Auckland public transport: Contactless payments for city bus, ferry, train rides to start Sunday

Auckland Transport's current Hop card system will soon accept other forms of contactless payment.

Contactless payments are rolling out across Auckland Transport [AT] bus, train and ferry services from Sunday.

Advertising has gone up at train stations telling passengers methods of payment will be extended beyond Hop cards on November 17.

AT is expected to make an announcement this afternoon about the new way to pay for travel going live on Sunday.

The new Hop card readers on AT buses, trains and ferries are set to accept Apple and Google Pay, debit cards and most credit cards, as well as AT Hop cards.

The technology was initially expected to roll out in June this year but was delayed until later this year.

AT has updated posters at some stations this week and some electronic readers have had the Hop-only sticker removed.

The contactless payment capability is only for standard adult fares – not concession or discounted fares.

Those who get student, youth, Gold Cards and other discounted fares will need to continue using their Hop card.

#TicketingNews: Contactless payments for @AklTransport services will be available from November 17.

AT has updated posters at train stations and onboard services also some readers have had the HOP only sticker removed in anticipation of the change. pic.twitter.com/dDa8usEyTE

— NZ Transit Buzz (@NZTransitBuzz) November 12, 2024

In April, AT said 3600 on-board card readers and 180 station pedestals needed to be upgraded for the new scheme.

“This change is going to make public transport more appealing for more people including tourists, visitors, casual users, and first-time users,” AT director of public transport Stacey van der Putten said in an earlier announcement flagging the change.

“It’s about being able to turn up, pay and use public transport that gets people to more places without too much thinking ahead,” Putten said.

AT said a total of $23 million has been budgeted to design and implement the contactless payment technology.

Any Visa, Mastercard, American Express or UnionPay credit or debit card can be used to pay for public transport, AT said.

The update in technology comes days after the announcement of a nearly 100-day rail network-wide closure, in order to make improvements to the rail network ahead of the City Rail Link (CRL) project’s completion.

All lines across will be closed from December 27 until January 27, with futher closures at Easter, and public holiday weekends.

It would be partially closed for five weekends between July and September.

A second long, full closure would begin on Boxing Day next year and finish on January 26, 2026, ahead of the CRL opening.

Cash payments were removed from Auckland’s bus network in March 2020.

Jaime Lyth is a multimedia journalist for the New Zealand Herald, focusing on crime and breaking news. Lyth began working under the NZ Herald masthead in 2021 as a reporter for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei.