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Fares for students aged 16 to 19

Auckland high school students aged 16 to 19 are eligible for a secondary student concession. This gives you 40% off travel on most buses, trains and ferries when using your registered AT HOP card.

To get discounted fares, students must:  

  • be 16 to 19 years old 
  • be enrolled full time at a secondary school in the Auckland region 
  • have an AT HOP card registered with a secondary concession. 

When paying by cash or contactless, you will pay the full adult fare.

Bus and train fares for secondary students

Cash fare (trains only)

CityLink $0.50 

1 zone $2 

2 zones $3.50 

3 zones $4.50 

4+ zones $5.50

AT HOP fare

CityLink $0.45 

1 zone $1.45 

2 zones $2.75 

3 zones $3.70 

4+ zones $4.55 

Ferry fares for secondary students

Local ferry

Te Onewa Northcote Point to or from Birkenhead

AT HOP $1.45

Cash $2

Inter ferry

Beach Haven to or from Hobsonville Point

AT HOP $2.75

Cash $3.50

Inner Harbour Ferry

To or from the city centre and Bayswater, Birkenhead, Te Onewa Northcote Point, or Devonport

AT HOP $4.44

Cash $6.50

Mid Harbour Ferry

To or from the city centre and Half Moon Bay, West Harbour, Beach Haven, or Hobsonville Point

AT HOP $5.94

Cash $8

Outer Harbour Ferry

To or from the city centre and Gulf Harbour or Pine Harbour

AT HOP $7.92

Cash $9

Waiheke Island

Operated by Fullers360

AT HOP $13.50

Cash $13.50

Waiheke Island

Operated by Island Direct

AT HOP $13

Cash $13

Apply online for secondary student discount (4 steps)

Before you start


You’ll need:   

  • a registered AT HOP card 
  • a MyAT account 
  • your National Student Number (NSN). 

You can find your NSN by checking the top right corner of a record of achievement or result notice issued by your school. If you don’t have this, you can ask your school or enquire on the NZQA website.  

Apply for the concession


  1. In your MyAT account, select ‘Apply for a concession’. 
  2. Choose ‘Secondary’ from the concession type list. 
  3. Choose which card to apply the concession to. 
  4. Enter your National Student Number and select ‘Apply’.  

If you’re having trouble entering your National Student Number, try leaving out the zero. If you are still having problems, contact our team for help.  

If you choose to use your student ID for verification instead of your NSN, you’ll need to visit one of our customer service centres in person to complete your application.  

Wait for confirmation


We’ll email you to let you know we’ve received your application, and again when your concession is loaded. This can take 1 to 3 days. If you use your card in the meantime, adult fares will apply.  

Once you receive your confirmation email, your concession will be ready to use in 1 hour.  

Tag on to activate your concession


To activate your concession, tag on to the HOP reader or electronic gate on any bus, train or ferry.   

If you do not tag on within 60 days of setting up your concession, it will expire and your card will revert to adult fares. If this happens, contact us and we can reactivate your concession for you. 

Apply in person for secondary student fares 

You can also apply for your concession in person at one of our customer service centres. You can buy a new AT HOP card at the same time, or bring an existing one with you. 

You may prefer this option if you: 

  • don’t have a device or internet 
  • can’t find your National Student Number 
  • are encountering issues with the online process.  

Bring your student ID card to prove you are eligible for the concession.  

Find a customer service centre near you.  

 


Important things to know

Who is eligible

To get the secondary student concession, you must be a full-time secondary school student between the ages of 16 and 19. If you are 19 at the start of the school year and turn 20 during the year, you are still eligible.  

You are not eligible if you:  

  • don’t have an AT-approved student ID card 
  • are a part time secondary student  
  • attend secondary school outside the Auckland region 
  • attend alternative schooling (including home schooling) unless you have a Certificate of Exemption from the Ministry of Education 
  • attend a private training institute (for example, a language school) or a tertiary institute.  

What happens if your card gets lost, stolen or damaged 

Your concession is attached to the card, not your account. This means if you lose your AT HOP card and need a replacement, you must contact us to transfer the concession to your new card.  

Find out how to cancel a card and transfer the balance

Where secondary student fares apply 

Secondary student discounts apply on most AT bus, train and ferry services. Students travelling on school buses will also pay discounted fares.  

Discounts are not available on Rakino Island ferry services. 

Adult fares apply when buying tickets without a registered AT HOP card.  

Carry proof of ID when you travel 

Make sure to carry your valid student ID when you travel. You may be asked by a Transport Officer to prove you are eligible for the concession.  

Expiry 

Your concession will expire either:  

when your student ID card expires 

when you are no longer enrolled at an Auckland secondary school. 

If you applied for your concession online, it will expire after 3 years or when you are no longer enrolled at an Auckland secondary school.  

If you applied for your concession in person, it will expire on the same date as your AT-approved student ID card. 

Tertiary students in Auckland can apply for a tertiary concession to continue getting discounted fares.  

 


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