Snapper: Snapshots – latest news

We've been busy blogging away for a few months here at Snapper and thanks to your feedback and responsiveness there's no doubt that the blog is the best way to keep you up to date on everything that's new at Snapper.

The great thing about using the blog is that it's quick to update, and it's really easy for anyone to leave comments or queries. 

So, to keep up to date, have your say or just see what everyone else thinks, check out our blog pages now, and keep coming back because we update them regularly.

Regards
TeamSnapper

 

 

The Pre-Blog News Archive

7 July 2009 - Go Rider Swap Out Extended

• More than 10,000 Valley Flyer bus users have now swapped their old Go Rider card for a Snapper. Go Rider cards can no longer be used as the old equipment has now been fully replaced on all Valley Flyer buses, allowing commuters to use Snapper to pay for their journey. If you still have a Go Rider card, you can still exchange it for a Snapper by visiting the Valley Flyer Office, Waterloo Exchange, Lower Hutt. Office hours are Monday to Friday from 7:30am to 4:45pm. Alternatively, visit the Snapper offices at Level 3, 40 Johnston Street, Wellington during office hours 9:00am to 5:00pm Monday to Friday. The final cut-off date for all card swaps has been extended to 31 October 2009.

June 15th, 2009 - Snapper's in the Valley!

• All Valley Flyer buses have been switched over to accept Snapper. Commuters can now enjoy cheaper fares than cash on all Valley Flyer and GO Wellington buses in the region. Over 7000 Snappers have been given out to the public already. They've been taking up the offer to swap out their old Go Rider cards for a new free Snapper and have the remaining travel balance transferred across to it. Snapper hosts, easily spotted in their bright red around the city, have been helping customers at select locations swap their old cards, transfer the balance across and feed them. They've also been working with local colleges and intermediates to swap out student's Go Rider cards to new Snappers.

June 3rd, 2009 - Out with the old, tag on with the new -
Valley Flyer buses welcome the ability to pay by Snapper

• Bus travel in the Hutt Valley will be a whole lot more modern with the introduction of the ability to pay for your bus fare using a Snapper card from 14 June.

  Click here to download the Valley Flyer PDF brochure.

  A new ticketing system is currently being installed on all Valley Flyer and Airport Flyer buses and will be operational from Sunday, 14 June. The ticketing system provides the ability to pay by Snapper.

  Go Rider cards will be unable to be accepted on Valley Flyer or Airport Flyer buses from 14 June.

  To support a smooth transition to the new ticketing system, and to provide all Valley Flyer and Airport Flyer customers who have a Go Rider card with the opportunity to pay by Snapper, a FREE swap out has been arranged.

  Go Rider card holders are invited to swap their existing Go Rider card for a FREE Snapper.

  This can be done at the following three locations, from Thursday, 11 June, in the Hutt Valley:

1. Westfield Queensgate (Thursday, 11 June to Sunday, 21 June)
   • Monday to Wednesday 9am to 6pm
   • Thursday and Friday, 9am to 9pm
   • Saturday, 9am to 6pm
   • Sunday, 10am to 5.30pm
2. Valley Flyer Office, Waterloo Interchange, Lower Hutt (Thursday 11 June to Friday 19 June)
   • Monday to Friday, 7.30am to 4.45pm
3. The Mall on Main Street, Upper Hutt (Friday, 12 June to Sunday, 14 June)
   • Friday, 9am to 8.30pm
   • Saturday, 9am to 5.30pm
   • Sunday, 10am to 4pm

Any remaining balance on Go Rider cards can be transferred to the new Snapper at the time of the swap.

Mr Lear says the move to Snapper is exciting for the Hutt Valley as it allows for more flexible access to public transport.

"GO Wellington provided the opportunity for adult customers to pay their bus fare with Snapper last year. Now, over 60,000 Wellingtonians have Snapper cards, and more than 20,000 adult trips each day are 'snappered' on GO Wellington buses."

"With the ability to pay by Snapper on Valley Flyer and Airport Flyer buses, customers will be able to travel seamlessly on buses between the Hutt Valley and Wellington."

"The next three weeks will be a significant period of change for public transport in the Hutt Valley. We're rolling out new technology, which requires a change in behaviour for both our drivers and our customers. We're excited about being able to offer our customers a way to pay for their bus fare that is on par with what's offered internationally," says Mr Lear.

"Our focus is a transition that is as simple as possible. We are now communicating with our customers to ensure they have the information they need and we will keep doing so over the next two months," he says.

At the same time as launching Snapper onto Valley Flyer and Airport Flyer buses, Snapper are introducing the ability to register your Snapper online. A new hot listing facility will also protect the card's balance in case of loss or theft making it a better option than the Go Rider card.

Later this year, Snapper will introduce a transport only card which enables the customer to only use their Snapper on transport.

For further details on how to Snapper your bus fare please visit: http://www.valleyflyer.co.nz/

Information for parents of primary, intermediate and secondary students:

• Primary school children will be issued an easily identifiable green 'child' Snapper which entitles them to child discounted fares. Secondary school students will be issued a red Snapper card personalised with their date of birth and their school enrolment information.
• The ability to register your Snapper online and the addition of the new Snapper hot listing facility means that for children, paying their bus fare by Snapper will be even safer than by Go Rider card.
• "During the swap out period, we're asking parents to bring in their children and their Go Rider card," says Mr Lear. "If they are at secondary school they will also need to bring some ID that shows their date of birth and their school ID, a copy of their school fee invoice or a letter from their school."
• "We will swap out the Go Rider card for a Snapper card FREE of charge. Any remaining balance on the Go Rider card can be transferred over to the Snapper card at the time of the swap."
• Some schools in the Hutt Valley may be assisting with the Go Rider swap out process. For more information, please visit www.snapper.co.nz.

More information is available on the Go Rider Swap Out page.

Hot-listing of Registered Snappers from 27th April, 2009

• From Monday 27th April, Snapper users should ensure they register their Snapper so it is better protected if it is lost or stolen. Due to customer demand, Snapper has developed the hot-listing of cards and worked with GO Wellington and EFTPOS to implement it. From Monday, if a registered Snapper is lost or stolen it can be hot-listed by ringing the Snapper Call Centre on 0800 555 345. Once it's hot-listed your Snapper will be de-activated, in-store and on bus, preventing it from being used further. Please note that this process can take up to 3 days. After 3 business days, any remaining balance can be transferred to another Snapper. You can only hot-list a registered Snapper, so protect your Snapper now by registering it today.

Snapper School ID Cards all GO

• From the start of Term 2, those students with Snapper School ID Cards will be able to use them on GO Wellington buses and get the discounted child fare. The GO Wellington fare is 20% off the cash price of a child fare from June 1, 2009, but a special discount of 25% will apply until that time. Snapper School ID Cards have been age enabled with date of birth, verified through the schools. Seven colleges offered this to students this year and 3800 Student School ID cards have been produced. All students should register their card on the website to help protect it if it is lost or stolen.

April 20th - Prize Winner collects trip from Snapper

• A very excited trip winner, Sonia, claimed her prize at Snapper Offices today. Sonia is a regular Snapper user, who finds it quick and easy to pay for her cans of coke, a snack, or to pay for her phone top up. However with the current issues in Fiji, we are working with her to create a new, equally delightful way to Stretch her Summer. At this stage is looks like a trip to the Gold Coast. Watch the website, for where she decides to go!

March 31st, 2009 - Win a trip to Fiji draw closes

• The Snapper competition entrants who registered their Snapper and then spent at retail, will now wait to see if they've won the trip for two to Fiji. Stretching Summer just as the cooler Autumn weather rolls in, appealed to hundreds of Snapper users who rushed to enter the competition. The winner will be drawn after Easter and then get to travel to Fiji just when the weather gets that much colder again!

March 11th, 2009 - Snapper School ID Cards

• Schools will start receiving their Snapper-enabled School ID cards this week. These cards have been future-proofed for when GO Wellington accepts them for child fares on the buses. This is not available yet. The cards can in the meantime be used like an ordinary ID card, as proof of age and school attendance to buy child fare bus tickets, as well as being used to buy everyday goods at merchants around the city. Some school tuck shops accept Snapper, and students at these schools are expected to start snappering their lunches with their Snapper School ID cards soon!

February 13th, 2009 - Wellington Rugby

• Wellington Rugby has included Snapper technology in all its Membership cards. Wellington Rugby Members will be able to snapper their GO Wellington bus fare with their Membership card and get into the game. It can be used to buy food, drinks and everyday items around the city.

February 11th, 2009 - Snapper School I.D. Cards

• Schools are placing their orders for Snapper School I.D. cards for 2009. Seven colleges have made the move to offer to their students Snapper-enabled cards, so they can enjoy the benefits of having emergency money on their card and have a future-proofed card for when its possible to pay for a child fare by Snapper on the bus. Click here for further information.

January 12th, 2009 - Stretch Summer by Spending with Snapper starts

• Over 30,000 Wellingtonians with Snappers may just feel that by the end of March they need some more Summer! To help make that a reality, Snapper is offering the chance to win a trip to Fiji for two in June 2009, if people spend with their Snapper. They need only register once, and then at the end of March, they get entries based on the number of times they've used their Snapper in store during that time. Watch out for entry boxes and forms at key Snapper merchants in Wellington.

January 2009 - Schools to get Snapper I.D. Cards

• Many Wellington central colleges are offering a Snapper School I.D. card to their students for 2009. The I.D. cards have been developed by Snapper Services in conjunction with Eyede, and can have money loaded onto them just like a normal Snapper to buy everyday items at Snapper merchants. During 2009, students will also be able to pay for their child bus fare on GO Wellington buses using their Snapper School I.D. card. GO Wellington will advise when and how this will occur, and until that time, students will use the standard Child 10 trip or buy a Bus pass, using their school I.D. card as proof to get the discount. Scots College, Queen Margaret College, Wellington College, Wellington Girls College, Wellington East Girls College and Wellington High School are all offering the Snapper School I.D. card during 2009.

November 24, 2008 - Aucklanders start snappering their everday items.

• Snapper is now in Auckland with Star Mart, Mojo and local stores in the CBD accepting Snapper for payment.

October 31, 2008 - Snapper extends introductory offer price of $10 until mid 2009.

• Snapper announced today that it'll extend its introductory price of $10 for a further 9 months. This will enable more Wellingtonians to get a Snapper and save $5. Snapper Services expects new users in 2009, when the child fare can be read from their age enabled Snapper on GO Wellington buses early in Term 1, and for when it is introduced onto Hutt Valley buses, and accepted by other major retail outlets and service centres during 2009. Already over 30,000 people are using a Snapper.

September 29, 2008 - Spend with Snapper promotion

• Over the next few days, Wellingtonians will receive in their letterbox a list of Snapper merchants and some special offers for when they spend with their Snapper. The offers include the chance to Win $100 feed, drawn monthly at any Star Mart in the Wellington City Stores (Non fuel sites). Commuters may also choose to snapper their Red Bull, when they try to win the $12,000 prize trip for 2 to the Red Bull Air Race in Perth, drawn on October 5th. "Now that so many commuters have a Snapper, it's a good time to remind them they can use it to buy everyday items too, save a bit of cash, or maybe win some!", says Marketing spokeswoman Heather Ware.
  
• >> Snapper September Newsletter

FREE Feeding for 2 more weeks

• Feeding fees for Snapper remain FREE for 2 more weeks than the October 1, 2008 previously advertised. From October 16, 2008 Snapper merchants will have the terminal software installed to automatically deduct the 25 cents per transaction when a person feeds their Snapper. If a customer feeds $20 onto their Snapper, the 25 cents will be deducted and $19.75 put onto their Snapper. It is anticipated that all stores will be automatically charging the 25 cents, within a few days from October 16.

September 17, 2008 - 25,000 Snappers in Wellington

• Snapper reaches $1 million in transactions including re-loads and has 25,000 Snappers in the Wellington Market.

August 20, 2008 - 13,000 Snappers out there

• Over 13,000 Snapper cards are estimated to be in the market, since it was launched in Wellington just 4 weeks ago. August 20, 2008

August 18, 2008 - All Go on the buses

• Snapper is now an accepted form of payment on all GO Wellington buses.
• It is a cheaper way to bus, giving adults a 25% discount off the cash price of a single adult fare*. Commuters can enjoy the flexibility of being able to pay by Snapper, whatever the zone they travel, rather than having to carry a range of 10 trip adult paper tickets. *special conditions apply visit http://www.gowellingtonbus.co.nz/

August 18, 2008 - Shareholders Snap it up

• Infratil shareholders tried out Snappers at the AGM held at the Intercontinental Hotel in Wellington, demonstrating that Snapper is a quick and easy way to pay at an event.

August 15, 2008 - StarMart go with Snapper

• StarMetro stores in Wellington and Auckland (the StarMart stores under new ownership) and select Subway fresh fast foods in Wellington confirm they will soon be accepting Snapper.

July 30, 2008 - Snapper safe from Hacker claims

• The Captial Times raises concern over the hacking of some smart cards overseas. However it quotes Charles Monheim, the departing General Manager, who was brought out from London where he implemented the Oyster card to set up Snapper Services, as saying;"The Korean chip in the Snapper has a higher level of encryption than the chip beaten in Holland and that the local (Snapper) card is secure."

July 22, 2008 - Snapper goes on sale

• Snapper for sale at Snapper Merchants and on-line from 12pm.

Press releases

>> Infratil Secures World Best for new Smart Card Business