Travel Passes on Snapper

Whenever you use your travel pass for the first time - by tagging onto a valid bus - you have 30 days of travel including the day of first use and the day of last use. A travel pass expires at midnight on the last day that is valid for.

For example, if you tag on to a bus for the first time at 8am on 10th October, the last time you can use your travel pass is at 11.59pm on 8th November.

You can check your pass expiry date or how many days are remaining on your pass in three ways:

1. On the Snapper bus reader.

When you have less than 8 days remaining on your travel pass, you will be reminded every time you tag on and tag off the Snapper reader will display how many days you have left, for example, "7 DAYS LEFT".

When the Snapper reader shows "1 DAY LEFT" you will be currently on the last day that the pass is valid for.

2. At a Snapper retailer, ask for a Snapper pass query.  

You will receive a Pass Detail receipt that will show "Expiry" and a date in the last line.  The last day in which you can use your travel pass is the day before the expiry date.

3. On MySnapper

If you have a Snapper Feeder or a Snapper USB, when you use MySnapper on your computer you will see how many days are remaining on the travel passes on your Snapper.

When the Snapper reader shows "1 DAY LEFT" you will be currently on the last day that the pass is valid for.

There are two ways to get a travel pass on your Snapper.

At a Snapper Retailer:

You can load a travel pass onto a Snapper at selected Snapper retailers. To find out which Snapper retailers sell Snapper travel passes go to www.snapper.co.nz/snapper-in-retailers

Via MySnapper:

If you have a Snapper Feeder or a Snapper USB you can load a travel pass on to your Snapper direct from your computer.

You will need to download the MySnapper application and have a valid credit card to pay for your travel pass.  Go to www.snapper.co.nz/what-is-mysnapper to find out about and download MySnapper.

From the online Snapper Store:

You can buy a Snapper pass, get it loaded onto a brand new Snapper, and it will delivered direct to your door so you can use it straight away. 

No, there is no fee when you load a travel pass onto a Snapper.  All you pay is the price of the travel pass.

Your travel pass expires 30 days after you first use it.

A 30 day travel pass does not mean you have 30 days of travel to use whenever you want to. After you buy a Snapper travel pass the 30 days starts the next time you tag on to a valid bus for that pass.

To use a Snapper travel pass simply tag on the bus at the start of the journey and tag off the bus at the end of the journey.

When you tag on, the Snapper reader recognises that you have a valid pass. The Snapper reader will display the word "PASS" and a green circle will light up. At the end of your journey, tag off at the Snapper reader and you will see a green circle.

As a helpful reminder if you have less than seven days remaining on your GetAbout 30 pass, the Snapper reader will also display how many days are left eg."7 DAYS LEFT".

No.  You can only travel with a travel pass on services that your active pass is valid for (you can only have one active pass at once). 

If you travel on a bus that is not valid for your active travel pass when you tag on the Snapper reader will deduct the minimum boarding fare from the money loaded on your Snapper.  When you tag off the balance of the fare for your journey will be deducted from the money on your Snapper.  

Even if you regularly travel using a travel pass on your Snapper, its a good idea to also have a few dollars loaded onto your Snapper for emergencies.

Yes.  You can have both a travel pass and money loaded on to your Snapper at the same time.  

We strongly recommend you always have a few dollars loaded onto your Snapper even when you regularly use a travel pass.  That way, when your travel pass runs out unexpectedly you will still be able to travel and if you board a service that your travel pass is not valid for, you will still be able to pay for your trip using Snapper and receive any Snapper discount that applies..

To be able to travel on a travel pass you must have a Snapper balance of $0.00 or more. The Snapper reader will automatically recognise a valid travel pass. If you board a bus service for which you do not have a valid travel pass, just tag on at the start of your trip and tag off at the end, the correct fare will be deducted from the money stored on your Snapper.

Yes. You can travel on another bus service as long as you have money loaded on to your Snapper. Simply tag on and tag off as usual and the Snapper fare will be automatically deducted from your Snapper balance. Remember to ensure that you tag off so you do not incur a penalty.

If the balance on your Snapper is less than $0.00, your travel pass will not work next time you tag on a bus service within the zone(s) for which you have a valid travel pass. Your travel pass will not work until you top up your Snapper and your balance increases to $0.00 or more.

It's always a good idea to have a few dollars loaded onto your Snapper just in case.

You should always tag on and tag off every time you travel with a travel pass on Snapper - this ensures you do not inadvertently travel outside the area in which it is valid. Snapper customers using NZ Bus travel passes will not be charged a penalty fare when using their travel pass on the bus services and within the zone(s) in which it is valid.

Travel passes are loaded on to a standard Snapper.  If you have an active travel pass but also wish to travel on other services that the travel pass doesn't cover (eg. Airpot Flyer for the GO Wellington pass, or the East by West ferry) you will need to tag on and tag off, and the correct fare will be deducted from the money on your Snapper. 

Consistency with tagging on and tagging off on every Snapper service will mean you don't have to think about whether a service is a tag on tag off service depending on the product you have bought that month or that service.

Tagging off every bus journey also ensures you'll always receive the best value Snapper fare, you won't incur penalty fares, you'll have an accurate record of your transaction history, and Snapper will be able to help troubleshoot any problems should they arise.

Yes. GO Wellington 30 day and GetAbout 30 day travel passes are valid for 30 days' unlimited travel in the zone(s), and on the bus service(s), covered by the pass from the day you first activate it on a valid bus. This includes travel during both weekdays and at weekends.

No. The GO Wellington 30 day Pass is only valid on GO Wellington bus services.  This includes four services registered as GO Wellington routes (GO Wellington fares apply), but operated by Valley Flyer buses:

Route 5, 8.05am, Monday to Friday
Route 5, 8.25am, Monday to Friday
Route 7, 8.20am, Monday to Friday
Route 30, 8.16am, Monday to Friday

"Not validated" means that your travel pass has not yet been activated by tagging on to a bus.

When you activate your travel pass by tagging on to a bus, this message will change to show you the date that your travel pass expires.

Check out examples and explanations of the information on the Pass Detail receipt.