Varna public transport reintroduces prepaid cards, plans contactless payment

From 6 August, the city of Varna will restore the use of prepaid travel cards on its municipal transport network, announced Alexander Velinov, director of the municipal enterprise TASRUD. The cards can be loaded with €5, €10, €15, €20 or €25, each 60‑minute ride costing €0.50. A new system permits two electronic tickets to be activated simultaneously on a single card, with credit remaining valid for 180 days; any leftover balance is frozen after that period and automatically added to new credit when the card is reloaded. The plastic cards now cost €1 and can be purchased and recharged at ticket sales points, while existing cards may also be reloaded.

In the next phase, contactless bank‑card payments will be enabled on buses. New validators already have NFC modules, but the municipality is finalising a partnership with a bank and completing Visa and Mastercard certifications. Once the contract is signed, passengers will be able to tap a bank card to pay the fare. Meanwhile, the "TTtickets Varna" mobile app already allows ticket purchases with bank cards, Google Pay or Apple Pay, though the ticket must still be validated on the vehicle.