Traveling around the city via public transportation has become noticeably cheaper thanks to nationwide discounts. But the first few trips surprised many city residents. Despite the announced price reduction, some people noticed that their mobile banking apps had deducted or blocked a round amount of exactly one euro instead of the expected 55 cents.
Dopravný podnik Bratislava clarified the situation. It turns out that such notifications do not indicate an overcharge or a glitch in the electronic payment system.
How the system works and where the euro goes
The confusion arose due to the specific way the contactless payment system operates directly on public transportation. When a passenger taps a bank card, smartphone, or smartwatch on the validator using the convenient TAPni sa service, the banking system does not immediately charge for a specific single-ride ticket.
The transportation authority assures that the one-euro amount is merely a temporary hold on the account.
- Funds are temporarily held. The system creates a temporary request to verify the card’s solvency.
- Aggregated payment. Trips taken during the day are totaled, and the actual charge occurs later in a single combined transaction.
- Spending limit protection. This mechanism ensures a daily spending cap is applied, preventing passengers from spending more than the set maximum limit in a single day.
When the bank finally processes the payment, the amount will be debited from the account, taking the discount into account. You can check the actual status of your credited trips and generate receipts on the dedicated portal ecard.dpb.sk.
How Much Do Trips Cost Now
The temporary 50% fare reduction will remain in effect until November 10, 2026. The following updated fares apply within city zones 100 and 101:
- A basic 30-minute ticket via TAPni sa costs €0.55.
- A 60-minute ticket costs 0.80 €.
- The daily cap has been lowered to 2.43 €, after which all subsequent trips within a 24-hour period are free.
Transportation authorities are reminding passengers of important details. For example, discounted 30-day and 7-day passes can only be purchased until October 26, 2026, after which their prices will return to standard rates. It is not advisable to stock up on old-style paper tickets, as they cannot be refunded once the discount period ends.
