With the CARRISway app, you can top up your Navegante pass, zapping balance and other transport tickets directly from your cell phone, without queues or hassle.
A Carris overtook Transportes Metropolitanos de Lisboa (TML)and launched an app for Android and iOS phones which allows not only the loading of passes Navigatorbut also the balance zapping and other tickets. It's called CARRISway and is available free of charge.
A CARRISway allows the loading passes and tickets onto Navegante cards (the "hard" ones; they don't give occasional cards) via cell phone. The application, which is compatible with Android and iOS devices with NFC (most recent/in-use cell phones), was developed by the consulting firm DXspark and the Carris Information Technology team.
"CARRISway makes everyday life easier for public transport users"Carris explains that passengers can now avoid queues at ATMs or service counters and top up their cards directly on their cell phones. CARRISway not only allows you to top up your passes Navegante Municipal (30 €/month) and Metropolitan (40 €/month), but also the Carreiras de Bairro pass (10 €/month), which allows you to use only the Carris proximity network, or the balance zapping (to spend with any operator).
Regarding Navegante Municipal, a he Carris app only allows the loading of passes from the municipalities where the operator is present, namely: Almada, Amadora, Lisboa, Loures, Odivelas and Oeiras. Passengers from other municipalities can use the Pick Hub app, which is also available for Android and iOS, and works in a similar way.
Using CARRISway is very simple. To load your pass or other transport ticket, simply hold your Navegante card against the back of your phone, click on "Start Reading" and follow the steps. At the end of the process, you will be issued with a proof of loading and an invoice. Sometimes the card and cell phone may not communicate well, but it's a matter of trying again.
At CARRISway, payments can be made by MB Way or by credit card, and it is possible to load several transport tickets at the same time onto the Navegante card. The Carris app has advantages over the Pick Hub, namely balance loading zapping (which is very useful for occasional passengers) and the loading of passes Navigator free of charge to which employees of Lisbon City Council (and municipal companies) have access.
You can download CARRISway for Android or for iOS.
Carris is also developing a new customer area on its website, which will allow passengers to check their history with Carris for up to three months.
For its part, TML is working on something similar to Carris, but with a metropolitan ambition and involving all the transport operators in the Lisbon metropolitan area. O Navegante portal will allow you to load passes, balance zapping and other transport tickets, as well as checking your balance and travel history. The portal will have a mobile application, which should also allow top-ups to be made via cell phone.
