Tickets in New Zealand: AT HOP, Snapper, Bee Card and Motu Move

There is not yet a single ticket for the whole of New Zealand. Buses, trains and ferries are run by the regional councils, and the card you need depends on where you are: AT HOP in Auckland, Snapper on Metlink buses and trains in the Wellington region, and the Bee Card on the buses of most regional networks. Greater Christchurch is the first region to have switched to Motu Move, the new national ticketing system introduced by NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi together with the regional councils.

With Motu Move you pay with a contactless bank card, a phone or watch, or a prepaid Motu Move card. The plan is for it to reach the rest of the country, including Auckland and Wellington, by the end of 2027; until it arrives in a region, the local card keeps working there. Balances on the old regional cards are not transferred to Motu Move.

Smart cards are read by holding them against the reader. In Auckland, in the Wellington region and on most Bee Card networks you tag on when you board and tag off when you get off, because the fare depends on the distance or the number of zones; if you forget to tag off, you can be charged a higher fare and lose the free transfer. A change to another bus or train within a set time is usually included in the fare when you use the same card.

Cash is gradually disappearing. Auckland Transport buses no longer accept it, and the networks in Wellington and Christchurch are phasing it out. Concession fares always need the right card or account, set up before you travel.

In Auckland, the AT HOP card is valid on all Auckland Transport buses, trains and ferries, and it is sold from vending machines, at retailers and at the airport. Instead of a card you can tag on and off with a contactless credit or debit card, phone or watch, which is charged the standard adult fare. For concession fares and the weekly fare cap you still need an AT HOP card.

In the Wellington region, Snapper is the card for Metlink buses and trains. Since April 2026 you can also tag on and off at the same readers with a contactless Visa or Mastercard, but only for single adult fares; Snapper is still needed for concessions, passes and free transfers. Snapper will remain in use until Motu Move replaces it, which is currently planned for 2027.

Metro bus and ferry services in Christchurch, Selwyn and Waimakariri already run on Motu Move. You can tap on and off with a contactless bank card, phone or watch, or use a prepaid Motu Move card from participating retailers. Child, youth and accessibility concessions are linked to a Motu Move account, either on a Motu Move card or on your own bank card.

The old Metrocard and cash payments are being retired from 23 November 2026, so a visitor to Christchurch only needs a contactless card. Metrocard holders can request a refund of any remaining balance.

The Bee Card is the shared card of the regional bus networks: Busit in Hamilton and the Waikato, Baybus in Tauranga, Rotorua and the rest of the Bay of Plenty, Orbus in Dunedin and Queenstown, the buses of Palmerston North, Whanganui and the wider Manawatū–Whanganui region, goBay in Napier and Hastings, eBus in Nelson and Richmond, Citylink in New Plymouth and Taranaki, and the buses in Whangārei, Gisborne and Invercargill. It is also valid on the Te Huia train between Hamilton and Auckland and on the Queenstown ferries, and the same card can be used in all of these regions.

Bee Card fares are lower than cash fares, and on most of these networks you can still pay the driver in cash. The regions will move to Motu Move one by one, starting with Invercargill, and the Bee Card stops working in each region when it changes over. Fares change regularly, so this guide gives no prices; current fares are shown on each city page.