Bus Vannin has addressed a long-standing question from the Manx public regarding the mysterious 10p charge that occasionally appears on bank statements after passengers pay for bus fares using contactless payments.

In a statement, the island’s bus operator clarified that the charge is not actually taken from passengers' accounts and is not controlled by Bus Vannin or even local banks.

Instead, it is a test transaction carried out by Mastercard.

A spokesperson for Bus Vannin explained: ‘We regularly get asked about the 10p charge that sometimes appears in your bank transactions, so here’s a quick guide to what is happening.

‘First of all, it’s important to note that it’s nothing to do with us, it’s not even anything to do with your bank - it’s all about Mastercard.

‘It’s a test transaction that the company performs just to make sure that the card isn’t reported lost or stolen.

‘But it only ever appears as a Pending Authorisation. Once it is complete, the correct amount is charged, and the 10p charge disappears.’

Bus Vannin reassured passengers that this is a standard process used by many transport companies across the UK, including Arriva, First, and Go-Ahead bus services.

The 10p is never deducted permanently and automatically disappears from the account once the payment is processed.

For anyone concerned, checking their online banking will show that while the pending transaction may appear temporarily on the day of travel, the final charge will reflect only the correct fare.

A Bus Vannin spokesperson added that it hopes that this explanation will put an end to some of the confusion surrounding the 10p issue, which they say has puzzled a few of their passengers for some time.