Snapper on Rail
Snapper is live across the rail network
Snapper is now live on all rail lines across the Greater Wellington region. Sales of paper tickets ended on 31 December 2022, however you can still buy cash tickets on board.
Monthly train and MonthlyPlus paper passes have been replaced by a 30-day rail pass. Monthly and MonthlyPlus paper passes are no longer being sold online or by retailers.
Snapper fares & 30-day passes
The 30-day Rail pass is activated on its first use. If you’re travelling to or from Wellington Station, it will include your bus trip to or from your local train station between zones 4 – 14.
Check back on this page or follow us on Facebook(external link) for updates.
If you have any questions, call the Metlink Contact Centre on 0800 801 700.
Tag on and tag off with Snapper
You can now pay for your rail trip with your Snapper card on all rail lines.
You must tag on and off for every trip, even if you have a rail 30-day pass to avoid a ‘default fare’ being automatically applied (for information on default fares when using a travel pass, see the FAQ section below). Tag on and tag off must be done using the Snapper card readers on the train platforms. Snapper readers are located near the entrance/exits along the platform at each station to enable customers to enter and exit quickly along the rail network.
Getting a Snapper card
You might already have a Snapper card for your bus trips. A Total Mobility card or even some school student ID cards are Snapper cards in disguise – and are ready to use on the train.
If you do not have a Snapper card, visit the Snapper website to purchase a Snapper card, or find your local Snapper retailer.(external link) Snapper cards cost RRP $10; you will then need to top up your balance at a Snapper retailer, kiosk, or using the Snapper mobile iOS or Android App. Cash fares will be at least 25% more expensive than an equivalent Snapper fare. Buying a Snapper card.(external link)
Upcycle your 10-trip tickets for a Snapper top-up
Got your Snapper card? Upcycle your full-price 10-trip ticket to your Snapper card at Wellington Station for use on bus or once Snapper is available on your rail line.
To help customers get ready, we are inviting rail customers that already have a Snapper card to start upcycling their full-price 10-trip tickets by swapping them for a top-up to the equal value on to their Snapper card. Customers can then choose to use the topped-up credit to travel on a Metlink bus or train service. Please note that travel passes cannot be purchased using existing Snapper credit.
Visit the Snapper ticket window at Wellington Station and our friendly staff will be able to assist you with the swap out process.
We are committed to protecting your privacy and therefore do not collect any personal information as part of the paper ticket transfer process. The Snapper number recorded on the form at the ticket window is used for no other purpose than funds transfer.
Snapper on Rail ticket window
Wellington Station
Monday 16 January until 5 February 2023
Weekdays - 7am to 7pm
Saturdays - 9am to 5pm
Sunday 22 January only - 9am to 5pm
Transfers
If you are travelling to or from Wellington Station, the Snapper 30-day rail pass includes your bus trip to or from your local train station within zones 4-14 only. Remember to tag on and off for every journey.
Paying for more than one passenger
Unfortunately, it is not possible to tag on more than one person for rail journeys. Unlike on bus where the driver can add extra passengers to your tag-on, the station validators cannot be adjusted to tag on more than one person. Therefore, everyone who wishes to travel on rail with Snapper must use their own Snapper card. Children under 5 years of age travel free.
Wairarapa Line PM peak surcharges
Using Snapper on the Wairarapa Line (starting 27 November) does not have surcharges or minimum fares, because the Snapper readers are on the platforms and the system does not identify which line you have ridden.
If you travel on a Wairarapa Line using cash, 10-trip or Rail MonthlyPlus in the afternoon peak from Wellington Station and only travel as far as Petone, Waterloo or Upper Hutt Station, these charges apply until 31 December 2022:
- Using a 10-Trip ticket of 7 zones or less, you will need to pay a surcharge
- Using cash, a minimum fare for 8 zones applies
Snapper RideBank cards
Ridebank Snapper cards will not work for rail journeys. If you are a Ridebank customer and want to pay for your rail journey with Snapper, you will need to use a standard Snapper card.
Information on Snapper on Rail
What is a Snapper card?
A Snapper card is an electronic payment card that provides customers with a faster, cheaper, and more flexible payment and travel option. Visit the Snapper website(external link) for more information.
What are Snapper card fares on rail?
For most journeys, you’ll pay the same fare as you are paying currently. The Snapper card fare per trip will be the same or lower than a 10-trip pass.
Any concession you have loaded on your Snapper card will work just like on the bus and you will be charged the discounted fare determined by your concession. Registering and using concessions on a Snapper card.(external link)
The 30-day rail pass is replacing the Monthly and MonthlyPlus passes. This pass is activated on its first use. If you are travelling to or from Wellington Station, the Snapper 30-day rail pass will include your bus trip to or from your local train station between zones 4 and the outer zone listed on your pass only. Snapper 30-day rail passes can start any day of the month and are valid for 30 days following the first use. Remember to tag on and off for every journey.
30-day rail passes within zones 1-3 do not include any bus travel. You can purchase a Snapper 30-day bus pass or use your e-purse balance to pay for your bus journey.
If you are a SuperGold card holder, simply show your SuperGold card to staff when travelling on trains during off-peak periods. Free SuperGold travel does not apply during peak hours, so you will need to pay with cash or a Snapper card.
How will I know when my 30-day rail pass is due to expire?
When you use your Snapper card to tag on or off at a card reader, it will show if your pass is expiring within the next 7 days. Both the iOS and Android mobile apps will show the days remaining for all Snapper passes.
What happens if I purchase another 30-day rail pass before the other expires?
You can have a total of 2 x rail passes and 2 x bus passes loaded onto your Snapper card at any given time; the second rail pass will not activate until the first rail pass has expired. Bus and rail passes can both be used without conflicting with each other.
Why do I have to tag on and tag off every time if I have a 30-day rail pass?
You need to tag on and off so the correct fare can be charged for the journey in question at the time it is made. Being able to charge the correct fare also means checking that a valid 30-day pass is present. Failure to tag off results in the default fare being charged, including when a valid 30-day pass is present.
What happens if I incur an IOU or default fare on my Snapper card?
You will need to top up your Snapper after you incur an IOU or default fare so that you can use your Snapper on public transport again. If you use a travel pass (eg. a 30-day rail pass), it will not work until you have cleared the fee. This will be removed from your Snapper (ie. you pay it back) the next time you tag on.
My 30-day pass isn’t working on my card, it says insufficient funds!
We recommend contacting Snapper, it may be that you don’t have credit on your account or have received a penalty against your card due to not tagging on/off correctly for one of your recent journeys.
When will paper tickets be removed from my train line?
The entire Metlink rail network now has electronic ticketing with Snapper.
Monthly and MonthlyPlus paper passes are no longer sold online or by retailers (ie. the last pass you could purchase was for November only).
As of 1 January 2023, all 10-trip and off-board single trip tickets will no longer be sold.
I have a half-price 10-trip ticket, can I still use it?
Yes, you can. We encourage you to use it up by 31 March 2023. From 16 January 2023, we will provide opportunities for getting the equivalent residual value of a half-price 10-trip ticket loaded on a Snapper card instead.
We recommend you do not buy further 10-trips unless you know you will use it before 31 December.
Will someone be checking if I have tagged on?
Our on-board train staff will be regularly checking customers Snapper cards using a handheld device that checks if a Snapper card has been tagged on. This device cannot tag on a Snapper card onboard - it only confirms if a card has already tagged on.
You must tag on using the Snapper card readers on the train platform before boarding. On-board staff will continue to sell single trip tickets and Metlink Explorer day passes for cash on-board.
Why can’t we use credit, debit cards and NFC phones to pay for a rail journey?
We expect those payment options to become available in future as part of the National Ticketing Solution being developed by Waka Kotahi (NZTA).
How do I pay for my rail journey?
From the end of November, you can ride the train with your Snapper card. You must tag on and tag off to avoid a default / penalty fare on Metlink trains.
Snapper card readers are located on train platforms near entrances and exits.
Step 1: Buy a Snapper card from the Snapper website(external link) or a Snapper retailer near you.
Step 2: Top-up your Snapper card at a Snapper retailer(external link), Snapper kiosk, using the Snapper iOS or Android App or at Wellington Station ticket office windows.
Step 3: You're ready to pay for single trips. Add a 30-day rail pass at snapper.co.nz/rail-passes(external link), or apply for a concession at snapper.co.nz/concessions(external link).
Step 4: Plan your journey and remember to tag on and tag off for every trip!
Note: It is not possible to tag on more than one person for rail journeys, unlike on bus. Therefore, everyone who travels on rail with Snapper must have their own Snapper card.
Children under 5 years of age travel for free.
Snapper on Rail resources
These resources include a New Zealand Sign Language explainer video and information posters in multiple languages. Information included in these resources is the same as the Snapper on Rail information on the Metlink website.
Last published: Saturday, January 28, 2023 at 8:03 PM