Contactless payment begins on Auckland buses, trains and ferries

There's a new way to pay for public transport in Auckland, with contactless payment now available on buses, trains and ferries.

While the new system began on Sunday, it is being put to the test on a busy day of commuting across the network.

Auckland Transport public transport general manager Stacey van der Putten told Morning Report it's a possible change to the system.

"It's about making it easy for people," Putten said.

You can use any paywave enabled device to tag on or off - like a card, phone, or smart watch.

"As long as you use the same thing to tag on and off, you'll be fine."

Using a card or smart device to pay automatically charges the full adult fare - people still need to use their AT Hop card to access concessions on fares or the $50 7-day fare cap.

The new system will make public transport more accessible and go a long way in helping to deal with fare evasion, Putten said.

"We haven't had an alternate payment mechanism since with took cash off during Covid and so it is a challenge for people when you don't have a Hop card or you don't know the system, this is a real steep change in terms of accessibility of the network."

The national ticketing system will be rolled out over the next two years.

"So everybody will be able to use their paywave enabled devices to be able to travel with public transport across the country."