Tap your NEC to get free bus travel
If you are aged between 16 and 21 and have an active NEC or Young Scot NEC, you can download your free bus travel using the Transport Scot Pass Collect app.
Please note, any NECs which are dedicated matriculation cards aren’t compatible with the app.
If you are aged 5-15, then a parent, guardian, or carer must apply on your behalf. As the app cannot store personal data, there is no way to verify who the person making the application is, who the child is, and know that the person making the application is authorised to act on behalf of that child.
Find out more about other ways to apply.
The app is updated regularly, so free bus travel is available to collect as soon as you turn 16.
You can download the Transport Scot Pass Collect App from the App Store or Google Play Store. The app works with most smartphones and some tablets.
To download and use the app you need:
The app is simple and easy to use – just follow the instructions to read your card and download your free bus travel.
Watch this video from Young Scot for a useful step-by-step guide on how to use the app.
How to use the app
Follow the steps in this video to add free bus travel to your Young Scot National Entitlement Card. You’ll need to have it handy and have the Transport Scot Pass Collect App downloaded.
To collect free bus travel, follow the instructions in the app and place your card at the back of the phone. Hold it at the top for iOS and in the middle for Android, as shown below:
You can use the app to download someone else’s travel onto their card, or use their app to download your own.
You can also use the app to check what is on your card. There are a few different products which you might see on your card. For under 22s free bus travel, you should look for one or both of the following:
If you do not see one or both of the above when you read your card, you don’t have free bus travel entitlement.
If you are eligible, you can use the app to download free bus travel on to your card. Otherwise, you will need to apply for a new NEC with free bus travel.
If you live in Orkney or Shetland and are entitled to concessionary ferry travel to the mainland, you may also see ferry vouchers on the app as well as your free bus travel. This will look like:
Note that the letter within the brackets denote the entitlement code so may differ
If you see an error message when you’re using the app, the message will provide details about what has gone wrong and tell you what to do next or who to contact. Check the error messages below to help.
Check you are connected to the internet. If you’re connected via mobile network, check you have a strong signal.
If you have NFC, you may need to switch this on in your settings. NFC is the same service used for mobile contactless payment – you can check online or with your phone provider to see if your phone has this.
Please remember you need to be aged 16-21 and already have an active card. You can check your card is active (this means it was received after 2016) by looking for a long number next to the ITSO logo and if your date of birth is on it, it will be highlighted with a pink strip.
If you have already applied for a new card, this means your application has nearly finished being processed and your new card will be with you soon.
If your card is active, and you have not already applied for a new card, please contact us as there may be an issue with your card.
This message appears when there are too many people trying to collect travel entitlements at the same time. Please try again in a few minutes.
Remember to hold your card very still at the back of your phone. It’s important to place the card in the right place. This is usually at the top for iOS and in the middle for Android.
This message appears if you have lots of other travel tickets on your card. Please try again and if it still doesn’t work, please contact us.
If your card is full, the app will tell you and you may need to remove some old tickets to free up space. You can do this by presenting your card to the relevant operators’ ticket or gate machine and it should clear them for you automatically.
This message usually appears if you have accidentally moved your card when holding it to the phone. Try again, holding your phone and card steady. If you have a cover on your phone, please try removing this as well.
If it doesn’t work again after doing this, get in touch with us in case there is something wrong with your card.
This usually appears if you try and read a smartcard that is not an NEC or Young Scot NEC – for example, a ScotRail or Subway card.
This usually appears if you try and read an old NEC. If you are eligible to use the app and receive this message, you will need to apply for a new card.
This usually appears when your card is no longer valid and means you will need to apply for a new card.
This usually appears when you aren’t using your most recent card. Please find your most recent card and use this instead. If you cannot find the newer version, you will need to apply for a new card.
The app doesn’t store any personal information. You can read the full app terms and conditions for more information.
