Littlepay, a payment processing specialist for transit operators, partnered with Google and Go-Ahead Group to launch the world's first prepaid transit pass purchasable and usable directly inside Google Wallet, with passengers on Go-Ahead's Brighton & Hove Buses able to tap their phone to board without downloading a separate app or printing a ticket. The system uses Littlepay's Card As Authority to Travel model to instantly link a digital wallet to a specific travel right upon tap, ensuring no additional fares are charged while a prepaid pass is valid. Go-Ahead's network processes more than 45 million transactions annually across a fleet of 5,000 vehicles, and the pilot is expected to expand across other Go-Ahead operators and the broader Littlepay ecosystem, with future plans to support concessionary travelers verifying discount eligibility directly through the wallet.
