Snapper card

The Snapper card is a contactless electronic ticketing card used to pay for bus fares and other everyday items, such as taxis, food and coffee, in New Zealand.[1][2][3] It was introduced in Wellington in July 2008. Another version – the Snapper HOP card – was introduced to Auckland in 2011 and withdrawn from Auckland in late 2013.[4] Snapper CityLink cards were introduced in Whangarei in March 2014 and withdrawn in September 2018.[5] It is owned by Snapper Services Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Infratil, which also owns NZ Bus.

Snapper Card
LocationWellington
LaunchedJune 2008
Technology
ManagerSnapper Services Limited
CurrencyNZD ($300 maximum load)
Stored-valuePay as you go
Auto rechargeAuto-topup
Validity
Retailed
  • Online
  • Telephone
  • Banks
Websitewww.snapper.co.nz

It can be used on Metlink branded buses and Runcimans buses in the greater Wellington area, as well as at participating shops and taxi services.[6][7] Further functions for the card are planned, for example, as a loyalty card.

Technology

Snapper is a contactless smart card based on Infineon and SmartMX (from NXP Semiconductors) chip sets.[8] It uses the Triple DES cryptographic system, which is standard in financial cards and has been approved in New Zealand as a secure mechanism for connection through to the EFTPOS network. The Snapper system is an adaptation of the T-money system used in South Korea.[9][10]

On 3 May 2012, Snapper and 2degrees mobile announced the launch of a service that allows customers with a compatible NFC phone to make payments in all Snapper merchants using their mobile phone. The first phone to support this service is the LG Optimus Net. This service requires compatible NFC phone and a special SIM card with the snapper secure element included.

The bus-ticketing system is based on a "tag-on", "tag-off" principle, providing valuable data for transport authorities to analyse – and plan for – travel behaviour.[11][12] Some users have been concerned by the privacy of such practises.[13]

Services

Buses

GO Wellington buses were the first to use Snapper; it was trialled by 200 users on route 17 to Karori. From 1 June 2009 there is a 20% discount on standard fares for adults using a Snapper. Previously, this discount was 25%. Snapper was made available on Valley Flyer buses from 14 June 2009, and on Runcimans school buses in September later that year.[14] As of 2018 Snapper is available on Mana/Newlands Coach Services buses as the Metlink bus network had been unified under one style and one fare system.

On 1 December 2009, Snapper announced plans to enter the Auckland market, targeting coverage of 80% of public transport by Rugby World Cup 2011. Infratil, ANZ Bank New Zealand (then ANZ National Bank), Eyede, Unisys and Beca Group pitched Snapper to the Auckland Regional Transport Authority (ARTA), which had made public its intention to introduce smartcards on public transport in Auckland.[6] Snapper released the so-called purple HOP card, which was used only on NZ Bus services (but no other Auckland bus company or service) in Auckland from March 2011 until late 2013. After Auckland Transport superseded ARTA in 2010, Thales Group was awarded the contract[15] and Snapper was required to exit the Auckland market after failing to make their system compatible with Thales' system. Subsequently, the rollout of the AT HOP card for all Auckland bus, train and ferry services was completed by Auckland Transport by March 2014.[16]

On 3 March 2014, the Northland Regional Council introduced Snapper cards for Whangarei's urban bus network, CityLink Whangarei.[17] On 29 September 2019, Snapper cards were phased out for the Whangarei bus network, which was replaced with the Bee Card.[18][19]

Ferries

Tickets for the East by West Ferry in Wellington could be purchased with Snapper cards at Queen's Wharf. Since early 2010, the Snapper card could be used to tag-on and tag-off the ferry, much like on buses, but there was no discount for using it on the ferry. Tag on-tag off services on the ferry have been discontinued. The old style card readers are there but they are covered up and disabled.

Retail stores

Many retailers in Wellington allow Snapper as a form of payment, and facilitate topping up a Snapper card, these include FIX convenience stores, dairies and ticket offices throughout the Greater Wellington region. In 2015, Snapper announced that, from 1 June, these payments would no longer be available,[20] in favour of the use of contactless payments.

References
  1. "Snapper card users may continue to cough up for extra fees charged by retailers". Stuff. 6 November 2017. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  2. Service, K.C.I. (2016). KOREA Magazine June 2016:. Seoul Selection. pp. pt110-111. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  3. "Snapper will no longer be accepted in shops and cafes". Stuff. 22 May 2015. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  4. "Hop off - bus cards have to be replaced". NZ Herald. 15 January 2012. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
  5. "Northland news in brief, use Snapper credit or lose it". NZ Herald. 31 August 2018. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
  6. "Snapper to make a splash". The Dominion Post. www.stuff.co.nz. 21 April 2008. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 29 April 2008.
  7. "Snappy card speeds Wgtn bus riders' journey". The Dominion Post. www.stuff.co.nz. 21 April 2008. Archived from the original on 21 April 2008. Retrieved 29 April 2008.
  8. "Snapper predicts demise of transport cards". Stuff. 28 January 2015. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  10. So the calculation data is sent to Korea Smart Card Corporation in Seoul and the calculation is done there. However, it is not compatible with the T-money system in Korea. It means you cannot use the Snapper card in Korea and vice versa.
  11. "Aucklanders caught out by HOP card's 60-day cash swipes". Stuff. 11 September 2017. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  12. "More than one million missed Hop tags last year, AT says". Stuff. 15 September 2017. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  13. "Commuters express privacy fears over Hop card ad blitz". NZ Herald. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  14. "Runcimans welcomes Snapper aboard". NZBus – nzbus.co.nz. 17 August 2009. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
  15. Auckland Regional Transport Authority Archived May 25, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  16. "Auckland Transport completes AT HOP rollout". Scoop.co.nz. 25 March 2014. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
  17. "Citylink Whangarei". www.snapper.co.nz. Archived from the original on 25 January 2016. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  18. "CityLink Snapper smartcard users urged to use credit before end September - Northland Regional Council". www.nrc.govt.nz. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
  19. "Bee Card is here!". CityLink Whangarei. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
  20. "Uh oh...No more coffee??". Snapper Blog. Snapper. 27 May 2015. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
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