Using your Snapper to pay for your bus ride is as easy as 1, 2, 3...
Step 1.
Make sure you have money stored on your Snapper (go to How to top up a Snapper for more information) and then hop on any GO Wellington, Valley Flyer, Airport Flyer or Runcimans bus.
Step 2.
As you get on the bus, tag on by holding your Snapper to the Snapper Reader by the door. Place your card on the Snapper symbol on the Snapper Reader and hold it there until you see the green circle.
Step 3.
As you get off the bus tag off in just the same way. You can tag off at the front or the back of the bus.
Tagging on and off is important - it allows Snapper to record where you get on and off, work out the correct fare for your journey, and automatically apply your Snapper discount (see our Terms and Conditions for more information).
Using different types of Snapper
You tag on and tag off the bus in the same way, no matter which Snapper you use - a Red Snapper, a Green Snapper or a Snapper USB.
Snapper the whole family
When you Snapper your bus fare, you can pay for a friend at the same time. As you get on the bus, just tell the driver how many people you want to Snapper, and he'll fix it so that with just one tag-on you can pay for yourself and up to four more people.
It's great if you're travelling with your family or if your mate's "lost" his bus fare. You can even mix adult and child fares on one card (e.g.: two adults and three children - all will be charged at the appropriate fare with the 20% discount automatically deducted). Just don't forget to tag off or you'll get a tag-off penalty for you and the whole family!
Some frequently asked questions...
How do I get transfer discounts?
What do the numbers on a Snapper reader mean?
Why can't I top up my Snapper on the bus?
How do I get transfer discounts?
If the bus company you're travelling with and the route you're on supports transfers, then using Snapper means you automatically get the transfer discount. Using Snapper for transfers is easy. You don't have to do anything to get the transfer discount, it is automatically applied to your fare when you Snapper on qualifying routes.
Currently, Valley Flyer allow transfers on the following routes:
| 81 - Eastbourne | 83 - Eastbourne via Lower Hutt |
| 84 - Eastbourne via Gracefield | 110 - Petone - Emerald Hill |
| 111 - Totara Park | 112 - Te Marua |
| 114 - Poets Block | 115 - Pinehaven |
| 120 - Stokes Valley | 121 - Valley Heights |
| 130 - Naenae | 145 - Belmont |
| 150 - Western Hills | 154 - Korokoro |
| 160 - Wainuiomata North | 165 - Village Link |
| 170 - Wainuiomata South |
What do the numbers on the Snapper Reader mean?
There are two display lines on a Snapper reader:
- the first line displays in red and is labelled FARE, showing you what fare you are charged. When you tag on, you are charged the minimum fare.
- the second line displays in green and is labelled TIME. This displays the time in the format of HHMMSS (in the diagram opposite, the time is 9.45am). This green display can also tell you your balance if it is less than $12.00.
If your balance is less than $12.00 you will hear a message that says "card value low" and your current card balance will be shown in the lower line of the display in green. As you can see, this card balance is $10.95.
At the end of the journey, if you have travelled beyond the zone you started your journey in, the additional fare will be shown in red as you tag off. If you get on the bus in Zone 1 and get off again in Zone 1, then the tag off fare will be zero.
In the diagram opposite, the additional fare charged is $3.50. If your balance is less than $12.00 you will hear the "card value low" message and your balance will be shown on the Snapper Reader in green. Here, the card balance is now $7.45. Time to top up!
Why do I need to tag off?
The Snapper system uses GPS (Global Positioning System), to record which stop you get on the bus and where you get off. This information is used to calculate the correct discounted fare for the journey. If you don't tag off the system assumes that you travelled to the end of the line. The tag off penalty for both GO Wellington and Valley Flyer is the full cash fare. So if you don't tag off your fare is calculated to the end of the line, and you do not receive the 20% discount.
Why can't I top up my Snapper on the bus?
One of the key benefits of Snapper for bus companies is that it reduces the need to handle and store cash. This speeds up the process of getting people on to the bus and allow drivers to focus on driving. It also safer for passengers and drivers if cash is not being exchanged or held in large quantities.
The number and locations of Snapper Retailers is growing all the time, we're improving the access to online top ups and we'll shortly be trialing self-service kiosks. We're expanding the ways to make it as easy as possible to top up and check your balance in more places, so you'll never have to worry about carrying spare change or whether you've got enough money on your Snapper.
