Rio Ends Cash Payments on Municipal Buses

Overview

• The city permanently stopped accepting cash on municipal buses on Sunday, June 28, 2026, and now requires payment through the Jaé app, any Jaé card or PIX on onboard validators.
• Transfer benefits from the Bilhete Único Carioca and Bilhete Único Margaridas are limited to riders registered in Jaé who use the app or the black Jaé card linked to a CPF.
• PIX payments and the green single-use Jaé card remain valid for single trips only and do not grant access to integration discounts.
• Officials point to high digital uptake to justify the move, saying about 96% of bus trips were already paid electronically and reporting more than 200,000 new Jaé users and over 345,000 PIX boardings during the rollout.
• The city expanded support for the change with roughly 1,600 issuance and recharge points, including more than 500 newsstands that can issue cards, and said yellow gratuity cards are unaffected; travelers who rely on transfers should register in Jaé to avoid higher costs.