Payments, refunds, cancellations and replacement passes
How to pay
Online
You can pay online using our secure website and use a debit or credit card to pay for school transport.
You will need your customer reference number and child's date of birth. If you don't have your customer reference number, you can find it by using our travel pass search form.
By telephone
Use our 24-hour automated telephone payment line and pay by debit or credit card.
By post
Send a cheque or postal order with:
- The remittance slip enclosed with your original payment letter or
- A covering letter with your child's name, date of birth and customer reference number to:
Travel and Transport
Norfolk County Council
County Hall
Martineau Lane
Norwich
NR1 2DH
Cheques should be made payable to Norfolk County Council and have the student's name and customer reference number written on the back.
See below to find out how much you'll need to pay.
The Discretionary Travel Scheme
For further details please see our information sheet for 2023-24 (PDF) [170KB] or see our section 'What to do if your child does not qualify for free transport'.
If we can offer discretionary transport the costs for 2023-24 are as follows:
- Children attending their local school and living within the qualifying distance
- Primary - £93 per term
- Secondary - £125 per term
- Children not attending their local school
- Primary - £125 per term
- Secondary - £160 per term
If you pay after a half term holiday you will pay half of the above for the rest of the term and then the full amounts for the remaining term, or terms.
If we can offer discretionary transport the costs for 2024-25 are as follows:
- Children attending their local school and living within the qualifying distance
- Primary - £97 per term
- Secondary - £130 per term
- Children not attending their local school
- Primary - £130 per term
- Secondary - £166 per term
If you pay after a half term holiday you will pay half of the above for the rest of the term and then the full amounts for the remaining term, or terms.
Reimbursement for travel costs incurred before your pass arrives
You may be able to claim back money spent on travel if you applied before 31 July and there was a delay in issuing your pass.
If you apply after 31 July you can't claim a refund for bus or train tickets purchased, unless the pass issued was incorrect and unusable.
To apply for a refund send your request, together with the tickets purchased, to:
Travel and Transport
Norfolk County Council
County Hall
Martineau Lane
Norwich
NR1 2DH
The tickets must have been purchased at a cost-effective rate and be appropriate to the age of the pupil and the days they attended.
The travel and transport team may request confirmation of attendance from the school for audit purposes.
All refunds will be at the discretion of the appropriate Travel and Transport Manager.
Cancel a travel pass or other travel arrangements
You must tell us if your child's travel pass or other arrangements are no longer required.
Email educationtransport@norfolk.gov.uk or write a letter to the address below, confirming your child's details and stating that travel assistance is no longer required.
Travel and Transport
Norfolk County Council
County Hall
Martineau Lane
Norwich
NR1 2DH
Refunds for travel passes
If you pay for school transport and cancel your pass, you may get some money back. The amount you'll get depends on when you cancel:
- Cancel travel arrangements or send the pass back, so we receive it before the start of the school year, and you'll get a full refund
- Return the travel pass during the year we will give you a refund based on the amount you've paid, less the time the travel pass/arrangement has been used, to the nearest full half-term. There will also be a £13 admin fee
- After the May half-term, refunds will only be given if you cancel travel arrangements by 31 May or you return the travel pass and it is received by us by 31 May. The post-16 charges are only a small contribution to the overall costs of the transport being provided
How to apply for a refund
Please send a letter requesting a refund, with the travel pass securely attached, to:
Travel and Transport
Norfolk County Council
County Hall
Martineau Lane
Norwich
NR1 2DH
If we don't receive the pass, you won't be able to get a refund unless you can prove you sent it to us - make sure to get proof of postage.
If we have to withdraw a spare seat offered under the discretionary travel scheme, we'll offer you a refund when you return the pass, to the nearest full half-term.
Any refund given will be at our discretion and our decision is final.
Replace a lost, stolen or damaged pass or change details
If your child's travel pass is:
- Lost
- Stolen
- Damaged - so that the smartcard no longer scans
- Reissued - when it is possible to change details at the applicant's request
you can get a replacement for £13.
You'll need your customer reference number to apply. If you don't have it, you can find it by using the travel pass search form.
If you want to pay by post, write a letter confirming your child's details and stating that you need a replacement travel pass.
Send it with a cheque or postal order made payable to Norfolk County Council, with your child's name, date of birth and address written on the back, to:
Travel and Transport
Norfolk County Council
County Hall
Martineau Lane
Norwich
NR1 2DH
Primary schools
Primary pupils will be able to travel without a pass on contracted services for up to five days. You must apply for a replacement pass as soon as possible.
Secondary schools
Pupils travelling to secondary school on contracted services will be refused travel without a valid pass.
Those travelling on a local bus service will have to pay the appropriate daily fare. These fares can't be claimed back.
Secondary schools will issue a temporary pass that can be used for up to two weeks while your replacement is processed.