In a pioneering collaboration, payment processing specialist Littlepay has joined forces with Google and the Go-Ahead Group to introduce a new alternative to physical transit passes. Passengers travelling on Go-Ahead’s Brighton & Hove Buses can now purchase and utilise prepaid travel passes directly within their Google Wallet interface.
The system operates much like standard pay-as-you-go contactless payments, allowing users to simply tap their phone upon boarding. By removing the necessity to download operator-specific apps, search for QR codes, or print paper tickets, the initiative aims to make everyday travel simpler and highly convenient for passengers.
Scaling the CAATT model
This launch represents the very first deployment of Littlepay’s Card As Authority to Travel (CAATT) model specifically tailored for prepaid passes, with Go-Ahead executing the inaugural live use of this technology. When a passenger taps their device, Littlepay instantly links the digital wallet to the specific travel right, ensuring that no additional fares are charged while the prepaid pass remains valid.
The Go-Ahead network, which boasts a fleet of 5,000 vehicles and currently processes more than 45 million transactions annually, serves as an ideal environment to test and scale this payment infrastructure. The pilot project is actively expected to pave the way for a broader rollout across other Go-Ahead operators and the wider Littlepay ecosystem, demonstrating how local innovations can quickly scale globally.
Building upon Google Transit Insights
This latest development builds directly upon the earlier success of Google Transit Insights, a service that seamlessly integrates features traditionally found in a mobility app right into the digital payment wallet. Earlier in 2025, Go-Ahead completed a UK-wide rollout of Transit Insights, empowering passengers across the nation to access their journey and payment information seamlessly.
According to the partnering firms, integrating prepaid passes aligns with rapidly evolving consumer behaviours, as contactless payments and digital wallets become increasingly central to daily life. The partners also noted that this seamless integration between digital wallets, ecommerce platforms, and contactless travel paves the way for future enhancements, including support for concessionary travellers to verify their status and access discounted travel directly through the wallet.
Industry perspectives
Sarah McLaughlin, senior business development manager at Littlepay, highlighted the milestone achievement for the sector. She described the launch as a global first for public transport, demonstrating a future of digital travel that is simple, inclusive, and highly convenient.
Sean McLaughlin, group senior solutions manager at the Go-Ahead Group, noted that the extensible and low-friction solution developed alongside Littlepay and Google marks a highly positive step forward. He highlighted that the move shows the vast scope for further improvements against the backdrop of successful Open Loop transit payments.
Additionally, Jonathan Hill, head of transit partnerships at Google Wallet, emphasised the practical benefits for everyday commuters. He explained that enabling monthly ticket purchases adds a significant layer of convenience, effectively complementing the existing ability for users to securely track their pay-as-you-go spending and monitor their progress towards daily and weekly travel caps directly within the app
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