The tallinja card is a personalised contactless card that will enable holders to top up any amount of money on it. The card can then be used to travel on all the buses in Malta and Gozo.
It is personalised because one can benefit from discounted fares, depending on the category as there are different fares for Adults, Students, Children, Kartanzjan holders, Special ID Card Holders and Gozo Residents. Therefore it cannot be shared.
The bus driver and inspector will reserve the right to ask you to show your tallinja card so that the photo and name can be verified. A penalty of €50 will apply if someone uses a card of someone else.
How to use the tallinja card
Upon receiving your tallinja card, you can top it up with additional credit for trips on our bus service. This can be done using the following options:
• By accessing the top up page and paying by Credit/Debit Card or top up voucher
• By buying a top up voucher from one of various outlets and topping up using your phone
• By visiting any MaltaPost post office and topping up in cash
• By visiting any of our outlets and topping up in cash or Credit/Debit card
When topping up, make sure you enter the correct customer number. If an error is made and a customer number other than yours is used, we are not liable to refund any funds.
When boarding a bus, keep your tallinja card handy, and tap it on the reader next to the driver. When doing so, make sure you get a green light on the reader together with a chime. This means that the card has been validated and accepted, and you can then proceed towards the back of the bus to take a seat.
A red light and a different chime means the card has not been accepted or validated, and that you would need to purchase a ticket to be allowed to board the bus. Failure to validate the card or have a valid ticket may result in you incurring a penalty.
When you validate your card, the fare deducted from your credit depends on a number of factors, the main one being the type of card you have, Adult, Concession, Student or any other. The capping is calculated for usage on day services. Night Service bus fares are also reduced from your credit, but do not contribute towards the capping.
Capping is a feature that will allow you not to spend more than a specific amount for a specific time period. Different capping levels exist for different types of cards. When the capping amount is reached for a specific time period according to the card type, your credit is no longer deducted when validating the tallinja card.
More detailed information on capping can be found here.
What fare should I choose?
The tallinja card is an intelligent card which will ensure that you are charged the cheapest fare at all times. If for example you travel regularly it will make sure you do not get charged more than €26 within the same calendar month (or €21 in the case of Student tallinja card holders), excluding night services. In the case of Kartanzjan Holders or Children between 4 and 10 years, the system will not charge you more than €0.50 in the same day, or €2.00 in the same calendar week, irrespective of how many times you swipe your card (excluding night services).
Those who would like to use their card on Night Services will pay €2.50, instead of €3.00 (the fee paid directly on the bus). Payment of Night Services though, is not part of the capping system, for any card type.
How can I check my balance on my tallinja card?
You can check your balance at any time by clicking here.
The balance on your tallinja card will also appear on the card reader on the bus every time you swipe the card when boarding.
For further information on the tallinja card, please read the Terms and Conditions.