applying for one online from the Nexus website or through Google Pay if you have an Android smartphone. We hope to bring PAYG to other smartphone operating systems in the future.”

Alongside the Tyne and Wear Metro, Pop PAYG cards can also be used on certain bus routes in the North East and on the Shields Ferry.

For more information or to switch to the Pop PAYG service, please visit www.nexus.org.uk/pop.