Child concessions

What is a Child Concession?

Metlink offer a child concession for passengers aged between 5 and 15 and secondary school students. A child concession entitles the passenger to a 50% discount off the peak-time adult Snapper fare.

The child concession can be used on all Metlink* buses except:

  • Metlink After Midnight buses: N1, N2, N22, N3, N4, N5, N6, N66, N8, N88

*This concession can be used on Metlink buses only. It is not available on independent commercial services. For fares and discounts on these services, please contact your service provider.

How do I get one?

To be eligible for a child concession, Metlink’s requirements are as follows:

  • Passengers must be aged between 5 and 15. Please note under 5’s travel free on all Metlink services.
  • Passengers aged 16+ must be enrolled in secondary school to continue to receive the child discount fare.

Green Snapper cards

The easiest way to receive child fares is to use a Green Snapper card. These will always receive a Child Concession and do not expire. You can purchase one from our web store, or a Snapper retailer. 

Combined Student ID/Snapper cards

Some schools get their school ID cards printed onto Snapper cards. As of 2020, these are printed onto Snapper Green cards and therefore have a Child Concession that does not expire*.

Schools which currently use Snapper student ID cards:

  • Te Ara Whanui Kura Kapapa Maori
  • Hutt High School
  • Wellington Girls College
  • Wellington College
  • Samuel Marsden Collegiate School
  • Taita College
  • Rongotai College
  • Queen Margaret College
  • Raphael House Rudolf Steiner
  • Onslow College
  • Wellington East Girls College
  • Wellington High School

*There are still Student ID cards in use that were printed pre-2020 on the original Red Snapper cards. If the concession on your Student ID has expired, we recommend you request a replacement ID from your school, to receive one printed on a Green Snapper.

Red Snapper cards with a Child Concession applied

You can also apply to have a Child Concession loaded onto a Red Snapper Card. This will only be valid until the cardholder turns 16, at which point a renewal will need to be applied for, conditional on the cardholder being enrolled in secondary school.  

Subsequent renewals will need to be applied for by 28th February each year, until the cardholder leaves school. If a renewal is not applied for, the Snapper card will start charging adult fares from 1st March of that year.

Apply for a Child concession

Online

Apply for a Child concession online here

In person

Drop in to see either the Wellington i-SITE Visitor Information Center or Upper Hutt i-SITE Visitor Information Center team with your Snapper card and proof of enrolment:

  • A copy of a valid School ID, OR
  • A letter of enrolment including your name and date of birth for the relevant school year OR
  • A copy of your current timetable displaying your name and date of birth for the relevant school year

Via email

To apply for, or renew, your child concession via email, please get in touch with us at concessions@snapper.co.nz and include the following:

  • Your 16-digit Snapper card number (you can find this on the back of your Snapper card)
  • The email address your Snapper card is registered to
  • Proof of enrolment:
    • A scanned copy of a valid School ID OR
    • A copy of a letter of enrolment including your name and date of birth for the relevant school year OR
    • A copy of your current timetable displaying your name and date of birth for the relevant school year