Kyiv residents will get a refund for unused trips at the old fare in the 'Kyiv Digital' app

Following the change in fares for public transport in Kyiv, passengers who have unused trips left on their transport card that were purchased at the old price will receive their value in cash equivalent. The funds will be automatically credited to the balance of the transport card in the 'Kyiv Digital' app. This applies to trips that were on the card as of 14 September inclusive: the corresponding amount will be transferred to the 'My Wallet' section within a week.

How the refund amount is calculated

The amount credited to the balance will be exactly the value of the unused trips at the old fare, not the new one. For example, if there are 10 trips left on the transport card, purchased at 6.5 hryvnia each, then 65 hryvnia will be credited to 'My Wallet'. Thus, the size of the refund depends directly on the price at which the unused trips were originally purchased.

How to spend the credited money

The received funds can be used to pay for travel at the current fares. To purchase trips with the credited money, you need to use the corresponding section in the 'Kyiv Digital' app. In addition, funds from 'My Wallet' can be used directly at the validator — with both a plastic and a digital transport card. If there are no purchased trips on the card, the validator will deduct 30 hryvnia per trip from 'My Wallet'.

Contradictory data

The official wording of the refund example uses a price of 6.5 hryvnia per trip at the old fare. At the same time, a number of publications covering the fare change mention tickets at 8 hryvnia. The difference is explained by the fact that the refund amount is tied to the price at which the specific passenger actually purchased the trips, and may vary depending on the package and the date of purchase. Users are advised to check the amount against their purchase history in the app to make sure the crediting was done correctly.

Context: fare increase

As a reminder, on 15 July the cost of travel on Kyiv's public transport was raised: a trip on the metro, buses, trolleybuses, trams and the funicular now costs 30 hryvnia. From 1 August, the cost of travel on Kyiv's minibus routes (marshrutkas) also increased — on most routes the fare rose from 20 to 25 hryvnia. Carriers explain the price increase by rising fuel prices, parts and vehicle maintenance costs, as well as a shortage of drivers.