National Ticketing Solution

For the most up-to-date information and media releases on the National Ticketing System, see NZTA's website.

National Ticketing Solution | NZTA(external link)

For general information about Metlink fares, see our Tickets & Fares page.

Description

How you pay to travel on public transport in Aotearoa New Zealand is changing.

The National Ticketing Solution (NTS) is a partnership between the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) and 13 Public Transport Authorities (PTAs), including Greater Wellington Regional Council which will provide a range of easy-to-use payment methods for all public transport across the country.

The new national system will be called Motu Move. Customers will be able to pay for public transport using contactless debit or credit cards and digital payment methods such as Apple Pay and Google Pay on mobile phones and smart watches, as well as a prepaid Motu Move card and pre-bought tickets.

What is the timeline for the Greater Wellington Region?

Motu Move is being rolled out region by region – ensuring we can manage the implementation requirements while focusing on the customer experience. 

Currently the Wellington Region is aiming to go live in the first half of the 2026 calendar year. A pilot started in Christchurch on the Airport route 29 in December 2024, with Greater Christchurch public transport services moving to the new system from the first quarter of 2025 starting with Timaru and Temuka.

The rollout will continue across the country through to late 2026.

Benefits

By making payments easier, Motu Move will encourage more people to use public transport more often.
Having a single national solution provides the country with better technology at a lower cost than we can with the current regional systems.

Each region will continue to manage their own fares, timetables, journey planning and transport operators.

Updates

The National Ticketing Solution (NTS) Motu Move will pilot its new contactless payment technology on the Route 29 bus from Christchurch Airport to the city from December 2024. This will allow passengers to pay for adult non-concession fares with debit or credit cards, alongside the existing Metrocard and cash payment options.

The pilot will allow this key component of the new system to be tested in a live environment before Motu Move is rolled out in the Canterbury region and will make it easier for visitors to the city to use public transport over the summer.

The first rollout of Motu Move in Timaru and Temuka will now be in early 2025, followed by delivery throughout Greater Christchurch.

More information about the specific dates and details for the rollout in Canterbury will be finalised over the next few months. Any changes to the subsequent regional rollouts will be confirmed as planning progresses.

Transition planning continues for Environment Canterbury, earlier Regional Consortium regions, and Greater Wellington.
NTS programme has developed a framework to support and guide implementation and transition of the regions to the NTS. It will enable effective oversight of the stages of implementation, stakeholder involvement and inform decision-making to support entry and exit criteria (including go live decisions). This work continues to develop to build out the next level of detail.
Transition options for Greater Wellington are being finalised with work being carried out looking at the detailed impacts of each of these options.
As the Environment Canterbury transition planning work continues at pace, detailed planning for the future phases rollout throughout regions is an increasing area of focus.
Systems Integration Testing (SIT) continues to be a priority together with preparation for User Acceptance Testing (UAT), including Customer testing of key concepts and the customer journeys.
The marketing approach for the programme has progressed through the development of a marketing strategy and considering creative concepts. This will be followed soon by the development of core collateral and design assets to support the NTS rollout.
While NTS opens up payment options to contactless debit or credit cards and digital payment methods, a prepaid Motu Move card will also be an option. The design of the Motu Move card has now been approved. It reflects the Motu Move brand and key accessibility features.

The programme team are pleased to confirm the proposed dates for the rollout of Motu Move across the country.

Implementation will start in Timaru this December with MyWay by Metro services, with Christchurch, Selwyn and Waimakariri public transport services moving to the new system from early 2025. Find out more about what’s happening in Canterbury later this year on their Metro website(external link).

As Minister Brown mentioned in his press release this week (link below), Auckland will be rolling out contactless payments for public transport later this year (using their current system). This first step in their transition towards the National Ticketing Solution means Auckland travellers paying a standard adult fare will be able to pay with debit cards, most credit cards, and Apple and Google Pay, in addition to their current HOP card. Having this contactless payment capability already in place will make it easier for Auckland to move to the National Ticketing Solution, reducing risk and cost while delivering a seamless transition for customers. Auckland is scheduled to then fully integrate with Motu Move in 2026 as explained on their website(external link).

Minister Brown’s press release 20 June 2024(external link)

The Motu Move rollout will continue across the country through to late 2026. Specific dates and details for each region will be confirmed as the rollout progresses.

Invercargill: mid 2025
Bay of Plenty: mid 2025
Wellington: late 2025
Hawkes Bay: late 2025
Northland: early 2026
Taranaki: early 2026
Waikato: mid 2026
Auckland: late 2026
Whanganui/Rangitikei: late 2026
Manawatu/Horowhenua: late 2026
Nelson: late 2026
Gisborne: late 2026
Otago: late 2026

The monthly NTS Transport Operators Forum was launched in April. This online forum will be the main platform to share monthly updates on the progress, changes and next steps of the programme with public transport operators from around the country. The forum will be asked to provide input and feedback at various stages throughout the phased delivery of the NTS.
Recent customer insights research has provided a richer understanding of traveller behaviour in Canterbury and is now being used to help inform change and communications activities and support a repeatable framework for roll out.
The establishment of the new Transport Ticketing and Payment (TTP) entity is progressing. TTP will ensure that necessary people, processes, and technology are in place within NZTA to support Public Transport Authorities with NTS operations. The NTS Operating Model is being finalised and it will include the NTS service catalogue, processes, policies and procedures.
Our first NZ Card Issuers NTS information session, held in May, generated a high level of interest and was well attended. Ongoing updates will continue to be provided.
Cubic is continuing the Systems Integration Testing (SIT) of the solution that will be deployed as part of Phase 1 alongside working on the delivery of the digital channels for customers. User Acceptance Testing is on track to start in July.

After significant consultation and consideration, the brand name ‘Motu Move’ has been confirmed. Motu Move will be the public facing brand of the National Ticketing Solution (NTS). The NTS is a partnership between NZTA and 13 Public Transport Authorities.

The brand will be used in customer communications alongside the local Public Transport brands, and it is not expected to replace those brands (Metro, Metlink, AT and smaller regional brands). The detail of how the Motu Move brand and services are introduced and used in each region may vary.

Motu Move is about payments and ticketing, with those regional brands continuing to provide the public transport services once the NTS is rolled out. In addition to local public transport services and channels, customers have access to an NTS provided Motu Move website and app, a Motu Move contact centre, and a new Motu Move prepaid card.

An interim customer website will be set up in the next few months to answer common questions, with the full website and app being available later in the year.

Implementation of Motu Move will start in Canterbury in late 2024. As it’s rolled out region by region, it will deliver new, consistent ways to pay for public transport across Aotearoa New Zealand. Customers will be able to pay for public transport using contactless payments including debit or credit cards, mobile phones and smart watches, as well as the new prepaid card and tickets.

The new payment options will remove barriers to public transport use for those who don’t currently carry a prepaid card or who travel in different regions. Providing easier payment options will encourage people to use public transport more, which will help reduce road congestion.

A national system means we can provide better technology at a lower cost than would be possible with the current regional systems. The technology used will help us to better understand patterns of public transport use so we can continue to improve the services offered and enable easier transport choices for New Zealanders.

The National Ticketing Solution (NTS) is a partnership between the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi and 13 Public Transport Authorities which will provide a range of easy-to-use and consistent payment methods for all public transport in New Zealand. Customers will be able to pay for public transport using contactless debit or credit cards and digital payment methods such as Apple Pay and Google Pay on mobile phones and smart watches, as well as a NTS prepaid card.

By making payments easier, the NTS will encourage more people to use public transport more often.

The solution is on track for delivery, with implementation to start in Canterbury in late 2024. All other regions will transition to the NTS by the end of 2026. We’re finalising the rollout plan in Canterbury focusing on a successful transition for customers, and we expect to confirm this plan by June.

Yogesh Anand, Executive Sponsor – National Ticketing Programme comment – “As work has progressed over the last few months our level of confidence around the delivery dates has been building, supported by Cubic delivering the promised solution ready for testing, and the establishment of an integrated test facility.”

Giles Southwell, Environment Canterbury - Director Corporate and Public Transport Service comment – “Our focus is making sure that Cantabrians are ready for the change to the NTS, and that the solution makes it easier to use public transport. We're looking forward to confirming the final rollout plan soon.”