About Our Pass

What is Our Pass?

Our Pass is a membership scheme for young people who live in Greater Manchester, and supports both school leavers and care leavers. Those eligible have the chance to become a member – and potentially enjoy two things:

First, free bus travel across Greater Manchester. For a one-off £10 fee, members can travel on most local buses, any day of the week, for free. No hassle, no fuss, no tickets: just a card that will get you where you want to go. Members can also get half-price off-peak 1 day and weekend travelcards on Metrolink.

Second, membership unlocks exclusive offers and experiences: discounts, special offers, free tickets, swimming and leisure passes, merchandise, career taster days and much more.

Depending on age and eligibility, members may be able to enjoy free bus travel or exclusive offers, or both, until the end of the pilot project on 31 August 2021.

Our Pass exclusives

Our Pass members get exclusive access to offers, events, discounts and experiences, from tickets to careers tasters, discounts and swimming and leisure passes. Our Pass exclusives are only open to our members – look out for the exclusives label across the site, or find out what exclusives are live on the site now. Alongside, you’ll also find listings for other events on our website that we think you might like; these events are open to anyone and, as we’re not responsible for these events, members should check individual organisation websites for full details before heading to a venue or event.

Have you registered for your website account?

To access exclusives, you’ll need to create a new website account. This is not the same as the account you set up when you applied for your travel card/pass. Have your card number handy (you’ll need the number on the back), and register for a website account here. Once registered, you’ll be able to log in to the website any time to apply for or take advantage of our member-only exclusives, offers, discounts, free tickets and special events.

Who is Our Pass for?

Our Pass is for eligible young people* who live in Greater Manchester. The travel pass can be used for up to two years, starting from 1 September after your 16th birthday, until 31 August after your 18th birthday (or until your 18th birthday, if this is 31 August). You can continue to use your igo card until you become eligible for Our Pass (igo cards expire on 31 August after your 16th birthday). If you’re not sure if you live in Greater Manchester, use the Government’s find your local council tool to check if you live in one of the following 10 local council areas:

• Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council
• Bury Metropolitan Borough Council
• Manchester City Council
• Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council
• Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council
• Salford City Council
• Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council
• Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council
• Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council
• Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council

*subject to eligibility

How do you apply?

Save time, and get everything ready before you apply. Already applied, but been rejected? Try our helpful guide for what to do if your application has been rejected (it does happen, but we’ll do all we can to get you back on track).

Five things you need before you apply

1. An email address. We’ll use this to send you updates on your application and set up your Our Pass account.

2. A passport style photo to upload. Using a camera phone or digital camera, ask someone to take a passport-style colour photo of you against a plain background. Make sure it’s just your head and shoulders. Photographs of photos, or blurred photos, will be rejected. Check the diagrams below for tips.

3. Proof of your date of birth. To be eligible, you need to have been born between 01/09/2002-31/08/2004. You will need to photograph, scan or colour copy a document that has your date of birth. Make sure the copy you upload is clear, and shows the whole document or page. Check the diagrams below for tips. Choose from the following documents:

• Passport
• Driving licence
• Birth or adoption certificate
• NHS medical card
• Biometric residence permit
• Valid UK ID card
• EU/ EEA ID card
• HM forces ID card

4. Proof that you live in Greater Manchester. You will need to photograph, scan or colour copy an official letter that has your address on it. We don’t accept letters from your school or college. Show the whole letter, so that we can see the letterhead AND your address. You can blank out any sensitive information. Check the diagrams below for tips. Choose from the following documents:

• Letter from HMRC or government agency e.g. Department for Work and Pensions or National Insurance number
• Driving licence

Or one of these, which have to have been issued within the last three months (make sure we can see the date on the copy you send us):

• Letter or statement from your bank or building society (you can download statements from most online banking accounts)
• Utility bill
• Mobile phone bill

5. A way to pay. There is a £10 administration charge, and so you’ll need a valid payment card with you (so that you can see both the front and the back of the card). Make sure that you know the billing address for this card.

Problems or questions?

Contact us if you need help

If you have any problems with your application, or have any questions, email us at help@d86.6bdv.ws or call us on 0300 323 0777.

Uploading your photo? Some extra tips:

The best format is .jpg. For iOS / Apple devices, go to settings / camera / formats, and choose “most compatible”. For Android devices, open the camera app, click the settings button (gear icon) / save options / unselect “HEIF pictures”.

The best picture size is 4:3. For iOS / Apple devices, open the camera app and “photo” setting will take images using this size. For Android devices, open the camera app, click the settings button (gear icon) / for rear camera or front camera (depending on which is used) and set the “picture size” to 4:3.

Application rejected?

Sometimes, applications are rejected because the wrong information has been supplied, or in the wrong format. If your application has been rejected because there’s a problem with your photo, proof of address or date of birth documents, you can upload new ones. You don’t need to pay again. Still struggling? Read our guide and find out what you can do to ensure your application is accepted, and then click the Manage Your Application button at the top of this page to edit your application.

When will you get your membership card?

If you’re successful in your application, you’ll usually receive your pass within 7-10 working days. If you’re applying from 1 July for membership that begins on 1 September 2020, your card will arrive in mid-August, so that it’s ready for you to begin using it in September. You can use your membership card straight away: head back to this site to activate your website account (so that you can get access to exclusive member offers), and use it immediately on buses (please check ahead: social distancing measures may restrict access to travel at times).

Lost or stolen card?

Contact us straight away, and we’ll let you know what you need to do next. If your card is lost, stolen or damaged there will be a £10 replacement fee. It can take 7-10 days for you to receive your replacement pass; please be patient while we send it to you.