Arriva charged my account via NFC even though I presented a return ticket

triade

I took a bus journey last Wednesday and paid for a return ticket. I paid using google pay NFC. Upon my return journey, I scanned my return ticket. The next day I noticed two charges appeared on my account. one for the return ticket I bought and then another for slightly less.  I have contacted my bank and they told me the first charge was at the time of my outward journey and the second was at the time of my return journey. I did not scan my phone on the return journey as I had a paper ticket. I don't understand how this has happened, but it seems they have scanning devices at the door of the bus? have they scanned my NFC as i entered and exited the bus? This seems very dangerous if so. I have contacted arriva to obtain a refund, but I am now worried about boarding any bus in future. I keep my NFC off by default, but my bank card and credit card both have contactless on them too.

MSE_James

Just to be crystal clear, you bought a paper ticket on the bus (paid for using Google Pay) and then scanned the paper ticket on the return journey?

Could your phone have been near the ticket machine when you showed the ticket?

I suspect the rise of 'tap on tap off' ticketing is going to cause more issues with clashes between payment methods.

I had problems recently (on a Brighton & Hove bus, part of Go-Ahead) when presenting a barcode ticket on my phone to a ticket machine that was also set up for Tap on Tap Off.  I had to turn off the Express Travel Card option in Apple Pay so that showing the barcode to the app didn't trigger a 'tap on' with Apple Pay. 

triade

MSE_James said:

Just to be crystal clear, you bought a paper ticket on the bus (paid for using Google Pay) and then scanned the paper ticket on the return journey?

Could your phone have been near the ticket machine when you showed the ticket?

That's correct.

my phone was in my bag, but I believe there was a scan thing by the door. I might be misremembering, but i think I saw a round panel at the entrance with a wireless symbol on it.

as you mention tap on, tap off... it's possible that is what happened. when I purchased my return ticket, I scanned my phone  but the driver said something about it not being correct and asked me to scan it again. it's possible that first scan registered as a 'tap on' and so I got charged for a journey afterwards. 

I don't think so though. The second charge was at half six and a photo I took entering the pub before going home was stamped half five so there's a very good chance my return journey was at or around half six.