In short
- Auckland uses AT HOP and contactless; Wellington uses Snapper; most smaller regions use the Bee Card.
- Christchurch has moved to Motu Move: Metrocard can no longer be used from 23 November 2026.
- Metlink says Motu Move will replace Snapper in Wellington in 2027; Horizons expects it in the third quarter of 2027.
- Motu Move accepts contactless bank cards, phones and watches, and a prepaid Motu Move card.
New Zealand does not have one transport card yet. Each region has its own system, and a card from one region usually does not work in another. That is changing: Motu Move, a national ticketing system run by NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi with the regional transport authorities, is replacing the local cards region by region. Here is the situation as checked on 24 October 2026.
AT HOP and contactless: Auckland
In Auckland you tag on and off with an AT HOP card or with a contactless Visa, Mastercard, UnionPay or American Express card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay. Contactless is charged at the adult AT HOP rate and capped at $20 a day. AT HOP has a $50 cap per 7-day period on buses, trains and inner-harbour ferries, and only AT HOP gives concessions and child fares. Cards issued outside New Zealand may carry a transaction fee. Contactless is not accepted on the Fullers360 Waiheke and tourist ferries.
Snapper: Wellington
On Metlink buses and trains you can pay with a Snapper card, a contactless Visa or Mastercard, a phone or watch, or cash. Snapper costs $10 from retailers or a vending machine at Wellington Airport. A one-zone adult trip costs $2.12 with Snapper at peak times and $1.70 off-peak, $2.15 and $1.73 contactless, and $3.00 in cash. Off-peak discounts of 20% and free transfers between buses within 30 minutes apply with Snapper; contactless cards do not get free transfers yet. Metlink says Motu Move will replace Snapper in 2027, vehicle by vehicle, starting with buses, then ferries and trains.
Metrocard and Motu Move: Christchurch
Greater Christchurch was the first region to switch. You can pay with a debit or credit card, a phone or smartwatch, or a prepaid Motu Move card (with an initial top-up of $5). The adult bus fare is $3.00, or $4.00 in cash; the ferry costs $5.00, or $6.00 in cash. Fares are capped at $6 a day and $30 a week on buses. You get up to two free transfers within 2 hours with the same payment method. Metro says Metrocard can no longer be used from 23 November 2026, and cash fares will also be retired.
Bee Card: most other regions
The Bee Card is a prepaid card used by the regional councils of Northland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay, Horizons (Manawatū–Whanganui), Taranaki and Otago, Invercargill City Council and Nelson Tasman’s eBus. It also works on the Te Huia train and on Queenstown ferries. In our cities that means Hamilton, Tauranga, Rotorua, Napier and Hastings, Palmerston North, New Plymouth, Nelson, Dunedin and Queenstown. A Bee Card is always cheaper than cash; register it online so concessions and weekly fare caps apply. In the Horizons region, for example, the card costs $5 plus a minimum $5 top-up, and an unregistered card pays the full adult fare.
When does Motu Move arrive in my region?
Motu Move accepts contactless debit and credit cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay on phones and watches, a prepaid Motu Move card and pre-bought tickets. The regions publish their own dates as they are confirmed:
- Christchurch, Selwyn and Waimakariri: rolling out now.
- Wellington region: in 2027, according to Metlink (page updated 15 October 2026). Snapper and Motu Move will run side by side for a while.
- Horizons region (Palmerston North, Whanganui): expected in the third quarter of 2027.
Until the switch, keep using the card of the region you are in. Fares change, so check the official site of the operator before you travel.
