Adelaide Metro fares and tickets
Adelaide Metro fares are the same on buses, trains and trams. You can pay with a rechargeable plastic metroCARD (great for regular users), a paper MetroTicket (good for infrequent users) or, if you're only using trams, with your credit card or smart device.
What you pay depends on the time of day you’re travelling, any concession cards you have and how you choose to pay for your Adelaide Metro journey.
If you already know what you need, find out where to buy a metroCARD. Otherwise, jump to information on this page about:
You can also find out how much you could be saving by switching to public transport using our savings estimator.
How much are regular Adelaide Metro fares?
Passengers older than 15, who do not have a student or concession card, use regular fares.
When you buy a new regular metroCARD, you pay $5 for the physical card and need to load a minimum of $5 to it before you can use it. You can recharge it in blocks of $5, up to $200.
metroCARD or MetroTicket type | Peak travel times | Off-peak travel times |
---|
Regular metroCARD (rechargeable)
|
$3.95
|
$2.20
|
Singletrip MetroTicket
|
$5.80
|
$3.90
|
Daytrip MetroTicket
|
$11.00
|
14-day pass on a metroCARD
|
$63.20 – unlimited trips (19% cheaper than 10 trips)
|
28-day pass on a metroCARD
|
$105.00 – unlimited trips (19% cheaper than 20 trips)
|
How much are concession Adelaide Metro fares?
You can use concession fares if you have a:

Concession cards giving you free travel at all times:
You must have your concession card with you whenever you are using a concession metroCARD. View examples of acceptable Adelaide Metro concession cards (PDF, 3464 KB) and acceptable regional concession cards (PDF, 2227 KB)
When you buy a new concession metroCARD (excluding Seniors Card), you pay $3.50 for the physical card and need to load a minimum of $5 to it before you can use it. You can recharge it in blocks of $5, up to $200.
metroCARD or MetroTicket type | Peak travel times | Off-peak travel times |
---|
Concession metroCARD (rechargeable)
|
$1.95
|
$1.05
|
Concession Singletrip MetroTicket
|
$2.90
|
$1.40
|
Concession Daytrip MetroTicket
|
$5.50
|
Concession 14-day pass on a metroCARD
|
$31.60 – unlimited trips (19% cheaper than 10 trips)
|
Concession 28-day pass on a metroCARD
|
$52.50 – unlimited trips (19% cheaper than 20 trips)
|
You aren't eligible for concession fares if you have a:
- Health Care Card - but you may be eligible for a Transport Concession Card
- student card from interstate or for part-time, online or correspondence studies.
How much are child, primary and high school student Adelaide Metro fares?
- Children younger than 5 travel free when they are with a parent or carer.
- Children and students aged 5 to 14 pay discounted student fares and do not need to carry student ID.
- High school students aged 15 or older must carry a South Australian government-approved student ID card.
When you buy a new student metroCARD, you pay $3.50 for the physical card and need to load a minimum of $5 to it before you can use it. You can recharge it in blocks of $5, up to $200.
On weekends, South Australian school holidays and public holidays, two children under the age of 15 can travel free when they are with an adult who is using who is using a Regular or Concession Daytrip MetroTicket. Free travel for children doesn’t apply if the adult is using a regular, concession or Seniors Card metroCARD.
metroCARD or MetroTicket type | Peak travel times | Off-peak travel times |
---|
Student metroCARD (rechargeable)
|
$1.35
|
$1.05
|
Student Singletrip MetroTicket
|
$2.90
|
$1.40
|
Student Daytrip MetroTicket
|
$5.50
|
Student 14-day pass on a metroCARD
|
$15.80 – unlimited trips (39% cheaper than 10 trips)
|
Student 28-day pass on a metroCARD
|
$26.00 – unlimited trips (50% cheaper than 20 trips)
|
Fare finder
Use the filters on our fare finder to see which ticket type might be best for you and the fare you'll pay.
Common questions
When are peak and off-peak travel times?
Peak travel is before 9am and after 3pm Monday-Friday, and all day Saturday.
Off-peak (also called interpeak) is between 9:01am and 3pm Monday-Friday, and all day Sunday and public holidays.
How long does a single fare last for?
Your fare lasts for two hours from when you validate your ticket or metroCARD, unless you have unlimited daily travel on a:
- Daytrip ticket (will expire 4am the day after purchase)
- Cruise ship pass
- Visitor pass (three days)
- 14-day or 28-day multi-day pass on metroCARD.
What are 14-day and 28-day passes for metroCARDs?
These passes are loaded to a metroCARD and give you unlimited bus, train and tram travel for either 14 or 28 days in a row. This means they are good for people who use public transport most days of the week, as they work out cheaper than normal metroCARD fares.
You can add a pass to a metroCARD
- through your online metroCARD account (if you’ve registered the card with us)
- at the InfoCentre in the Adelaide Railway Station
- at metroCARD retailers or vending machines across Adelaide
- using a vending machine on-board trains and trams
- by calling the InfoLine on 1300 311 108.
When you add a pass to a metroCARD, it will start its countdown of days the next time the card is validated. You can’t pause a 14-day or 28-day pass – it will expire after its allocated time, no matter how many times or what days of the week you validate it.
You can have up to 3 passes loaded to your metroCARD at one time and they’ll be activated in the order you bought them. If you also have a general balance on your metroCARD, it will be used once the passes have expired. Consider setting up an auto recharge of your general balance so you’ll always have funds available to travel.
Check your metroCARD account to see how many days are left on a pass, how many passes you have, or how much general balance is on a metroCARD.
Where can I buy an Adelaide Metro metroCARD or ticket?
You can buy:
Can you pay cash on Adelaide Metro buses?
Bus passengers need a metroCARD or MetroTicket before catching a bus, as drivers cannot sell you a ticket.
What if I've lost my metroCARD or ticket?
We recommend you register your metroCARD with us, to help protect your balance if your card is lost or stolen.
If you have not registered your metroCARD, we cannot track it, cancel it or replace it if it is lost or stolen. Paper MetroTickets cannot be registered or replaced if they are lost or stolen.
Related information