Get Ready to be Snapped (your wallet that is!)

Finally, NZ version of contact less smart card: Snapper. Commuters who ride on Go Wellington bus will only need to tap the card on the reader when they board the bus, and tap again when they alight. Snapper is owned by Infratil which also owns Go Wellington bus (self explanatory?).

Using Snapper will cost commuters 25% less than using cash, which is a good thing. Current 10-trip card only gives 20% discount of cash price.
Sounds good?
When I still lived in Singapore, EZ Link card, the Singapore version of Snapper, is very widely used. Its website said they have issued 8 million cards since its introduction in 2002. I admit it is more convenient and efficient; however I have some reservations on implementation of Snapper in Wellington:

• The introduction doesn’t seem to be very well planned. It’s funny that currently not all buses are equipped by Snapper reader. It means that even though you have the card with you, you still have to bring money or the good old 10-trip ticket in your wallet.
  
  
• Snapper (currently) only serves Wellington with only 400,000 people. It just doesn’t make any economic sense to me.
  
  
• What will happen to Newlands bus Smart Card? They’re actually the first one who implements contact less smart card in Wellington area.
  
  
• What’s with the $15 to buy a card? That’s so not world class. You don’t have to pay to get Oyster card in London (with GBP 3 ($8) refundable deposit). EZ Link Singapore used to be the same as Oyster (with SGD 7 refundable deposit); until a couple of years back they started to charge SGD 5 ($5) refundable deposit to get the card. Hong Kong’s Octopus has the On Loan card for HKD50 ($9) refundable deposit. Snapper starts its business by charging customers $15, that’s a rip off.
  
  
• Another rip off: Snapper will charge 25c for top up and 2% for credit card payment. Let’s calculate how much they make from it: if you top up $20 (hence paying $20.25). In a month if you top up four times, that makes $1 extra out of your pocket. It’s worse with Credit card. You will have to fork out $20.4 to get $20 top up. If you travel 3 Zone every day, that’s at least $15 a year (or $25 by credit card) just from you, multiply by the number of commuters, that’s a pretty handsome amount of money isn’t it? I don’t think any other ‘world class’ companies do that. I know EZ-Link doesn’t charge if you top up in their ticketing offices or train stations.
  
  
• I can see the end of monthly pass. It won’t be compatible with Snapper.
  
  
• I don’t care about buying coffee using Snapper. It’s too risky to put too much money in it. When you lose it, anyone can use it straight away. Also remember you have to pay 25c to top up the card, plus all the trouble to find the merchants who provide top up service.
  
  
• Most importantly, I’m gonna miss the small talks with bus drivers (or train conductors) when handing off money or tickets. I hope Wellington will not turn into new Singapore with bus drivers only concentrating at the card reader to make sure you tap your card when you board the bus.
  

This blog has got some interesting posts on Snapper.