Digital payments for Auckland public transport commuters within a year

Auckland Transport has announced it is introducing digital payments in the next 12 months. Photo / Michael Craig

Auckland commuters will be able to pay for public transport with a simple swipe of a bank card or smartphone within the next year.

Auckland Transport has announced it is introducing digital payments on all buses, trains, and ferries sometime in the next 12 months.

Applying to adults who are paying the full fare, the change allows customers to access public transport with debit/credit cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay, alongside the current AT Hop card.

Customers using the new payment methods will pay the same as an adult AT Hop fare.

Tertiary and Super Gold commuters must also use their AT Hop card to access their discounts.

Cash fares are more expensive than using an AT Hop card by up to $3.25 a ride and are so far available only for trains and ferries.

AT chief executive Dean Kimpton said the shift would bring Auckland to a comparable level with other major cities, saying the initiative will benefit tourists as well as Aucklanders.

“You won’t need to stress about buying a Hop card, topping it up, or forgetting it. You can just tag on with what you already have in your pocket like in London, New York or Sydney,” he said.

The initiative is part of wider plans to implement the National Ticketing Solution for public transport across the country by 2026, providing the same experience for commuters no matter where they are in the country.

With pilots beginning in Canterbury in 2024, the NTS intends on being a “cost-effective” solution to public transport.

Kimpton expects the new approach will raise public transport trips in Auckland to more than 100 million, an increase he said is “huge”.

“The more people catching public transport, the less emissions, the less traffic, and the easier and safer it is for us to move around our city,” he said.

The improvements will cost an estimated $23 million.

AT’s digital and technology delivery group manager, Chris Creighton, said there was plenty of work to do in preparation for the new system’s rollout next year.

“Though the payments will be easy for customers, upgrading our backend system to allow for these payments requires a huge amount of work behind the scenes.”

Creighton said contactless payments were “the quickest, easiest way to buy something” making it “perfect” for public transport.

The system is set to present a multitude of advantages to customers, the environment, and the entire city.