The Key smartcard
Welcome to the key
Already got a key card? - login to your account here
What is the key?
The key is our electronic smartcard and is a great way of paying for travel on Metrobus services.
The tickets available on the key are our period Metrorider and Metrovoyager area tickets. Horsham Park & Ride tickets and Gatwick Travelcard tickets are all available on the key.
Tickets are valid for unlimited travel within those zones. The Metrovoyager ticket is valid on all our services as many times as you want for the period purchased.
If you aren't sure which Metrorider zone is applicable to you, please view the zone map below:
View the Metrorider & Metrovoyager zone map
View Metrorider and Metrovoyager fares on the key here
How do you use the key?
When you board the bus, just place your key card on the ticket machine reader and wait for the green light, then take your seat.
How do you get a key card?
You can register online here if you are an adult and we will post it out to you. You can also register for a key card at our travel shops at Crawley Bus Station or Redhill Bus Station.
Children and Gatwick Travelcard holders will need to register, in person, at our Travel Shops at Crawley Bus Station or Redhill Bus Station. You will need relevant ID for a Child or Gatwick Travelcard.
Students will need to register, in person, at Crawley Bus Station Travel Shop, with relevant ID.
Once you have your key card you can purchase online - it is slightly cheaper to buy your ticket online than at our travel shops.
Other info
When you buy your ticket online, your new ticket will be available to use on the bus within 5 hours.
When buying online you can also pay via PayPal.
You can top up your key card at our travel shops in Crawley and Redhill Bus Station. If you buy tickets at the travel shops then they are ready to use immediately.
Your ticket doesn't start until you first use it, so you don't need to worry about start dates (except annuals), and you can have multiple tickets on your card at once.
Check out our FAQ's for further details
Please note: Ticket machines are programmed to accept a variety of cards and passes. We recommend storing credit and debit cards separate to smart cards, concessionary passes and mobile tickets to avoid accidently paying with the token. This happens very rarely.
On the rare occasion that a credit or debit card is accidently scanned instead of a pass or mobile ticket, please contact customer services who will issue a full refund.