How Swift Go works
Swift Go lets you pay for the journeys you make without choosing a ticket in advance.
You'll never pay more than the applicable day, 3-day or weekly fare cap, depending on when and where you travel. This is called fare capping.
You can use Swift Go on all trams and most buses in the West Midlands, including journeys with different bus operators.
You must be 18 or over to use Swift Go.
How much you'll pay
You won't pay more than the applicable daily, 3-day or weekly fare cap.
Lower local fares may apply when travelling by bus in Walsall, or Sandwell and Dudley.
Get started with Swift Go
You'll need a Swift card, a Swift account and a way to pay for your journeys.
- Select 'Buy on Swift' on the Swift Go ticket page
- Create a Swift account
- Follow the instructions to set up Swift Go and choose how to pay
We'll add Swift Go to your new Swift card and post it to you. Your card will take up to 5 working days to arrive.
- Select 'Buy on Swift' on the Swift Go ticket page.
- Sign in to your Swift account.
- Follow the instructions to add Swift Go.
You must collect Swift Go onto your card before travelling.
Using Swift Go
On the bus
- Look for the Swift Go sticker on the bus door.
- Tap your Swift card on the reader when you get on.
You do not need to tap when you get off.
On the tram
You must tap on before boarding and tap off after you get off the tram, every time you travel.
Before you board:
- Go to a ticket machine at the tram stop.
- Insert your Swift card into the Swift card reader.
- Select 'Tap on'.
- Wait for the confirmation message, then remove your card.
After you get off:
- Go to a ticket machine at the tram stop.
- Insert your Swift card into the Swift card reader.
- Select 'Tap off'.
- Wait for the confirmation message, then remove your card.
You can use a ticket machine on either platform to tap on or tap off.
You must tap on before boarding and tap off after your journey
If you do not tap on, you could receive a £100 Penalty Fare. If you do not tap off, you may be charged the maximum journey fare.
Keep your Swift card with you throughout your journey. A Revenue Officer may ask to check it.
Managing Swift Go
Top-Up
Add money to your Swift Go account before travelling. If you only use Top-Up, we'll take payment for your journeys from your balance the next day.
You can top up through your Swift account, at a Payzone store or at a Swift or Metro ticket machine.
Find your nearest place to top up your Swift card
Auto Pay
Link a debit or credit card to your Swift account. We'll charge your card every Sunday at 8am for the journeys you made during the previous week.
Using Top-Up and Auto Pay together
If you use Top-Up and Auto Pay together, we'll take payment every Sunday at 8am.
We'll use your Swift Go balance first, then charge your linked card if your balance doesn't cover the full amount.
- Sign in to your Swift account.
- Select 'View full summary'.
You can see your journeys, charges and payments, and raise a query if something doesn't look right.
Journeys usually appear the next day. Sometimes journey information arrives late, so charges and fare caps can be updated afterwards.
You can query a journey within 28 days. We'll respond within 5 working days.
If we cannot take payment for your journeys, we'll try again at 8pm the same day.
Before then, you can add enough money to your Swift Go balance to cover what you owe or update your payment card details.
If the second payment fails, Swift Go will be blocked. You will not be able to use it for travel until you've paid the full amount you owe.
Once we've received your payment, we'll let you know when Swift Go has been unblocked. You'll then need to collect it onto your card before travelling again.