Bee Card

Bee Card is a smartcard system used to pay for public transport throughout the Waikato region.

Paying for transport with Bee Card is quicker, easier and more cost-effective than cash.

Simply 'tag on and tag off' the bus to pay with your Bee Card credit.

Bee Cards are also accepted on Te Huia train, alongside public transport services in eight other regions across New Zealand.

Already got a Bee Card? Click below to access your account.

GET A BEE CARD

Bee cards are available to purchase for $5 from:

beecard.co.nz
one of the retailers located around the region.

If you are a SuperGold Card holder, Bee Cards are free of charge from the BUSIT counter inside the Transport Centre.

REGISTER YOUR CARD

Bee Cards need to be registered to support contact tracing, to enable online top up, and to protect your balance if you lose your card. You can also manage more than one Bee Card online - your kids’ cards included!
Registration is quick and can be easily completed online at beecard.co.nz.
If you need assistance, give us a call on 0800 205 305 or visit us at the BUSIT counter inside the Transport Centre.

TOP UP YOUR CARD

You’ll need to top up with $5 or more to get started. The easiest way to top up is online at beecard.co.nz or at your nearest Bee Card retailer.

EFTPOS or top up facilities are NOT available onboard BUSIT services

USE IT!

Have your Bee Card ready to tag on and off the bus.

You’ll hear a beep and then you’re ready to go. The screen will tell you how much credit is left on your card, and when you are running low.

When you tag on and off, the system automatically calculates the lowest fare based on your travel. If you don’t tag off, the system will charge a higher default fare.

On a registered Bee Card, once you spend a certain amount each week, from Monday to Sunday, all further bus travel in that zone is free. Simply tag on and off with your Bee Card to activate fare capping.

From 1 July 2024, a new youth fare capping system will be introduced, meaning riders aged 5-18 will be capped after 6.5 trips (with a registered Bee Card).

For example, in Hamilton this means the maximum an adult will pay per week is $24.03, and people 18 and under will pay no more than $17.36.

Fare capping is also available across zones – for example for people travelling through three zones, like Huntly / Cambridge / Te Awamutu / Morrinsville to Hamilton, the maximum weekly travel cost would be $48.15, and $34.78 for people 18 and under.

Please note, fare capping is activated by consecutive daily travel.
We suggest that children have their own Bee Card as they are entitled to access weekly fare capping for youth under 18 years (for daily riders) - weekly fares will be capped after 6.5 trips. Note children under 5 years travel free without a Bee Card.

Otherwise, you can use you Bee Card to pay for a child, but this will be charged at a full adult fare. Please tag on extra passengers by talking to your bus driver.
Auto Top Up ensures that you'll always have enough balance on your Bee Card to pay your fare. If your Bee Card goes below your pre-selected threshold amount, your card will be automatically topped up with your pre-selected dollar amount.

See full instructions on how to set up Auto Top Up here.

What if my payment fails on an Auto Top Up?

If Bee Card is unable to collect payment for your Auto Top Up, you'll receive an email letting you know that Auto Top Up has been suspended. Once you have resolved the issue that caused the failed payment you will need to restart the Auto Top Up on your Bee Card. Any bank fees that are charged as a result of insufficient funds in your account are your responsibility.