The so-called ‘touch-in, touch-out’ system was first introduced in London in 2012 and allows visitors to the UK capital to simply tap their bank card at either end of their journey to pay their fare, eliminating the need for tickets. Since then it has been rolled out in French cities including Brest, Lyon and Marseille.

The French capital has been slower off the mark, but on Friday the regional public transport network Ile de France Mobilities announced that it will begin to roll out this system on the Metro, starting with the most popular tourist lines.

Paris buses have been equipped with direct card-payment terminals since 2025, but entry to the Metro still requires a ticket, pass or app. There was no announcement about a similar system for the city's tram network, or the RER suburban trains.

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IDFM president Valérie Pecresse did not give a precise timetable for the rollout, but said that it will begin "soon" and will be aimed at tourists, beginning on the lines most popular with visitors.

She did not give details, but it seems that the tap-in bank card payments will be charged at the regular price of €2.50, meaning that locals will still most likely opt for Navigo passes, which offer a discounted per-journey rate.

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Paris public transport system has been gradually phasing out paper tickets, and since the start of the year passengers can only buy tickets via a pass or on the Ile de France Mobilites or Bonjour RATP apps.

Visitors have complained that the system is too complicated and time-consuming for tourists who simply want to purchase a single journey.

Consumer groups too have long been in favour of the ‘touch-in’ system, which is seen as one of the more simple solutions for public transport payments. The president of the Plus de Trains association said existing ‘ticketless’ systems, such as the IDFM app are “not user friendly”.

The rollout of bank card payments has been made more straightforward by the ending of the zone system, meaning that people will not have to 'tap out' at the end of the journey in order to calculate the price of their ticket. Instead, all journeys within the greater Paris region (with the exception of airport tickets) are priced at a flat fee of €2.50.

Having a weekly, monthly, annual or pay-as-you go Navigo card gives subscribers a discounted price of €2.04 per journey.