Transport Association: From June 1, bus tickets 30 lek more if paid by card

2026-05-26 08:22:00, Aktualitet CNA

If, from June 1, public transport operators start using the POS/POI system for payments, a bus ticket for citizens will not cost 40 lek, which is the current price, but will cost 30 lek more.

If the citizen chooses not to pay for the bus ticket in cash, but with a bank card, through the POS system, the price paid by him will be 75% more or 30 lek more.

According to Tax notifications, by May 30, all businesses that make cash sales, including the transportation sector, are required to be equipped with POS/POI terminals.

The National Association of Urban Transport raises serious concerns about the costs and applicability of this process in urban transport.

According to the association, if citizens choose to pay for their bus ticket with a bank card rather than cash through POS devices, the transaction cost could significantly increase the current ticket price of 40 lek. The fixed bank fee for a transaction alone amounts to 30 lek, not including percentage commissions and other operating costs.

In a letter addressed to the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Infrastructure, General Directorate of Taxes, Municipality of Tirana and Directorate of Road Transport, the association emphasizes that the sector operates with a very high volume of transactions and a very low value for each individual payment.

According to the National Association of City Transport, the fees communicated by banks for the use of POS/POI terminals include:

-Commission for transactions with national VISA/MasterCard cards: up to 2.70% for each transaction;

-Commission for international cards: up to 3.20% for each transaction;

-Fixed fee for each transaction: 30 lek / 0.30 euro;

-POS terminal installation fee: 5,000 lek;

-POS terminal monthly maintenance fee: 1,000 lek/month;

-Commission for non-use of POS terminal: 1,000 lek/month;

-Cost of POS terminal in contractual cases: up to 50,000 lek;

-Commission for chargeback procedures: 500 lek per case.

The association warns that, with an urban ticket costing only 40 lek, the fixed transaction fee alone accounts for almost the entire value of the ticket, creating serious uncertainties over the economic feasibility of the system.

Operators are seeking clarification from institutions on how the system will be implemented, whether costs will be covered by the state, operators or citizens, as well as whether there will be a transitional period and unified electronic payment models for urban public transport.

"Considering the fact that an urban ticket costs only 40 lek, it turns out that only the fixed fee of 30 lek per transaction constitutes almost the entire value of the ticket, not including percentage commissions and other operating costs. Under these conditions, the implementation of this system presents serious uncertainties regarding its economic feasibility in urban public transport.

For this reason, we request clarification on the following issues:

-Will the installation of POS/POI devices be mandatory on every individual urban bus or at other operator service points?

-How is the card payment process planned to be implemented on urban buses, given the high passenger flow and the very limited time spent at stations?

-Have rates or ceilings been set on bank commissions for transactions carried out through POS/POI for the public transport sector?

-Since the value of a ticket is only 40 lek, we request clarification on whether the commissions and fees will be borne by the operators, citizens, or will be subsidized by the state.

-Is there any financial support mechanism foreseen by the state for the equipment with POS/POI terminals and their maintenance costs?

-Is there a unified electronic payment model (subscription card, QR, electronic citizen card, mobile application or other system), designed specifically for public transport?

-Is a transitional period foreseen for the public transport sector, taking into account the need for technical investments, training and infrastructure adaptation?

-Will there be specific instructions for fiscal treatment and electronic ticket issuance procedures in this sector?

"The association appreciates the initiatives for formalization and modernization, but considers that implementation in the urban public transport sector requires special technical and economic analysis, due to the nature of the service, very low tariffs and the very high number of daily transactions ," the letter states. /Monitor