Adelaide metroCARD top ups are in $5 blocks, up to $200. You can either recharge as you go, or set up a convenient auto recharge.

Recharge as you go

You can manually recharge 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.

If you recharge in person or using a vending machine, your funds will be available immediately. If you recharge online or over the phone, the funds will be available in around one hour and will load to your metroCARD when you next validate it. You need to validate the metroCARD within 3 months of buying a recharge.

On-board vending machines accept credit/debit cards and coins. Vending machines at stops and stations don’t accept cash. Follow the instructions on the vending machine screen and don’t remove your metroCARD until it confirms the recharge has loaded.

If you have an online metroCARD account, it gets updated every night and will show your new balance and transaction history the next day.

Auto recharge

If you have a VISA or Mastercard, you can top up your metroCARD balance automatically when it drops below $5 (for a regular metroCARD), or below $3 (for student, concession or Seniors Card metroCARDs).

You can setup an auto recharge:

• through your online metroCARD account
• in person at the InfoCentre at the Adelaide Railway Station
• by calling the InfoLine on 1300 311 108.

You can choose the value of your auto recharge. If you have it setup for multiple metroCARDs, you can have different recharge values for the different cards. If you need to change a recharge amount, simply setup a new recharge and it’ll overwrite your old one.

When you validate your metroCARD on-board a bus, train or tram, or at barrier gates, the validator will flash both green and yellow lights to show it has auto recharged the metroCARD, and will display the new balance on the screen.

If your auto recharge fails (e.g. your credit card has expired), we’ll send an invoice to the email listed in your metroCARD account. If you don’t pay by the due date, we will cancel the auto recharge and, potentially, your metroCARD.

If you don’t use a metroCARD with auto recharge on it for 12 months or more, the auto recharge will get cancelled. You can set it up again when you are ready. The metroCARD itself and any balance left on it will still work.

If your metroCARD gets lost or stolen, cancel the auto recharge as quickly as possible to prevent other people from activating it.

You can remove the auto recharge function on your metroCARD through your metroCARD account or by contacting us. Please note that any changes will be completed when the metroCARD is next validated.

To set up an online account, you need an email address. This will become your username.

If you are a South Australian Seniors Card holder, your user name is ‘SENIOR_’, followed by the 7-digit number of your card, e.g. SENIOR_1234567

Set up a metroCARD account now.

Password problems

If you have an account and forget your password, you can reset it online. Make sure you have access to your emails, as you will need to follow instructions that will be emailed to you.

If you need to talk to us about your password or account, please call the InfoLine on 1300 311 108 or visit the Adelaide Metro InfoCentre at the Adelaide Railway Station. You’ll need to answer some questions to confirm that you are the registered account holder.

If you need to add an email address to your Seniors Card account, please contact the Seniors Unit on 1800 819 961.

When you validate your metroCARD on a bus, train or tram, watch the screen. The validator will display the metroCARD balance and, if the balance is low, will also flash a green light.

You can also check your metroCARD balance:

• 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.

If you've just topped up your metroCARD balance at the InfoCentre or using a vending machine, your new funds will be available immediately. If you recharged online or by phone, your new funds will be available in about an hour. Please note your metroCARD account updates overnight, which means any recharges you buy or trips you do in one day won't display in your account until the next day.

To transfer the balance from one metroCARD to another, visit the InfoCentre in the Adelaide Railway Station. We can only transfer balances to/from registered metroCARDs (unless it is a faulty card) and you need to be the registered account holder. Please bring the metroCARD(s) with you. If you’re transferring from an existing metroCARD to a new one (e.g. moving from a student metroCARD to a concession metroCARD), you’ll need to buy the new metroCARD and pay any difference to round the balance up to the nearest $5.

Look after your metroCARD – it can stop working if it is bent, punctured, cut, or exposed to extreme heat or radiation.

We can only track, cancel or replace registered metroCARDS.

Contact us to cancel your registered metroCARD as soon as you notice it is missing. If you have auto recharge setup on a metroCARD, cancel that, too. Either:

• call our InfoLine on 1300 311 108
• visit us at the InfoCentre Adelaide Railway Centre.

If your registered metroCARD is lost, stolen or damaged, we can transfer any remaining balance to a different metroCARD you own, or you can buy a new metroCARD and we will transfer it to that. When you buy a new card, you may also need to pay a bit extra to top up your balance to the nearest $5.

In line with the metroCARD terms and conditions (PDF, 723 KB), metroCARD, MetroTickets and associated products and services are non-refundable, unless you are a South Australian Seniors Card holder or an authorised representative of a deceased registered metroCARD holder.

As an authorised representative, you can apply for a refund online. You will need:

• a copy of the Death Certificate
• either a Grant of Probate or a Letter of Administration
• the deceased person's registered metroCARD number
• some basic information about the deceased, such as their name and phone number.