How to Top Up Your Pop Card
There are several ways to add credit to your Pop Card — online, at a Metro station ticket machine, or by setting up automatic top-up. This guide walks you through each option.
Last updated: 6 May 2026
At a Metro station ticket machine
You can top up at any Metro station ticket machine. Top-ups at ticket machines are loaded onto your card immediately — you do not need to touch a validator separately after topping up at a machine.
Online at nexus.org.uk
You can top up online by registering your card at nexus.org.uk. After topping up online, you need to load the credit onto your card by touching it on a Metro station validator, gate, or ticket machine. Allow up to 48 hours after purchasing online before loading, though top-ups are often available the next day. Nexus cannot guarantee next-day availability.
Via the Pop App
The Pop App (available on iOS and Android) allows you to top up your registered Pop card. As with online top-ups, you then need to load the credit at a Metro station validator, gate, or ticket machine. Allow up to 48 hours.
Important: collecting your online top-up
If you top up online or via the app, the credit does not appear on your card automatically. You must touch your card on a Metro station validator, gate, or ticket machine to collect it. If you go straight to the gate without collecting, the credit will not be available for your journey.
Minimum top-up
The minimum top-up is £5.
Checking your balance
You can check your Pop card balance at any Metro station ticket machine, online at nexus.org.uk (allow up to 48 hours for this to be up to date), or on the gate or validator display when you touch out at a Metro station.