How to Buy Paris Metro Tickets on Your Phone in 2026

Quick Answer

Key facts

Two ways to carry tickets on your phone

There are two systems, and it helps to know which you are using:

1. Ticket on the phone — the ticket lives in Apple Wallet or the app, and you tap the phone itself at the gate.
2. Recharge a physical Navigo card — you hold a plastic Navigo Easy card to the back of your phone and load tickets onto it by NFC, then tap the card at the gate.

Most visitors with a modern phone use option 1. Option 2 is useful if your phone is older or you already have a Navigo card. For the card route, see Paris metro tickets.

Will your phone work?

• iPhone: to store tickets on the phone and tap to travel, you need an iPhone Xr or newer on iOS 17.5 or later. Older iPhones (from iPhone 7) can still be used to recharge a physical Navigo card.
• Android: you need an NFC-capable phone on Android 8 or newer.
• If your phone is too old or has no NFC, buy a Navigo Easy card and recharge it instead.

Method 1: Apple Wallet (iPhone, simplest)

For single tickets and day passes, you do not need any app.

1. Open Apple Wallet and tap the "+" in the top corner.
2. Tap Transit Card, search "France", and select Île-de-France Mobilités.
3. Choose your ticket — Metro-Train-RER (€2.55), Bus-Tram (€2.05), an airport ticket (€14) or a day pass (€12.30) — and the quantity.
4. Pay with Apple Pay. No account is needed for these tickets.
5. At the gate, hold the top of your iPhone flat against the purple reader. With Express Mode, you do not need to unlock the phone.

You can also add and buy tickets on an Apple Watch through the Wallet app.

Method 2: The apps (Android, and for weekly/monthly)

Use the Île-de-France Mobilités or Bonjour RATP app when you are on Android, or when you want a weekly or monthly pass.

1. Install Île-de-France Mobilités or Bonjour RATP from your app store.
2. Open the Tickets section and choose where to load: On phone or On Navigo pass.
3. Select the ticket or pass, and if asked, the date, zones and quantity.
4. Pay with a bank card, Apple Pay (iPhone) or Samsung Pay (Android). A receipt is emailed to you.
5. To validate a phone ticket, hold the phone to the reader. In Bonjour RATP, open Tickets and tap "Validate" next to the ticket as you reach the validator. If you loaded onto a Navigo card, tap the card instead.

Note: a weekly or monthly pass needs a free IDFM Connect account, and the personalised weekly pass asks for your name and photo. Single tickets and day passes do not.

Which tickets can you buy on your phone?

You can buy the Metro-Train-RER ticket, the Bus-Tram ticket, the airport ticket, day/weekly/monthly passes, reduced fares and even a Vélib' day pass. One rule to remember: you cannot buy an airport ticket if a Metro-Train-RER ticket is already on the device — they cannot sit together, so use them one at a time or split them between your phone and a Navigo card.

Validating and using the ticket

• Tap to enter: place the phone flat on the round purple reader; the gate opens. On buses and trams, tap the on-board validator.
• Underground works fine: NFC does not need phone signal, so tapping works in tunnels.
• A single ticket lasts 120 minutes after you first validate it, for transfers within the metro, RER and train network. See transfer rules.
• One person per ticket: you cannot tap one phone through the gate for two people. Each traveller needs their own phone and their own ticket.

The battery problem — and the fix

If your phone is dead, you usually cannot validate a phone ticket. iPhone Express Mode keeps a small power reserve that may let you tap for a few hours after the battery is too low to use, but do not rely on it.

The safe backup is simple: keep a physical Navigo Easy card with a ticket loaded, or, for buses only, tap a contactless bank card, which needs no battery. See paying contactless on Paris buses.

Who should use phone tickets?

• Solo travellers with a recent phone: ideal — skip the machine queues and the €2 card fee.
• Couples and groups: fine, but each person needs their own phone; you cannot share one.
• Older-phone users: buy a Navigo Easy card and recharge it by NFC, or at a machine.
• Anyone worried about battery: carry a Navigo Easy card as backup.

Common mistakes

• Assuming any phone works. You need an iPhone Xr+/iOS 17.5+ or an NFC Android 8+ to store tickets on the phone.
• Letting the battery die with no backup card.
• Trying to pass two people on one phone. One ticket is for one person.
• Buying an airport ticket while a city ticket is on the device. They cannot coexist.
• Thinking a bought ticket is enough. You must still tap to validate before you travel.
• Expecting Google Wallet to store these tickets. On Android, use the IDFM or Bonjour RATP app.

Conclusion

On a modern iPhone, the fastest route is Apple Wallet: add the Île-de-France Mobilités card, buy a €2.55 ticket with Apple Pay, and tap to ride — no app, no account. On Android, use the Île-de-France Mobilités or Bonjour RATP app. Whichever you choose, keep a Navigo Easy card as a battery backup, and remember that each traveller needs their own phone. Not sure which app to install? See our app comparison below.