Snapper is cheaper, faster and easier to manage than cash. You can use your Snapper card to pay for your bus travel (and some rail travel) in the Greater Wellington Region.
You can buy a Snapper loaded up with credit right now and we’ll mail it to you, or head to your nearest Snapper retailer to buy one in-store. If your school has Snapper in your school ID, you may already have a Snapper!
Buy a card online here
You’ll pay at least 25% less using a Snapper card than using cash. You can view current fares (set by the Greater Wellington Regional Council) on the Metlink website. Snapper can save you even more money on your bus travel, with monthly travel passes and concessions.
Find out more about child and other concessions.
Paying with your Snapper card is the quickest way to get on the bus. Just tag your Snapper card to the reader at the front of the bus when you get on. You’ll automatically be charged the right fare when you tag off as you leave the bus.
Find out how to board the bus with Snapper.
The Snapper Red is the classic Snapper card that will automatically charge you an adult fare unless you choose to apply and load a concession to it.
This card is set up and ready to go for anyone to start using it right away once it’s been topped up. Adult fares will be charged. If you are eligible for either a child, tertiary or accessible concession then these can be applied for and added to a Snapper Red card.
The Snapper green is permanently loaded with a child concession so you will never have to apply to renew the concession, this card will always charge the child discount fare. Just be sure you meet Metlink’s child concession criteria (below) when using it, and if you are out of school uniform have a valid school ID with you, in case you are questioned by the driver.
The Snapper green card is permanently loaded with a child concession to only ever charge the child fare and can be used by school-aged children:
If you are a Tertiary student at polytechnic, university, language academy or other similar learning institution you aren’t eligible for a Child Concession but should apply for a Tertiary Concession if you meet full-time student criteria. If you are 16 or older and have left school, you don’t qualify for a Child Concession.
Schools can choose to have their school ID cards printed onto a Snapper card. The child concession will be set to either the 28th of February after the 16th Birthday and then annually until 28 February the following year as long as the child is still in school. This concession will be automatically calculated and applied when you order a new Snapper school ID card.
Check the list below to see if your school is signed up already, or get in touch if you’d like your school to add Snapper to your school ID card.
