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Introducing the new Buy & Go app
24 Apr 2024
Our new app puts buying tickets for Adelaide’s public transport in the palm of your hand!
Visiting Adelaide? Only use public transport now and then? Leave your metroCARD at home? The new Adelaide Metro Buy & Go app offers a new easy way to buy your tickets and get around Adelaide on a bus, train or tram.
Simply download the free Buy & Go app from your app store to buy Regular, Concession and Student Singletrip and Daytrip tickets plus 3-Day Visitor Passes – anytime, anywhere.
Buy & Go ticket prices are the same as metroCARD fares, and you can use them on any Adelaide Metro bus or tram, and to transfer to trains departing from the Adelaide Railway Station. The tickets you buy are stored for up to 12 months in the app’s wallet until you are ready to use them. You can use one ticket to travel alone, or up to five tickets to travel with others – perfect for families!
Using the new app is as easy as ‘Buy’ and ‘Go’.
To ‘Buy’:
Download the free app from the app store on your smart phone.
Create and verify your account, linking it to your email address. (Note: Buy & Go accounts are separate from metroCARD accounts).
Select your tickets from the Buy Tickets section. Buy & Go tickets are non-refundable, so choose carefully and check as you confirm. Remember, if you choose a Concession or Student ticket, you’ll need to carry proof that you’re eligible for those tickets in South Australia.
Buy your tickets with a Visa or Mastercard credit or debit card. You can link your cards to your account to make your next purchase quick and easy – and update your details any time.
To ‘Go’:
Select the ticket(s) you want to use for your trip. Your Purchased tickets are in the app’s My Tickets wallet under the Purchased/Active Tickets tab. (Note: you can only use off-peak tickets during off-peak times: between 9.01am and 3:00 pm Monday to Friday, and all day on Sundays and public holidays.)
Immediately before you board, activate your ticket(s) to make them valid for travel. This generates an Active ticket (which includes details about the ticket type and a QR code) and starts the countdown on your ticket’s journey time. You can activate just one ticket for yourself, or up to five tickets at a time to create a ‘batched Active ticket’ with one QR code. Batched Active tickets include an easy-to-see summary of all the tickets in the batch – handy to show your bus driver or staff member.
Always validate your Active ticket on a smart validator as you board or transfer. First, separate your phone from any other credit cards or metroCARDs. Ensure your Active ticket’s QR code is visible on your phone’s screen. Hold your phone with the Active ticket facing upwards towards the ceiling, then place it flat against the payment panel on the smart validator. When it’s in the right position, the validator’s scanner light will come on and read the QR code.
A green tick and a ding sound from the validator means you’re good to go.
If you meet a ticket inspector, just show them your Active ticket on your phone, so they can check the QR code. If you’ve transferred near the end of your journey time, you’ll find your Used ticket in the app’s ‘My Tickets’ wallet under the ‘Used tickets’ tab.
The new Buy & Go app is an addition to the range of payment options already available, including metroCARD, Tap and Pay and free travel for Senior Card members. So, choose the option that is best for you!
To buy tickets, you’ll need a smart phone (iOS 13 and above or Android 8 and above), a phone number, email address, four-digit postcode, a Visa or Mastercard credit or debit card and your CVV number.
Each Buy & Go account requires a separate email address: you cannot assign more than one Buy & Go account to the same email address.
To use a Buy & Go ticket to travel, your phone battery must be charged throughout your journey, so you can prove you have a valid ticket.
* You can only buy and use off-peak tickets during off-peak times: between 9.01am and 3:00 pm Monday to Friday, and all day on Sundays and public holidays.
The prices are listed next to each ticket type in the Buy Tickets section. They are the same as metroCARD prices.
You can buy up to 10 tickets of the same type, and store up to 100 tickets in your My Tickets wallet. Remember: stored tickets that are not used will expire after 12 months and are non-refundable.
Activating your ticket means converting a Purchased ticket into an Active ticket to make it valid to use on public transport. Active tickets include details about the ticket type plus the QR code that you must scan on a smart validator when you board or transfer to your Adelaide Metro service.
IMPORTANT: When you activate your ticket, its journey time starts counting down, so you should wait until just before you board to activate it.
Yes. If you want to travel with your family and friends, you can activate up to five Purchased tickets at the same time to create one batched Active ticket. The tickets can be a combination of Regular, Concession or Student fares, but they must all:
be the same type with the same journey time (i.e. Singletrip, Daytrip or 3-Day Visitor Pass); and
be for the same travel time (all-times or off-peak).
To create a batched Active ticket:
Buy your tickets.
Just before you board your Adelaide Metro vehicle, go to Purchased/Active Tickets in your My Tickets wallet.
Select all the Purchased tickets you wish to use for your trip. (You can select up to five tickets.)
Check that all the tickets you’ve selected are correct, and that you are ready to start your journey time.
Tap the ‘Activate Ticket(s)’ button on the bottom left of the screen.
At the ‘Confirm or cancel’ prompt, confirm your selection. This will generate your batched Active ticket, which displays one QR code plus details about the number and kinds of tickets in the batch.
You must validate your batched Active ticket on a smart validator as you board your bus or tram, or transfer to your train (from the Adelaide Railway Station only). One QR code means one tap for all the tickets in the batch.
You will all need to stay with the person who holds the ticket for the whole trip, to provide proof of the ticket to an inspector, if required. The inspector will be able to see at a glance the number of tickets in the batch (and whether they are for Regular, Concession or Student fares).
Larger groups, including school groups, require a group booking. Please request a Group Booking here at least 10 business days before the travel date.
Yes! All Adelaide Metro buses, including those from the Adelaide Airport, accept Buy & Go tickets as well as metroCARDs and Tap and Pay. While your ticket is valid, you can then transfer to any other bus or tram, or to trains departing from the Adelaide Railway Station.
Purchased tickets (tickets you’ve bought but haven’t yet activated) will be stored in your My Tickets wallet under the Purchased/Active Tickets tab for 12 months. After this time, they will expire and will no longer be valid for use.
Active tickets (tickets you have purchased and activated) last just a little longer than their journey time and then they are no longer valid. The journey time starts counting down as soon as you activate your ticket, so it is best to activate just before you board your Adelaide Metro vehicle and use it straight away.
Singletrips last two hours from the time they are activated.
Daytrips last one day from the time they are activated (up until 4am the following day).
3-Day Visitor Passes last for three consecutive days from the time they are activated (up until 4am after the final day).
Used tickets are tickets that have been activated and have no journey time remaining. Although they are no longer valid, they remain in your My Tickets wallet under the All Tickets tab. This is so you can show them to an inspector if you are asked for proof of your ticket.
Expired tickets are tickets that you bought but didn’t use within 12 months, and are, therefore, no longer available to use. Expired tickets can be seen in the My Tickets wallet under the All Tickets tab. There is no refund available for expired tickets.
You can use Visa or Mastercard credit or debit cards. You can link your card details (for up to three different cards) as you create your account or enter your card details at the checkout. You can update these details any time.
Please note that if card’s EPTPOS setting is active, this may interfere with your payments. The app cannot be used with American Express, Diners Club or store cards.
No. Any customer with access to a smart phone and a Visa or Mastercard account can use the app to buy tickets. Please note, however, that people in some age groups may not need to buy a ticket to use Adelaide Metro services because they can travel for free. These include children under 5 years of age who are travelling with an adult who has a valid ticket, and people who have a South Australian Seniors Card.
If you wish to set up the app for a child, and link it to your credit/debit card, you will need a separate email address for each Buy & Go account you register; you cannot register more than one Buy & Go account to the same email address.
Please check:
the ‘family setting’ systems available from both Google and Apple to establish and maintain appropriate parental controls; and
your bank’s policies regarding responsible use of your credit/debit card.
