PSA: AT accepts paywave on Auckland public transport

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gzt

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#324964 19-Jun-2026 12:01

PSA: AT accepts paywave on Auckland public transport:

AT: Pay for Auckland public transport your way. You can use your AT HOP card, contactless debit card, credit card, smartphone or smartwatch. We accept contactless Visa, Mastercard, UnionPay or American Express debit or credit cards. We also accept these cards in the digital wallet of your smartphone, smart watch or other smart devices such as Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay.

I did not know when that started. It is great news because I no longer keep a current hop card. Several times I have used other means of transport when I could have used a bus or train with paywave. AT could use their bus stop advertising to publicize the change. I do notice those from time to time while driving.

Edit: Note that paywave is full adult fare

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#3504428 19-Jun-2026 12:02

Started 17th November 2025 :D

Catch is, if you have any sort of discount on your AT account, this is NOT applicable via your debit/phone/card payment as theres no link to it, so you'll be pinged full fare.

If AT ever develop a paywave friendly AT app, then it'll work......

XPD / Gavin

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wellygary

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#3504435 19-Jun-2026 12:17

xpd:

Started 17th November 2025 :D

Catch is, if you have any sort of discount on your AT account, this is NOT applicable via your debit/phone/card payment as theres no link to it, so you'll be pinged full fare.

If AT ever develop a paywave friendly AT app, then it'll work......

Yip, contactless payments are full adult fares only... you get the $20 daily fare cap, but not the $50 weekly one,

Also works with Apple and Google Pay

MikeAqua

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#3504439 19-Jun-2026 12:24

Auckland is slowly catching up with Welly 🥳. All they need now is prompt and efficient public transport from the Airport to the CBD 🤣.

Mike

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#3504446 19-Jun-2026 12:56

I've stopped using my hop card these days as my public transport use is mostly ad-hoc and this saves on topping up.

just make sure you use the same card/device for the whole trip. There can be issues if you tag on with a watch and then off with a phone or card.

Generally known online as OpenMedia, now working for Red Hat APAC as a Technology Evangelist and Portfolio Architect. Still playing with MythTV and digital media on the side.

nztim

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#3504447 19-Jun-2026 12:58

Been in Wellington for a while, I see Auckland accepts Amex, Metlink, Take note! I want my points....

Any views expressed on these forums are my own and don't necessarily reflect those of my employer.

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#3504448 19-Jun-2026 12:59

openmedia:

just make sure you use the same card/device for the whole trip. There can be issues if you tag on with a watch and then off with a phone or card.

Yeah I got pinged in Sydney for this, got a charged too full fares on two cards

Any views expressed on these forums are my own and don't necessarily reflect those of my employer.

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#3504452 19-Jun-2026 13:05

MikeAqua:

Auckland is slowly catching up with Welly 🥳. All they need now is prompt and efficient public transport from the Airport to the CBD 🤣.

I was in Wellington 15 years ago (for a Geekzone meet surprisingly), and the bus from the CBD to Airport was fantastic. On time, had wifi, and screens showing where you were and the stops.

But was $8 IIRC.

AT, were still trialing wifi 5 years ago, and still nothing, screens are either missing or smashed.

XPD / Gavin

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davidcole

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#3504459 19-Jun-2026 13:13

MikeAqua:

Auckland is slowly catching up with Welly 🥳. All they need now is prompt and efficient public transport from the Airport to the CBD 🤣.

Does AT surcharge every transaction like Wellington does?

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#3504460 19-Jun-2026 13:14

nztim:

openmedia:

just make sure you use the same card/device for the whole trip. There can be issues if you tag on with a watch and then off with a phone or card.

Yeah I got pinged in Sydney for this, got a charged too full fares on two cards

With Sydney if your have a login to their transport site you can register your card and get full statements. Very handy for expense reports.

Generally known online as OpenMedia, now working for Red Hat APAC as a Technology Evangelist and Portfolio Architect. Still playing with MythTV and digital media on the side.

wellygary

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#3504463 19-Jun-2026 13:27

nztim:

Been in Wellington for a while, I see Auckland accepts Amex, Metlink, Take note! I want my points....

just FWIW:

It began in Auckland in November 2025 ,
https://at.govt.nz/about-us/news-events/media-centre/2024-media-releases/auckland-hits-250-000-contactless-trips-on-public-transport

It became an option in Wellington in March 2026
https://www.metlink.org.nz/news-and-updates/news/get-on-with-it-credit-and-debit-card-payment-for-metlink-services-is-here

In Wellington is happened because Snapper is about to go out of support with its provider, and the National Ticketing hasn't come to town to save them, so the regional Council are paying to add Credit cards so if Snapper has a meltdown they have a fall back for most customers...

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#3504464 19-Jun-2026 13:30

MikeAqua:

Auckland is slowly catching up with Welly 🥳. All they need now is prompt and efficient public transport from the Airport to the CBD 🤣.

Already here. There is a 10mins frequency bus to Puhinui station taking only 10mins, from where there are frequent trains up to every 5mins to the CBD. The bus also continues to Manukau with connections across South Auckland.

I frequently take buses from home to airport via Manukau - takes me only 20-25mins door to door.

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MikeAqua

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#3504478 19-Jun-2026 14:00

xpd:

I was in Wellington 15 years ago (for a Geekzone meet surprisingly), and the bus from the CBD to Airport was fantastic. On time, had wifi, and screens showing where you were and the stops.

But was $8 IIRC.

AT, were still trialing wifi 5 years ago, and still nothing, screens are either missing or smashed.

From memory it's $10 now. The new AX buses are BEVs, and they have USB charging outlets as well. Great service. I usually get off at St Jame Theatre, and off-peak it's less than 15 minutes.

Mike

MikeAqua

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#3504481 19-Jun-2026 14:08

KiwiSurfer:

Already here. There is a 10mins frequency bus to Puhinui station taking only 10mins, from where there are frequent trains up to every 5mins to the CBD. The bus also continues to Manukau with connections across South Auckland.

I frequently take buses from home to airport via Manukau - takes me only 20-25mins door to door.

So that's a 60 - 90 minute two mode journey to the CBD according to google maps.

That's as slow as the old single-mode SkyBus used to be. Hopefully not as expensive 😐.

Mike

wellygary

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#3504483 19-Jun-2026 14:10

MikeAqua:

From memory it's $10 now. The new AX buses are BEVs, and they have USB charging outlets as well. Great service. I usually get off at St Jame Theatre, and off-peak it's less than 15 minutes.

Don't sorry the Regional Council are doing their best to screw that up for you and make you walk from a crappy little bus stop on Wakefield street next to the lanes bowling alley

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#3504484 19-Jun-2026 14:11

davidcole:

Does AT surcharge every transaction like Wellington does?

No, unlike Wellington I understand it's just the standard adult HOP fare that gets charged (albeit there are some differences to caps etc apparently). Most occasional users would pay exactly the same as an Adult HOP card user.

Note that normally there is a $0.10 hold that gets placed on the card (often seconds after you tag on for the first time each day) then overnight the entire day trips is totalled up and charged all at once. The 10 cent hold then eventually drops off. This is in line with how it has worked everywhere I've used my Amex/Visa cards overseas.

Interestingly Singapore does charge a surcharge - but only to foreign cards. Annoying. Most other places don't do this, however.

I suspect when Wellington moves to the national system they'll remove the surcharge then. I suspect it is Snapper behind the surcharge as they also do the same with their own cards and they're the ones providing the interim solution until they finally get phased out for the switch to Motu Move. GWRC probably didn't have much of a say as Snapper is fully controlled independently -- whereas HOP is fully under AT control.

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