One Card for Transport, Another for Everything Else
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Tapping a bank card to board a train or bus can make travelling around a new city wonderfully simple. There is no queue for a ticket machine and no need to work out exactly how much the journey will cost. But contactless transport systems do not all work in the same way.
Some cities let you tap a regular debit or credit card directly at the gate. Others require a local transport card, travel pass, or mobile ticket. Even where contactless payment is available, there may be rules about which cards are accepted or how fares are calculated.
Before travelling, look up the official transport information for your destination. Find out whether you can use a New Zealand-issued card, whether contactless payments work on the services you plan to use and whether you need to register or purchase anything beforehand.
It is also worth checking what happens when you change vehicles. Some systems use one tap when boarding, while others require you to tap on and off. Missing a tap can sometimes result in an incorrect or higher fare.
Your bank may also treat overseas transport payments differently from an ordinary shop purchase. Check whether your card has overseas transaction fees and make sure you know how to contact your bank if a card is lost or blocked. SafeTravel recommends having more than one way to access money while overseas, rather than relying on a single card.
If you are travelling with a partner, do not assume one card can cover both people. Some transport systems require each passenger to use a separate card or ticket, even when travelling together.
And keep a backup option. A second card stored separately from your main wallet can be useful if the first one stops working. SafeTravel also recommends checking with your bank before travelling to confirm that your card will work overseas.
A little research before you arrive can turn one of the more confusing parts of a new city into a simple tap and go. Just make sure you know what you are tapping, where to tap and what happens afterwards.
