HSL ticket prices in the Helsinki region will rise by an average of 1.8 percent at the beginning of 2027, while a new fare cap for contactless payments will help passengers avoid paying more than the cost of a day ticket when making several journeys.
Helsinki Regional Transport (HSL) will introduce the fare cap on Monday, 2 November 2026. The change applies to adult single tickets purchased using contactless payment and is designed to make paying for multiple journeys easier.
Under the new system, HSL will calculate the total cost of eligible tickets purchased with the same payment method, starting with the first purchase. Once the combined amount reaches the price of a 24-hour ticket for the relevant travel zones, passengers will not be charged for additional journeys during the applicable period.
The cap depends on the zones in which passengers travel. For example, a 24-hour ticket covering zones AB costs EUR 10.60. The system is intended to remove the need for passengers to predict how many journeys they will make in a day or decide in advance whether a day ticket offers better value.
However, passengers need to use the same payment method for the cap to apply. A physical bank card and mobile payments made through a digital wallet linked to that same card are treated as separate payment methods. As a result, purchases made using the two methods will not be combined towards a single fare cap.
The scheme also has limits. It applies only to adult single tickets paid for through contactless payment. Tickets purchased through the HSL mobile app or with an HSL travel card are excluded, so passengers using those options will not benefit from the new contactless fare cap.
The fare cap comes as HSL prepares to increase ticket prices from the beginning of 2027. The HSL board decided on Tuesday to raise fares by an average of 1.8 percent across its public transport network.
In the popular AB zone, which covers travel within central Helsinki and surrounding areas, the price of an adult single ticket will increase from EUR 3.30 to EUR 3.35, a rise of approximately 1.5 percent.
Not all passengers will face higher single-ticket prices. Children’s single tickets and single tickets for passengers eligible for the 50 percent discount will remain unchanged across all zones.
The two changes will affect passengers in different ways. The fare increase will raise the cost of some journeys in 2027, while the contactless payment cap will offer a more predictable way to pay for several trips in one day. Passengers who regularly use public transport will need to consider both the ticket prices and the payment method they use when travelling around the Helsinki region.
HSL has published further details of the contactless payment change in its official announcement.
