Terms and Conditions

Use of the key Smartcard (“the Smartcard”) is subject to these Terms and Conditions together with Plymouth Citybus Conditions of Carriage.

When you are issued with the Smartcard, you are able to store credits for Plymouth Citybus services, and Green Travel products for use on other Operators’ services participating in the Green Travel scheme. Each time you use it to obtain a service; the number of credits on the Smartcard is decreased accordingly (unless you have a season ticket with unlimited use, which will expire after the number of days you have bought have ended, shown when purchasing the product). You cannot use the Smartcard unless it has enough credits on it, or time to run, and you are responsible for keeping it recharged.

Dayrider  travel credits are valid for 12 months from the date of purchase. Unused travel credits will expire after 12 months (dependent upon the type of product purchased), including the purchase date. No refunds will be given for travel-credits which remain unused after this time. However, if you add further travel credits to your card by Topping Up with further trips, the life of all trips remaining on the card at that point will be extended for 12 months from the date of Topping Up.

Period Passes have a validity of 12 months or 52 weeks. Therefore if you purchase a 4 week pass, you need to start using it by the latest 48 weeks after you topped up. This excludes annual products, for which a start date is specified by the customer at time of purchase.

The website will not be updated with the number of trips left on a Smartcard until the Smartcard has been presented to the reader on a bus following any Smartcard Top Up. Update of the website will take 24 hours.

The Smartcard does not hold money, and is not a stored value card.

Drivers and officials of Plymouth Citybus may inspect the Smartcard at any time and they must be shown on request.

All Smartcards remain the property of Plymouth Citybus. We reserve the right to withdraw individual Smartcards, and The Key service generally, at any time.

The registered holder of a Smartcard agrees to inform us of any change to their name, address or other details (either by telephone, post, e-mail to thekey@plymouthbus.co.uk, or by editing your contact details through our website). This will enable contact to be made to issue a replacement for a lost Smartcard or return a found Smartcard (if not cancelled).

Smartcards are transferable, except those Smartcards issued with photographs. Photocards can only be used by the holder of the card. However, the user must fit the same criteria if the Smartcard is a concessionary card such as the Young Person’s card. It is the User’s responsibility to carry valid ID.

A registration form must be completed before a card is issued. Plymouth Citybus may refuse to issue a Smartcard at its discretion.

If there has been no use of a Smartcard for one year then the Smartcard will automatically be cancelled. You may apply in writing for a refund, or a new Smartcard at a cost of £5.

Damaged, lost or stolen Smartcards can be replaced. A fee of £5 will be charged for each replacement Smartcard. This charge may be waived if a replacement or new product is purchased

If we believe your Smartcard has been tampered with in any way we may withdraw it without refunding the remaining value. A driver or other official of Plymouth Citybus is entitled to retain any Smartcard which they believe has been tampered with, is being misused or which has become electronically unreadable. Where a card has become corrupt, we will replace it.

Use

You must take care of the Smartcard, and ensure that it is not crushed or folded, is not placed near any strong magnetic or electric fields, allowed to get wet or exposed to extremes of temperature.

On boarding a bus the Smartcard must be placed on the card reader so that the reader indicates it has been properly read by making an audible “bleep” and showing a green light. Only when you have received a positive confirmation of reading are you treated as having made valid payment for that journey.

Top ups via the internet

If you top up your Smartcard over the internet using the site www.plymouthbus.co.uk you must allow 48 hours for the top up to be available on the bus to upload on to your card.

Online top ups must be collected on the bus within 12 months minus the duration of the ticket if a season ticket, for example a 4 week ticket must be collected within 12 months minus 4 weeks from day of purchase.

Lost or stolen cards

The loss, theft or failure of a Smartcard must be notified to Plymouth Citybus as soon as possible. This can be done by telephoning 01752 662271 or by calling in to our travel shop.

We cannot prevent the unauthorised use of a lost or stolen Smartcard until it has been reported by the registered holder to customer services, when it will be cancelled. (Cancellation may take up to 48 hours to come into effect). Until it is cancelled, you will be liable for the unauthorised use of the Smartcard.

The Company will not be liable for any travel costs incurred between the reporting or a lost or stolen card and the receipt of your replacement Smartcard.

Once cancelled, a Smartcard cannot be “re-activated”.

Replacement Cards

A replacement Smartcard will be issued at a charge of £5. We will endeavor to transfer any products that were on the card at the time of cancellation onto the new card.

Refunds

Refunds are only granted in exceptional circumstances and are entirely at the discretion of the Plymouth Citybus. Refunds must be applied for in writing. If granted, a refund will calculated at full days/trips remaining less 10% of price paid. For direct Debit customers who have yet to complete the initial 6 months may have a £20 admin charge.

Data Protection

We will not pass your details on to any third party except as required by law.

Plymouth Citybus will only use information that you have supplied for administration (including development and maintenance of our systems), customer services and research, and detection and prevention of crime. Unless you have ticked the relevant box on the application form, you agree that we may also contact you to keep you updated with information about Plymouth Citybus services such as timetable changes and fare changes and also to inform you of special offers and other related products and services.

CORRUPT AND DAMAGED CARD POLICY

Where a card is faulty and the fault is not because of your failure to take care of it, we will replace it free of charge and will endeavor to replace any unused credits.

Where a card malfunctions because we reasonably believe it has been misused or you have failed to take care of it, we reserve the right to charge £5 for its replacement, and we will endeavor to replace any unused products. This charge may be waived if a replacement or new product is purchased.

Irrespective of the policy above, we reserve the right to withdraw the card at any time.

Variation

Plymouth Citybus reserves the right to vary these Terms and Conditions from time to time.