Its official, Wellington commuters can head to the bus stop or train station and pay with their phone or debit/credit card.
It was revealed last year Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC) would develop a system to allow contactless payments on its public transport network, as New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) continues to work on a nationwide system allowing the same feature.
The official launch is today Monday, although it was quietly introduced over the weekend to ensure a smooth rollout.
GWRC chairperson Daran Ponter told The Post he was excited to try it on his Monday morning commute for the first time.
“[It] will be a relief to finally see this technology on our Metlink services.”
Public transport operators around the country have been waiting for the roll-out of the $1.3 billion national ticketing solution (NTS), which has faced major delays and had a project review in the middle of last year.
Ponter said the latest update to their system did not mean they were “turning a blind eye to the NTS”.
“We are still committed but we have had to find transitional solutions ourselves because they have been so delayed.”
It was not a “happy decision” to create a Wellington specific system, he said.
“We would prefer to be standing behind and supporting the next ticketing solution, but it’s just simply not here when they said it would be - and that was two years ago.”
The new system has cost the council $5.3 million and will only work for adult fares, but Snapper cards will still be available for those that don’t want to make the switch.
Published in The Post 13 April 2026
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