Boost ticket verification

Ticket verification for Boost tickets on our app

Our Boost tickets are available for anyone 18 years and under and also available to students aged 19-21 who attend one of the local colleges or universities listed at the bottom of this page.

Before being able to activate an app ticket for the first time, you will be required to verify your age, or student status, to prove your eligibility. This will apply to all Boost tickets holders, from ages 5 to 18 (or 21 for eligible students).

How does it work?

If you don't already have an account, you'll need to create one on our Thames Valley Buses app. You only have to complete the verification process once. Once it is done, you'll then be able to purchase and use any ticket within the category of ticket you verified yourself for without the need to carry your ID. 

Please note: After purchasing your ticket and completing the verification process, you will need to wait to be verified. This can take up to 48 hours but is normally done within a few hours.

Getting verified is easy.

  1. Create an account on the app in the mobile tickets section of the Thames Valley Buses app (if you don’t have one already)
  2. Buy a ticket
  3. Now start the verification process
  4. Upload a selfie, or a head and shoulders shot from your photo library
  5. Upload a photo of your chosen ID which can be a driving licence, passport, birth certificate, valid student/university identification card or acceptance letter.

You'll receive instructions on how to upload your ID via your email account.  For further information on verification, you can download our handy guide here.

We use your photo to verify your ID and show it on your ticket so the driver can verify it is you. You won't be able to change your photo after it's been verified.

For adults who purchase a Boost ticket and then “gift” it to a young person, you will still be able to purchase and gift the ticket in the normal way.  However, the young person whose account you have gifted to will need to verify their account before they can activate the ticket.

Please note that if you need any help verifying your status manually, you may visit Thames Valley Buses Depot in Bracknell during office hours.  Please email or call to arrange this beforehand to avoid a wasted journey. 

We need to introduce this step to remove the opportunity for people purchasing and using Boost tickets fraudulently. Thank you for your cooperation and we hope to make this as simple as possible for you.

Eligible Local Colleges and Universities with Boost entitlement for students aged 19-21 in full time education.

  • University of Reading (all full time students get Boost regardless of age - you will need to upload university ID) 
  • University of West London (all full time students get Boost regardless of age - you will need to upload university ID) 
  • Reading College 
  • UTC Reading 
  • Newbury College 
  • Bracknell and Wokingham College
  • East Berkshire College
  • Uxbridge College
  • Windsor College
  • Langley College
  • Farnborough College of Technology
  • Farnborough Sixth Form College

Some of the above Colleges have declined sending us a template of their student ID for “security reasons”. Sadly, this means our app partners are be unable to verify your application and you may need to purchase adult tickets until they can work with us. If this applies to you, please get in touch with our customer service team.