To tap and pay, tap or hold your Visa or Mastercard credit/debit card, smart phone or smart device on the payment panel on the lower part of a smart validator. A 'beep' noise and confirmation message on the screen indicates that your Tap and Pay ticket has been successfully validated.

You will find smart validators:

• on Adelaide Metro trams (throughout the carriage)
• on all buses
• on some standard buses (at the front door). Smart validators will be on all buses by late-2023
• at the Adelaide Railway Station (Special Access Gate 1) for transfers to outbound trains only.

You cannot tap and pay yet on trains. There are smart validators on some new electric trains, but these accept metroCARD only for now.

It is very unlikely that your credit card will be accidentally charged for a fare if you are simply standing near, or walking past, a smart validator.

However, to avoid an accidental charge:

1. Don’t lean against a smart validator if you have your credit/debit card or phone in your pocket or you’re wearing a smart watch.
2. Avoid ‘card clash’ by keeping your cards and smart devices away from each other when you tap the smart validator. For example, remove your metroCARD or Seniors Card from your wallet, rather than tapping your whole wallet on the smart validator.
   
   If you do present more than one card or smart device to the smart validator at the same time, it will only validate one of them, but it may not be the one you wanted to use.
3. Remember to use the same card or smart device again if you transfer to another vehicle, or as you are passing through a gate at the Adelaide Railway Station.

If you think you have been accidentally charged, please contact us for help.

Can I transfer to other Adelaide Metro services with my Tap and Pay ticket?

Tap and pay is being installed on Adelaide Metro vehicles in stages and we thank you for your patience. At this stage, you can transfer with Adelaide Metro Tap and Pay ticket to:

• all trams
• all buses
• trains leaving the Adelaide Railway Station, using the smart validator at Special Access Gate 1. Please note:
  • you will not need to validate again when you board your train
  • you will not be able to access other facilities that require a metroCARD (eg, Park-n-Ride parking, bike cages etc).

You cannot yet transfer to inbound trains (ie, trains heading into the city).

To transfer, you must use the same credit card or smart device you first used to buy your Tap and Pay ticket, within the two hours that your ticket is valid. If you use a different card or device (even if they are linked to the same bank account), you may be charged for a new Tap and Pay ticket. This is because each card and device has a different number, and new numbers are recognised as a new taps.

No. If you catch the O-Bahn and use the Park-n-Ride car park facilities at the Tea Tree Plaza, you should keep using your metroCARD to get discounted parking.

You can only buy one Adelaide Metro Tap and Pay ticket at a time per credit/debit card or smart device. This is because your Tap and Pay ticket is valid for two hours from the time you first tap, which enables you to tap again at no further cost to transfer other services.

If you wish to buy more than one Adelaide Metro Tap and Pay ticket, you will need a different credit/debit card or smart device for each. This is because each credit/debit card and device has a different number (even if it is linked to the same bank account) and is recognised as a new tap.

Inspectors carry a secure reader device that can read your card, phone or smart device to check that you have a valid Adelaide Metro Tap and Pay ticket. Your privacy is protected, as the reader cannot access your account or personal details and cannot take payments or make charges.

You will be charged one total amount for each day’s Tap and Pay tickets, rather than several smaller amounts for individual tickets. This helps us to minimise the banking fees associated with tap and pay services . The charge will be listed in your bank statement as ‘Adelaide Metro Tap’.

Please note:

• The date the charge appears on your statement is the date when the bank processes the transaction. This may be different to the date you actually travelled.
• Your bank’s ‘banking day’ usually ends before the end of Adelaide Metro’s ‘service day’. This means, if you travel with an Adelaide Metro Tap and Pay ticket in the evening, after the close of a banking day, your bank may charge you for that trip later, as part of another day’s lump sum of charges.
• You won’t be charged for transfers within the two hours that your Adelaide Metro Tap and Pay ticket is valid, as long as you use the same card, smart phone or smart device you used when you first tapped to buy your ticket.

Occasionally you may see a charge entitled ‘Adelaide Metro Pay’. This happens when a tap and pay payment is delayed (usually because there were insufficient funds in your account when you tapped, and the system successfully tried again later to recover the funds).

If you are confused or concerned about your Adelaide Metro tap and pay charges, it is best to speak with your bank. With your permission, your bank can legally access your account, see all your transaction details and discuss them with you.

As a vendor, we do not have access to your personal banking details. However, if you have questions about your Adelaide Metro tap and pay trips and travel history, or if you think you were incorrectly charged, please contact us for help.

If Adelaide Metro tap and pay isn’t working for you, please check:

• Are you using the right validator? Adelaide Metro tap and pay works on the new smart validators on trams and buses.
• Is your credit/debit card or smart device enabled for contactless payment?
• Is your card or smart device working for other tap and pay payments (eg, in shops or cafes)? If it has stopped working, please contact your bank for help.
• Are you using a card that was reported as lost or stolen? Tap and pay won’t work for lost or stolen credit cards. Your bank will probably need to issue you a new card with a new number.
• Do you have enough funds in your bank account? Try topping up your account and tapping again a little later.

If the problem persists, or if you see a ‘Deny’ message on the screen when you tap, please contact us, and we’ll investigate it with you.

When using Tap and Pay you may notice that there is a $1 charge in your account. Adelaide Metro will load a $1 pending transaction to your card to ensure you have money in your account and that your card is valid. 

This is a pending transaction, meaning it is deducted from your available funds but the amount will not leave your account. Once your tap and pay payment is cleared the $1 will return to your available balance.