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](https://www.waikatotimes.co.nz/nz-news/360984306/after-years-waiting-wellington-public-transport-users-can-pay-debit-cards-and-phones) \
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For further reading concerning the points raised in this opinion –
* [Future of passenger rail in New Zealand is regional rail](https://publictransportforum.nz/articles/article/the-future-of-passenger-rail-in-new-zealand-is-regional-rail-07-07-2025/)
* [Time for a national public transport network](https://www.publictransportforum.nz/articles/article/national-public-transport-network-07-06-2022)
* [Motu Move – New public transport payment system](https://www.publictransportforum.nz/articles/article/new-national-public-transport-payment-system-12-06-2024)[](https://www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360974126/probe-13b-national-ticketing-project-finds-delayed-time-line-still-ambitious-auckland-transport)
