BussatTerms and Conditions
1Who we are and what we provide
Bussat is a digital platform that lets you search intercity bus trips and book seats on them with the transport operators participating in the platform. Bussat is not a transport operator: we do not own buses and we do not run trips. Our role is technical intermediation and collecting the ticket price on behalf of the operator under a collection agency agreement with them.
The transport contract itself — and the obligations of schedule, safety and luggage that come with it — is between you and the operator running the trip, who is responsible for performing it.
2Account and sign-in
Your account is created with your phone number and verified by a code sent over WhatsApp. You are responsible for keeping control of your phone and number, and for every booking made from your account.
You must be eighteen or older to complete a booking and payment. Seats may be booked for minors within the same booking provided they are accompanied.
3Booking and seats
- A booking is only complete once payment is confirmed or a transfer receipt is approved.
- Selected seats are held for you for a period that scales with the booking size: ten minutes for up to ten seats, fifteen minutes for eleven to twenty-four seats, and twenty minutes for twenty-five or more. If the hold expires without payment the seats are released automatically.
- Every seat and passenger receives an independent ticket with its own QR code.
- Cross-border trips require a passport or ID number for each passenger, and you are responsible for the accuracy of the details entered.
- For large bookings, naming the passengers may be deferred until twelve hours before departure.
4Prices, payment and the gateway fee
The fare shown per seat is set by the operator. When you pay online, a payment gateway fee is added and shown to you on an explicit separate line before the transaction completes. That fee is charged by the payment gateway for processing the transaction, and Bussat receives none of it.
Paying by bank transfer with a receipt upload carries no gateway fee. The receipt is reviewed and approved within twenty-four hours at most — and within six hours only for bookings of fifteen seats or more, after which the seats are released.
We may adjust the gateway fee we display whenever the gateway itself changes it, provided it is always shown to you before payment.
5Changes, cancellation and refunds
- You may request a change of seat, date or trip at least twenty-four hours before departure; the request is subject to the operator approving it within the request window.
- On approval, the old ticket and its code are voided immediately, a new ticket is issued, and any price difference is charged or refunded to your wallet automatically.
- Partial changes are supported: a single passenger within a group, or a single leg of a return booking.
- The ticket fare is refunded to your in-platform wallet. The payment gateway fee is not refundable, because the gateway has already collected it for processing the transaction.
- If the operator cancels the trip or it cannot run, the full fare is refunded to your wallet automatically, together with a suggested alternative trip.
6No-show policy
A ticket that was not scanned at boarding on a trip that has departed is treated as used, and carries no automatic refund. Anyone who changed or cancelled at least twenty-four hours before departure remains fully protected under the previous clause.
We highlight this rule in more than one place on purpose, because it is the single most misunderstood rule in bus ticketing.
7Wallet and balance
The wallet is an in-platform facility that holds refunded and topped-up amounts for use in later bookings. Wallet balances are held in a separate account, are never invested, and are never used to fund the operation of the platform.
Wallet balance can be used to book without a gateway fee. No interest or return accrues on the balance.
8Tickets and QR codes
Each QR code is digitally signed and belongs to one ticket and one seat. Attempting to reuse a consumed code, or to alter or forge one, voids the ticket without refund and may suspend the account.
You may share an individual passenger ticket with that passenger. When a ticket is changed or transferred, the previous code is voided immediately and is no longer valid for boarding.
9Limits of liability
Bussat is responsible for providing the platform and for processing your booking, payment and refund correctly. Running the trip, its timing, passenger and luggage safety and driver conduct are the operator's responsibility alone.
We are not liable for indirect or consequential damage, nor for service interruption outside our control such as network or payment gateway failures or force majeure.
10Governing law and changes
These terms are governed by the laws of the Sultanate of Oman, and its courts have jurisdiction over any dispute arising from them.
We may update these terms and will publish the last-updated date at the top of this page. Continuing to use the platform after publication means you accept the updated version.