Tampere’s Nysse public transport has started moving to an account-based payment system, and the first account-based travel cards are now in use. The transition occurs automatically, customers do not need to take any action, and travel cards will not be replaced. The city says the new system improves reliability and makes travel cards easier to use.
What changes for passengers
In the new system, information about tickets and customer groups is stored in a back-end system instead of on the travel card itself. Customers will be able to manage their travel cards online more flexibly, which reduces the need to contact customer service. Tickets bought through the Nella.fi online service are available on the card immediately, removing the previous two-hour delay. If a card is lost, the customer can close it and later reactivate it in Nella. Default zones for value tickets can be changed without making a purchase.
Ticket sales and purchase channels are not affected: the Nella.fi online service and resale points operate as usual. Passengers can still pay for Nysse trips with the Nysse Mobiili app, contactless payment, advance tickets and event tickets.
How the transition works
The payment system is being updated in phases. During the transition period, some customers will use traditional travel cards and others account-based ones.
- In the first phase, all newly sold travel cards are account-based.
- Next, existing cards will be converted at ticket machines on public transport.
The conversion starts with small numbers of cards. Customers cannot influence when their own card is converted, because the change follows card numbers. Card status can be checked on Nella.fi, where an account-based card appears as a white card on a light blue background marked with the letter “N”. A card that has not yet been converted shows the familiar Tampere landscape.
Wider context
The change comes as other parts of Tampere’s mobility system develop. On the Pirkkala–Linnainmaa tram line, passenger service between the Kauppi Campus and Ruotula stops, and between Sorin aukio and Partola, is due to begin in August 2028. The city bike service has recorded more than one million journeys since 2021. The city describes city bikes as complementing public transport.