Waltti – Trouble-free travel card

Waltti is a nationwide public transport ticketing system, currently already in operation in many urban areas. Waltti is based on zoned pricing and similar ticket products in different urban areas.

Using a Waltti travel card makes it easier to travel, as the tickets are similar in different cities, so you can also use your travel card outside of your home municipality. In addition to being able to use Waltti in different regions, another benefit is its versatile loading network. You can load your Waltti card online, at service points, at several local ticket sales points, from self-service ticket machines, and on board.

The Waltti system was developed by Waltti Solutions Oy, which is an IT services and procurements company owned by municipalities and public bodies.

How does it work?

Travel card

Passengers can choose either a personal card or a multi-user card. The easiest way to buy a personal travel card is from the online Waltti web shop, where you can also load a ticket product onto the card at the same time. You can also purchase a card from your local service point or from named sales points. Multi-user travel cards can only be purchased from a service point or named sales points.

Passengers can choose either a personal card or a multi-user card, which is suitable for shared use, e.g. by families and companies. A multi-user card can be used by anyone who belongs to the same customer group. Personal cards may only be used by the card owner.

Did you know, that if you lose your personal card, the personalisation of the card personalisation allows for the value of the card or season ticket to be transferred to a new card? A multi-user travel card, however, always corresponds to the possession and use of cash money, so a lost multi-user card cannot be closed, nor can the ticket products on it be transferred to another card.

Value and season tickets loaded onto a Waltti card

The Waltti card works in two different ways: as a value ticket or as a season ticket. You can use the value ticket to pay for individual journeys while a season ticket allows for unlimited travel in the zone of your choice within a specific timeframe. A season ticket’s validity period begins from the first time the ticket is used. You can of course load both kinds of ticket onto the same card and use the value or season ticket according to your travel needs. Value loaded onto the travel card can also be used on public transport in other Waltti regions. The season ticket is only meant to be used in your own region.

If you like, you can also use the Waltti-kortinlukija  card reader app to quickly and easily check the remaining value or validity period on your Waltti card. The Waltti-kortinlukija app is free and can be downloaded from Google Play.

Waltti mobile tickets

Waltti mobile ticket is an easy way to purchase the ticket for example when you need to get on the trip quickly or a travel card is missing. Waltti mobile tickets can also be used in several other Waltti cities. Those cities can be found on the same application.

With Waltti mobile you can buy single or daily tickets, as well as 30-day season tickets in some cities. The Journey Planner is an integral part of the Waltti app and with it you can also search for a suitable bus connection or check the timetable.

The ticket will become valid as soon as the purchase is accepted, and it grants unlimited travel in the selected zone(s) for the duration of the ticket. You can change to another bus during the ticket validity period, which can be seen on the tickets tab.

The ticket should be placed on the bus card reader for every journey. Mobile tickets are shown to the QR code reader. If the bus does not yet have a card reader, the driver will inspect your ticket. The QR code and the remaining validity period are displayed on the ticket. With the same app you can buy multiple single or daily tickets at the same time.

It is worth registering with the service because if you change phones or your phone is broken, stolen or lost, it allows you to transfer a valid season ticket to your new phone. You can also use the service without registering. In cities where a season ticket is on sale, the user must register and be logged in to the app to purchase a season ticket.

You pay for tickets using payment methods accepted by city, such as Visa, Visa Electron or Mastercard (debit or credit), mobile payment, or MobilePay. Receipts for your purchases are visible in Waltti Mobile.

Waltti ticket (day tickets)

A Waltti ticket is a convenient method of payment if you travel rarely, or plan to travel several times on one or several days. It’s an excellent choice for tourists, for example. When purchasing the ticket, you can choose the number of days on which you would like to travel within a timeframe specified by the selected travel area (1-60 days). More detailed information on the terms of use, prices and sales points is available on the public transport websites for each Waltti region.

Single ticket

A single ticket is a paper ticket purchased by paying the fare in cash on board. The validity period and applicable travel zones are printed on the ticket. You can also purchase single tickets and day tickets in advance from ticket machines using a debit or credit card.

Loading a card

Online store

You can use the Waltti web shop to load your travel card as a guest, or register and create your own user account. Wider services are available to users who create a Waltti web shop account. You can link several cards to your account, which allows you to use the linked cards immediately and load them directly. You can also see previous purchases in the user account. Registering is easy and requires only an e-mail and password.

If you load a card using the Waltti web shop, the ticket will be loaded onto the card but will only be visible once the card is read by an on-board card reader after loading.

It is a good idea to load a card online in good time before you need to travel. It may take from two hours to two days for a ticket loaded online to be transferred and visible on a card reader. Before that time, it will not be possible to travel using the loaded ticket product.

Service points and sales points

You can also load a ticket product onto a Waltti travel card at service and sales points. Waltti sales points are listed on the public transport website for your region.

Loading on board

It is also possible to load additional journeys onto an existing card on most buses. Check loading and payment options in advance on your region’s public transport website or the region’s service point.

Self-service ticket machines

You can also load your travel card using ticket machines. You can check the public transport website for your region to see whether ticket machines are in use and where they are located.

Service points

If you need advice or help using public transport, please contact a service point. You can also purchase and load travel cards at service points. Complaints, feedback, card closures and lost cards are also handled and stored at service points.

You can find the contact information for cities’ public transport websites and service points listed underneath each city.

Other transport services

Journey planner

The Journey planner provides a real-time public transport journey planner. The service finds your location and tells you the closest lines, stops, routes and timetables. It filters out unnecessary information and tells you the smoothest way to get to your destination.

The Journey planner service works on all devices, but is designed to best serve mobile users. The Journey planner is undergoing continuous development based on feedback and users’ wishes.

Journey planner services are available in: Hämeenlinna, Joensuu, Jyväskylä, Kotka, Kouvola, Kuopio, Lahti, Lappeenranta, Mikkeli, Oulu, Rovaniemi and Turku.

Waltti Card Reader

If you like, you can use the Waltti Card Reader app to quickly and easily check the remaining value or validity period on your Waltti card or Waltti day ticket.

The Waltti Card Reader app can be downloaded free of charge from Google Play. The application works on phones and tablets that are NFC-capable and on Android OS devices. If you touch a Waltti card with an NFC-capable phone, the Waltti Card Reader app will display valid season tickets, remaining value, the most recent value ticket and previous journeys made using the travel card. The app can also be used to e-mail yourself receipt information for the most recently purchased value ticket. The application only reads Waltti travel cards and day tickets.

City bikes

Several cities are aiming to increase cycling’s share of urban traffic and are supporting this goal by offering a city bike service. In Waltti cities, the city bike service can be combined with the existing Waltti system, which makes it easier for public transport customers to start using city bikes. If a city uses a city bike service that is compatible with the Waltti system, you can register as a user by using the Waltti web shop or the Waltti mobile app. You can purchase the bike product as soon as you have completed the registration required to use the bike. You can begin to use the bike with a cyclist ID (provided upon registration) and a PIN code, or using a Waltti travel card and a PIN code.