Using Snapper

Get a Snapper card

For the most up-to-date list of Snapper locations, visit the locations page on the Snapper website.(external link)(external link)

You can buy a Snapper card for $10 from a Snapper retailer(external link)(external link) or online on the Snapper website.(external link)(external link) Snapper cards cannot be purchased on board buses or trains, and are not available in vending machines. See Airport Express(external link) page for how to buy a Snapper at Wellington Airport.

Register your Snapper card to see your balance, transaction history, and travel history online. Plus, if you lose your registered card, you can block the balance and transfer it to a new card. After you're registered, you can apply for a concession on your Snapper card.

Get a Snapper card(external link)

Top up or buy a pass

You'll need a minimum of $0.00 credit on your Snapper card before you can use it. If you have a negative balance, any passes on your card will not work. Minimum top up is $0.01 (1 cent) at retailers and kiosks, and $1.00 (1 dollar) using the mobile app. Maximum limit for stored credit is $300 (three hundred dollars).

Top up at a Snapper retailer, kiosk or with a mobile device using the Snapper app (for iOS and Android). Snapper cannot be topped up on board or on train platforms. Add passes to your Snapper at a retailer or on the app. Passes can't be purchased at a kiosk or using your existing Snapper credit. 

Snapper locations(external link)

Only one concession can be loaded on a Snapper card at any time. In most cases, you'll need to apply to have a concession loaded to your Snapper card on the Snapper website.

Snapper website(external link)

Any concession you have loaded on your Snapper card will work automatically, and you will be charged the discounted fare determined by your concession. 

Off-peak discount automatically applies on eligible services when using Snapper. 

Snapper passes

Passes start automatically on the first use, as long as the trip is eligible for that pass (based on mode, zone, or time of day). 

You can have up to two (2) active rail 30-Day passes and two (2) active 30-Day bus passes at one time. The second pass won't be active until your first pass expires.

If you have purchased multiple pass types (like a Day pass and a 30-Day pass), Snapper will automatically use the  Metlink Explorer day pass first, then the 30-day pass, then the stored value Snapper credit last. If you plan to use a Metlink Explorer day pass, we recommend you only purchase it on the day you plan to use it, because they start automatically on on the first eligible use.

Snapper travel passes(external link)

Which rail pass do I need?(external link)

When you use your Snapper card to tag on or off, 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.

If you have two passes of the same type on your Snapper card, the second pass will not activate until the first pass has expired.

Passes do not automatically renew. You'll need to renew your pass before it expires, or it will revert to standard fares. If your Snapper card is registered, you will receive notice via email that your expiry date is approaching. There will also be a 7-day countdown to expiry shown on the Snapper validator when you tag on and off (including an audible warning). 

You can have a total of 2 rail passes and 2 bus passes loaded onto your Snapper at any time. Bus and rail passes can both be used without conflicting with each other.

If you have two passes of the same type on your Snapper card, the second pass will not activate until the first pass has expired.

Tag on and tag off for every trip

For each part of your journey, you'll need to tag on and tag off so that the correct fare can be calculated.

You'll need to tag on and off even when using a 30-day pass or child free pass, as the system needs to verify that your journey is included in your pass - if your journey isn't covered by your pass, then the balance on the card is charged as a normal fare. For example, if you have a 4-zone pass, but travel 5 zones on a journey, that journey isn't covered in the pass and the regular fare applies.

Snapper will automatically charge the correct fare based on where you "tag on" and "tag off" with your card. If you forget to tag off, you will be charged a default fare.

Where to tag on and off

When catching a bus, tag on at the front of the bus, and tag off before you exit the bus. Transfers between buses will apply as long as you tag on and tag off of each service within the 30 minute transfer timeframe.

When catching trains, tag on and tag off for each train trip using the Snapper reader on the train platform.  Only if you're transferring between an express train and the next all-stopper train (on the same line in the same direction), don't tag off at the stopover station - only tag on at the first station and tag off at your final station. 

Buses replacing trains (BRT) - When buses replace trains, tag on and tag off on the bus replacing the train - not on the platform. If it is not possible to tag on the bus that is replacing your train for any reason, you will still be able to travel.

When buses replace part of a train service, you'll need to tag on and tag off on the platform for the train, and also tag on and tag off on the bus replacing the train. (e.g. tag on at Upper Hutt platform to travel by train to Petone, tagging off on the Petone platform. Walk to the BRT bus stop, and tag onto the BRT bus as you board at Petone, tag off at Wellington as you exit the bus).

Snapper fares

Transfers with Snapper

Multiple passengers

On trains, each person has to tag on with their own Snapper card, since the Snapper readers on the platforms don't have a way to select multiple people for the tag on.

On buses including the Airport Express, up to five (5) people can travel on one Snapper by asking the driver before tagging on. The driver will set the reader to the correct fare types for each person, then will let you know when you can tag on.

From 1 September 2023, the new Under 13 Free Pass will not allow multiple tag ons - each person will need their own Snapper card to tag on. The Child Concession and Young Adult Concession allow multiple tag ons for people within the same age group only.

Multiple people on buses(external link)

Cancelling your tag on

If you change your mind and decide not to ride the train after tagging on at the station, wait 10 seconds after tagging on and tag a card reader at the same station. Your tag on will be cancelled and you will not be charged a fare. You have up to 40 minutes from first tagging on to cancel your trip and not be charged a default fare.

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.

A journey may include several trips on different vehicles. Some combinations of trips are eligible for free transfers, and some are not. 

"Journey-based fare calculation’ is a way of calculating fares for passengers transferring between several trips on a journey and using a stored value card, like Snapper. Essentially, passengers would pay the same fare as what they would have paid if it was a single trip on the same vehicle. This is also known as 'free transfers'.

If transferring between buses, free transfers apply within 30 minutes of tagging off from the first bus and tagging on to the following bus, for up to 5 bus trips within a 4 hour period. Airport Express is not included in bus to bus transfers, and requires a separate fare.

Full details

The journey-based fares apply to bus to bus transfers if a journey meets all the following conditions:

• Journey-based fares apply to journeys involving transfers between eligible Metlink buses, including on after midnight buses, but excluding Airport Express buses and On-Demand services
• Passengers must pay using Snapper card stored value; the free transfer does not apply when fares for single trips are paid in cash
• Fares for consecutive trips of a journey must all be paid using the same Snapper card
• The Snapper card must be active and have no outstanding amount owed after tagging on for each trip of the journey
• The Snapper card must have a minimum balance of $0.00 or more at each tag on
• Passengers must correctly tag on and off at the start and end of each trip of the journey
• Tagging on to the next bus must occur within 30 minutes of tagging off the previous bus
• Up to four transfers are allowed for a journey eligible for journey-based fares
• A journey ends once the fifth trip is tagged off. A separate fare would apply after the fifth trip
• Tag on for the last trip in a journey must occur within four hours of the tag on for the first trip of the journey
• For multi-passenger tag on, the same number and types of passengers that boarded the first trip of a journey must board each subsequent trip in order to be eligible for journey-based fares.

Tag on time determines whether the fare for entire journey is a Peak or Off-Peak fare, as below:

• an Off-Peak fare on Snapper card is charged for a journey that begins in the Off Peak, even if one or more of the tag ons for the later trips in the journey are in the Peak; and
• a Peak fare on Snapper card is charged for a journey that begins in the Peak, even if one or more of the tag ons for the later trips in the journey are in the Off-Peak

For bus journeys, the journey-based calculation applies:

• to all concession types where applicable
• to travel in any direction on the same route and between different routes
• when a tag off and the subsequent tag on occur within the same or different zones

Some train service timetables require a transfer between two trains on the same line to complete a journey.  This typically happens during peak hours where a journey between two outer-stations requires transferring between an express service and a non-express service on the same line.

The journey-based fares apply to rail to rail transfers if a journey meets all the following conditions:

• Passengers must pay using stored value on Snapper card.
• Passengers must transfer between trains on the same line and in the same direction.
• Passengers must tag on at the first station and tag off at the last station of the journey. Tagging off and then on at an intermediate station would break the journey.
• Fares for consecutive trips of a journey must all be paid using the same Snapper card
• The Snapper card must be active and have no outstanding amount owed after tagging on for each trip of the journey
• The Snapper card must have a minimum balance of $0.00 or more at each tag on
• Tagging off at the last station must occur within the following maximum trip times measured from the time of tagging on at the first station:
  • 90 minutes for Johnsonville Line and Melling Line
  • 120 minutes for Hutt Valley Line and Kapiti Line
  • 180 minutes for Wairarapa Line

Transferring between trains with a Rail Transfer Permit

The Metlink Rail Transfer Permit is a free ticket that in conjunction with a valid rail single trip cash ticket (on-board strip tickets) allows passengers to transfer from one train to another, where service timetables require a transfer between two trains on the same line.

Where a transfer is needed, passengers must present a valid single trip ticket on the initial journey, and request a Transfer Permit from the on-board Metlink staff. 

Once transferred to the next train, passengers need to present both tickets for inspection and surrender the transfer ticket to the on-board Metlink staff. 

The Rail Transfer Permit:

• Is to be used on the next available train
• Cannot be used over two lines
• Cannot be used for more than one transfer
• Can be used only in conjunction with an adult or child on-board single trip cash ticket
• Can only be issued on-board

Where applicable, rail transfer permits are valid on buses replacing trains. 

Currently, transfers between trains and buses require a separate fare when using Snapper, except when using a 30 day rail pass and travelling on a bus trip covered under the terms of your pass. 

Where Snapper readers are available on the buses replacing trains, passengers paying with stored value or a pass product on a Snapper card and transferring between a replacement bus and train must tag on and off for each trip of the journey.  Each trip will cost a separate fare.

Transfer discount or journey-based fare charging will not apply when transferring between trains and buses partially replacing a train service.

Any overcharge claimed will be proactively refunded by Snapper through post-travel processing.

Tag on time determines whether the fare for entire journey is a Peak or Off-Peak fare, as below:

• an Off-Peak fare on Snapper card is charged for a journey that begins in the Off Peak, even if one or more of the tag ons for the later trips in the journey are in the Peak; and
• a Peak fare on Snapper card is charged for a journey that begins in the Peak, even if one or more of the tag ons for the later trips in the journey are in the Off-Peak

Transferring to peak buses in Wellington City

If you start your journey on a Metlink bus in off-peak (before 3pm) with your SuperGold card, and need to transfer to another Metlink bus in the afternoon peak (after 3pm), you will be able to continue your off-peak journey for free if you transfer to a second Metlink bus between 3pm and 3.30pm in Wellington city only. All you need to do is tell the driver that you have transferred from a previous off-peak service, and get on. 

These SuperGold transfer provisions are only valid for an interim period until notified. They only apply to Metlink bus services in Wellington city and do not apply on Metlink trains or ferries, non Metlink services (such as the Cable Car), or Metlink bus services outside Wellington city.  

Snapper Metlink Explorer day passes, cash Metlink Explorer day passes and Snapper 30-Day passes allow an unlimited number of transfers only between valid services included in that pass. Valid services, routes and zones vary by pass type.

If you use a Snapper card to tag on and forget to tag off, a default fare will be charged to your Snapper balance. If you don't have enough regular balance in your Snapper card to cover the fee, your card would then have a negative balance, and won't work until you top up. Passes will stop working until you have topped up to remove the negative balance. 

An IOU happens when the fare is more than the remaining balance on your Snapper card. It will show as a negative balance after the fare is charged. You will need to top up your Snapper to a positive balance before you can tag on for your next journey. If you don't top up, the Snapper reader will instruct you to pay the driver.

The negative balance owing will be deducted from your balance when you tag on for the first trip after you top up.

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.

Snapper refunds

Snapper will refund you for any default fare charged if you were unable to tag off due to a system fault or driver error. 

If you think you’ve been unfairly penalized but have not received your refund in 2 working days, please contact Snapper(external link). Remember, Snapper refunds are only applied under circumstances where you have tried to tag off but haven’t been able to. 

Snapper refunds(external link)

Regarding refunds for any other reason, please refer to Metlink’s Refund Policy(external link).

If you have not registered your lost card, Snapper cannot trace or block it, and you may lose any remaining balance on your lost card. If you have not registered your Snapper card yet, create an account and register(external link) it now – or, if you already have an account, you can register here(external link).  For further assistance, call the Snapper Contact Centre on 0800 555 345 

To continue receiving discounts or concessions you will need to get a new Snapper card from a Snapper retailer or Snapper portal(external link) or over the phone. 

For a blocked card, call the Snapper Contact Centre on 0800 555 345 for assistance.