Snapper card
Encyclopedia
The Snapper card is a contactless electronic ticketing card used to pay for bus fares and other small purchases, such as food. It was introduced in Wellington
, New Zealand, in July 2008. It can be used on GOWellington
and Valley Flyer buses and at participating shops.
Further functions for the card are planned, for example as a loyalty card, a debit card
, and a joint card.
The name 'Snapper' is a continuation of the piscine theme present in other major cities - Octopus card
s in Hong Kong and Oyster card
s in London. 'Feeding' Snappers from Merchants is also inspired by the piscine theme.
based on the Infineon, Smart MX from NXP Semiconductors chip set. Snapper uses a cryptographic system called Triple DES
. The triple DES security is standard in financial cards and has been approved in New Zealand as a secure mechanism for connection through to the EFTPOS
network.
Snapper is introducing a self service kiosk where the card holder can top up using EFTPOS and get an instant balance. There is no top up fee when using the kiosk.
Customers can also top up online using a credit card, if they have a Snapper USB or Snapper Feeder. There is no fee for topping up online with a credit card; however both of these items cost $40 to purchase.
buses were the first to use Snapper; it was trialed 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. It is not accepted on Mana/Newlands Coachlines, which have their own smartcard.
or cash. Several Subway
restaurants in Wellington city have recently introduced this as an alternative way of payment.
Infratil
, ANZ National Bank, Eyede, Unisys
and Beca Group
pitched Snapper to the Auckland Regional Transport Authority, which had made public its intention to introduce smartcards on public transport in Auckland
but lost. Thales Group
was awarded the contract.
However, Snapper has released the HOP card
as the first third-party card to work with Thales' system, and continues to work closely with Auckland Transport and NZTA to set a national standard for integrated ticketing and provide interoperability across all ticketing systems in New Zealand.
Snapper cards work on NZBus services in Auckland.
Snapper Services Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Infratil
Limited. Infratil is listed on the New Zealand Exchange
, and is an infrastructure owner and operator specialising in renewable energy, airports and public transport in New Zealand
, Australia
and Europe
.
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
, New Zealand, in July 2008. It can be used on GOWellington
GOWellington
GO Wellington is the brand name of the NZ Bus Wellington, New Zealand subsidiary Wellington City Transport Ltd, branded Stagecoach Wellington by its previous owner, the Stagecoach Group. The name was announced in November 2006 with a new livery, by NZ Bus owner Infratil...
and Valley Flyer buses and at participating shops.
Further functions for the card are planned, for example as a loyalty card, a debit card
Debit card
A debit card is a plastic card that provides the cardholder electronic access to his or her bank account/s at a financial institution...
, and a joint card.
The name 'Snapper' is a continuation of the piscine theme present in other major cities - Octopus card
Octopus card
The Octopus card is a rechargeable contactless stored value smart card used to transfer electronic payments in online or offline systems in Hong Kong...
s in Hong Kong and Oyster card
Oyster card
The Oyster card is a form of electronic ticketing used on public transport services within the Greater London area of the United Kingdom. It is promoted by Transport for London and is valid on a number of different travel systems across London including London Underground, buses, the Docklands...
s in London. 'Feeding' Snappers from Merchants is also inspired by the piscine theme.
Technology
Snapper is a contactless smart cardContactless smart card
A contactless smart card is any pocket-sized card with embedded integrated circuits that can process and store data, and communicate with a terminal via radio waves. There are two broad categories of contactless smart cards. Memory cards contain non-volatile memory storage components, and perhaps...
based on the Infineon, Smart MX from NXP Semiconductors chip set. Snapper uses a cryptographic system called Triple DES
Triple DES
In cryptography, Triple DES is the common name for the Triple Data Encryption Algorithm block cipher, which applies the Data Encryption Standard cipher algorithm three times to each data block....
. The triple DES security is standard in financial cards and has been approved in New Zealand as a secure mechanism for connection through to the EFTPOS
EFTPOS
EFTPOS is the general term used for debit card based systems used for processing transactions through terminals at points of sale. In Australia and New Zealand it is also the brand name of the specific system used for such payments...
network.
Retailers
There are Snapper retailers that allow Snapper as a form of payment, and facilitate topping up a Snapper card. They are located in Wellington and the Hutt Valley, and in the Auckland CBD.Topping up
When topping up Snapper cards at a Snapper retailer, there is a transaction fee of twenty-five cents. This is deducted from the amount being loaded onto the card.Snapper is introducing a self service kiosk where the card holder can top up using EFTPOS and get an instant balance. There is no top up fee when using the kiosk.
Customers can also top up online using a credit card, if they have a Snapper USB or Snapper Feeder. There is no fee for topping up online with a credit card; however both of these items cost $40 to purchase.
Buses
GOWellingtonGOWellington
GO Wellington is the brand name of the NZ Bus Wellington, New Zealand subsidiary Wellington City Transport Ltd, branded Stagecoach Wellington by its previous owner, the Stagecoach Group. The name was announced in November 2006 with a new livery, by NZ Bus owner Infratil...
buses were the first to use Snapper; it was trialed by 200 users on route 17 to Karori
Karori
Karori is a suburb located at the western edge of the urban area of Wellington, New Zealand, some 4 km from the city centre.Karori is significantly larger than most other Wellington suburbs, having a population of over 14,000 at the time of the 2006 census.-History:Before the arrival of...
. 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. It is not accepted on Mana/Newlands Coachlines, which have their own smartcard.
Ferries
Snapper cards can be used to purchase tickets from the Ticket Office at Queen's Wharf for the East by West Ferry in Wellington. From early 2010, the Snapper card can be used to tag on and tag off the ferry, much like on buses, but there is no discount for using it on the ferry.In store
When making small purchases in select stores, card holders will be able to use the Snapper card instead of EFTPOSEFTPOS
EFTPOS is the general term used for debit card based systems used for processing transactions through terminals at points of sale. In Australia and New Zealand it is also the brand name of the specific system used for such payments...
or cash. Several Subway
Subway (restaurant)
Subway is an American restaurant franchise that primarily sells submarine sandwiches and salads. It is owned and operated by Doctor's Associates, Inc. . Subway is one of the fastest growing franchises in the world with 35,519 restaurants in 98 countries and territories as of October 25th, 2011...
restaurants in Wellington city have recently introduced this as an alternative way of payment.
Limitations
The card is not universally accepted within the Wellington Region. There is also a penalty fare for not tagging off, which can cause irritation when, for example, a machine malfunctions.Auckland
Snapper publicly announced its plans to enter the Auckland market via a media briefing on December 1, 2009, targeting coverage of 80% of public transport by Rugby World Cup 2011.Infratil
Infratil
Infratil Limited is a New Zealand-based infrastructure investment company. It owns several airports, electricity generators and retailers, and a public transport business, with operations in New Zealand, Australia and Europe. Infratil was founded by Lloyd Morrison, a Wellington-based merchant...
, ANZ National Bank, Eyede, Unisys
Unisys
Unisys Corporation , headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, United States, and incorporated in Delaware, is a long established business whose core products now involves computing and networking.-History:...
and Beca Group
Beca Group
' is one of the largest employee-owned engineering and related consultancy services companies in the Asia-Pacific. While it is headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand, Beca operates from three main hubs: Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. Beca has over 2,400 employees in total, many of them...
pitched Snapper to the Auckland Regional Transport Authority, which had made public its intention to introduce smartcards on public transport in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
but lost. Thales Group
Thales Group
The Thales Group is a French electronics company delivering information systems and services for the aerospace, defense, transportation and security markets...
was awarded the contract.
However, Snapper has released the HOP card
HOP card
The HOP card is a contactless electronic ticketing card which was released in several stages onto NZ Bus services in Auckland, New Zealand, in May 2011. This implementation is the first phase in the introduction of an integrated ticketing and smart card system which will be used on all public...
as the first third-party card to work with Thales' system, and continues to work closely with Auckland Transport and NZTA to set a national standard for integrated ticketing and provide interoperability across all ticketing systems in New Zealand.
Snapper cards work on NZBus services in Auckland.
Snapper Services Limited
Snapper has created a new payment category in New Zealand, based on small value payments using contactless smartcards. Over 120,000 Snappers have been issued, generating over 20 million transactions, across over 400 buses and 200 retailers in New Zealand. Snapper offers customers integrated ticketing and instant small value payments. The Snapper system is claimed to be 99.99% accurate, providing valuable journey data that can be used to plan better transport services for passengers.Snapper Services Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Infratil
Infratil
Infratil Limited is a New Zealand-based infrastructure investment company. It owns several airports, electricity generators and retailers, and a public transport business, with operations in New Zealand, Australia and Europe. Infratil was founded by Lloyd Morrison, a Wellington-based merchant...
Limited. Infratil is listed on the New Zealand Exchange
New Zealand Exchange
NZX Limited is a stock exchange located in Wellington, New Zealand. Since July 2005 it has been located in NZX Centre, the renovated Odlins building on the Wellington waterfront...
, and is an infrastructure owner and operator specialising in renewable energy, airports and public transport in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
External links
- Snapper - Snapper card
- Snapper USB - First Impressions
- Snapper Website - Screenshots
- http://www.infratil.com/ - Infratil Limited