SmartRider FAQ for UWA students
What is SmartRider?
SmartRider is Transperth's smartcard ticketing system. SmartRider is available to all UWA students and staff however if you are not a full-time student you need to pay standard fares.
What is a Tertiary SmartRider?
Once you have validated your SmartRider through studentConnect as a tertiary concession your SmartRider becomes encoded as a Tertiary SmartRider. For this to happen you must also be a full-time student studying at UWA.
Am I eligible for a student concession?
To be eligible for a tertiary student concession on your SmartRider, you must be a full-time student studying at UWA and have validated your card in studentConnect. Part-time students are not entitled to concession fares.
To see if you are full-time, see How do I tell whether UWA has classified me as full-time (FT) or part-time (PT)?
Do I need SmartRider?
To access concession fares on Transperth services you must have a SmartRider that has been validated on studentConnect and encoded as a Tertiary SmartRider. You can still purchase cash concession fares, however you must have a valid Tertiary-encoded SmartRider in your possession as proof of entitlement.
How do I apply for a Tertiary SmartRider?
The following steps explain how to obtain a Tertiary SmartRider.
- Purchase card or use an existing card
- Validate your SmartRider on studentConnect
- Activate your SmartRider by using it on Transperth services
Existing SmartRider cardholders
Step 1: If you already own a SmartRider (e.g. from high school) you do not need to purchase another SmartRider. You need to validate your SmartRider in StudentConnect to receive tertiary student concession fares. See How do I validate my SmartRider on studentConnect? for instructions.
You will need to allow up to 48 hours after validation for Transperth to process your concession entitlement. You must then use your card on a Transperth service within 14 days of validation to activate your concession. Once activated your concession entitlement will continue until such a time as Transperth is advised by UWA that you are no longer a full-time student.
Step 2: If you do not activate your SmartRider within 14 days after validation in studentConnect, you need to reactivate your concession request by first using your SmartRider card and then using your card again within 2 - 14 days to activate your concession. Until your concession has been activated you will be charged full standard fares (non-refundable).
New SmartRider cardholders
Step 1: Purchase a SmartRider card from UWA Campus News and Gifts* in the UWA Guild Village (a purchase fee of $5 applies, and you must also add a minimum of $10 value to the card at time of purchase). You will be required to present proof that you are a full-time student studying at UWA at time of purchase (print off a Confirmation of Enrolment page from studentConnect by selecting 'Confirmation' from the menu). At the time of purchase, your SmartRider is programmed with a Tertiary SmartRider concession. This concession expires 7 days from the date of purchase.
Step 2: You need to validate your Tertiary SmartRider in studentConnect within 7 days from the date of purchase to continue to receive Tertiary concession fares. See How do I validate my SmartRider on studentConnect? for instructions. Once validated, you must then use your card on a Transperth service within 14 days to activate your concession. Once activated your concession entitlement will continue until such a time that Transperth is advised by UWA that you are no longer a full-time student.
If you do not validate your SmartRider in studentConnect within 7 days of purchase, your card will revert to a Standard SmartRider and standard fares will be charged.
Step 3: Once you have validated your card, you must then use your card on a Transperth service within 14 days to activate your concession. Once validated your concession entitlement will continue until such a time that Transperth is advised by UWA that you are no longer a full-time student.
Step 4: If you do not validate your SmartRider in studentConnect within 7 days of purchase, your card will revert to a Standard SmartRider and standard fares will be charged. You may still apply for your Tertiary concession fares using studentConnect at any time but you will need to allow up to 48 hours after validation for Transperth to process your concession entitlement. You must then use your card on a Transperth service within 14 days of validation to activate your concession.
Step 5: If you do not activate your SmartRider concession within 14 days after validation in studentConnect, you will need to reactivate your concession request by first using your SmartRider card and then using your card again within 2-14 days to activate your concession. Until your concession has been activated you will be charged full standard fares (non-refundable).
* You can buy your SmartRider from any SmartRider outlet in Perth; however it will cost $10 and will not automatically be registered to receive the concession fare for 7 days. You can still use StudentConnect to change your card to Tertiary concession as described in steps 3 and 4.
To validate your Tertiary SmartRider:
- Go to the studentConnect website at http://www.studentadmin.uwa.edu.au/welcome/student_connect and log in.
- Choose SmartRider from the left-hand menu under PROFILE.
- Check the “I Agree” box to authorise UWA to supply the specified information to Transperth.
- Enter the 9-digit SmartRider number printed on the front (top right) of your SmartRider card. NOTE: 'SR' is not required, just the 9-digit number.
What are the key points to remember to ensure you receive concession fare?
If you have an existing SmartRider card, validate your entitelment to Tertiary SmartRider concession in studentConnect and wait two days for the concession to activate.
If you purchase a new card, validate your entitelment to Tertiary SmartRider concession in studentConnect within 7 days of purchase and use your card on the Transperth system within 14 days of validation to continue your concession.
If you purchase a new card, make sure you receive and retain the receipt when you purchase your SmartRider. If there are any problems with your SmartRider later you may need to return to the outlet where you purchased it and present proof of purchase.
What will happen if I do not validate my SmartRider?
If you do not validate your SmartRider on studentConnect within 7 days of purchase you will be chargeed standard fares.
Log into studentConnect and select 'Confirmation' from the menu. Your semester load determines whether you are full-time or part-time. Your load is shown at the bottom of the confirmation screen and if your load is 0.375 or more for the semester then you will be classified as full-time for that semester. If you believe your load is incorrect visit Student Administration for assistance.
Can I save any more on fares?
You can use your Tertiary SmartRider as proof of concession to purchase a concession cash fare. If you add value onto your SmartRider to pay for fares you will automatically receive a further 15% discount on your fare. To receive the maximum 25% discount off your concession fares you will need to complete an “Application for SmartRider Autoload”. This enables an automatic direct debit to be made from a nominated bank account to your SmartRider card. Forms are available from UWA Campus News and Gifts, any authorised SmartRider Retail Sales Outlets or online from www.transperth.wa.gov.au.
CAUTION: SmartRider Autoload is a direct debit payment. If your nominated account has insufficient funds your financial institution is likely to charge you a penalty fee. Students who are not confident that they will always have sufficient funds in their accounts may not wish to use the Autoload facility, or should keep a close track of their financial and SmartRider balances.
How can I track my SmartRider usage?
Transperth also offers the TravelEasy service (which has a SmartRider Account facility), which enables you to check your transaction history and balance online. The day after your trip you can check that the correct fare has been charged.
Accessing Transperth’s TravelEasy service
You can set up a TravelEasy account by accessing the Transperth website. You will need to click on “Register Now” which is in the TravelEasy box in the top right corner of the homepage, and enter your details.
**Note: Under “Link your SmartRider” there are three fields to complete.
- Your nine digit SmartRider number, without the “SR” and without spaces.
- Your SmartRider password – which is chosen when you register your SmartRider card, if you cannot remember the password you can contact the InfoLine on 13 62 13.
- Your Date of Birth – which should be entered in the DD/MM/YYYY format.
After you have set up a TravelEasy account you will be able to view your SmartRider Transaction history each time you log in, under “My SmartRider”. Please note that the current day’s transactions won’t be available to view until the following day.
What if I have been charged the wrong fare?
If UWA has made an error in reporting your student status to Transperth – you can apply through UWA Student Administration to approach Transperth to arrange a refund to your card.
If you believe that Transperth has made an error with your fare calculation– visit a Transperth InfoCentre or call the InfoLine on 13 62 13 (TTY: 9428 1999, TIS: 13 14 50). If it is shown that Transperth has made an error, they will arrange a reimbursement to your card. You cannot get a reimbursement if the error is due to incorrect validation of your card.
Can I still pay cash fares?
Yes. You can still choose to pay cash on Transperth services. You will need to present your valid Tertiary-encoded SmartRider as proof of concession entitlement. A UWA student card is NOT a valid proof of concession.
What happens if I lose my SmartRider?
Transperth offers a hotlisting service to protect your lost SmartRider card from being used by someone else. This service is only offered for SmartRiders that have been registered, and if you register correctly with StudentConnect, you will be able to hotlist your card if it is lost or stolen.
If you do lose your card you should contact Transperth as soon as possible and hotlist your SmartRider. You will then need to purchase a new SmartRider and contact Transperth to arrange for your balance to be transferred from your lost card to your new card.
You will need to purchase your new SmartRider card from UWA Campus News and Gifts Newsagent and follow the same process outlined in “How do I get a Tertiary SmartRider?”
What about concessions on TransWA services?
Your Tertiary SmartRider is also your proof of concession for TransWA services. Your Tertiary SmartRider must be presented for verification at the time of booking and carried at all times while travelling on TransWA services. For full details contact TransWA.
When will my concession entitlement end?
Your Tertiary SmartRider will revert to a Standard SmartRider when you are no longer a full-time student. If you feel that you should still be entitled to a concession contact Student Administration. At the end of the academic year if you do not re-enrol your card will revert to a Standard SmartRider from 1 January the following year and will charge standard fares.
My SmartRider is broken. What do I do?
If your SmartRider card does not work when you first try to use it on a Transperth service you should take it back to UWA Campus News with your receipt. If you have been using your card and then it stops working you should take it to a Transperth Information Office which can be found at:
- Esplanade Busport
- Wellington Street Bus Station
- Perth Station
- Plaza Arcade
If you have any other difficulties you should call the Transperth InfoLine on 13 62 13 (TTY: 9428 1999, TIS: 13 14 50).
Where can I get more information?
- Transperth InfoCentres (Esplanade Busport, Wellington Street Bus Station, Perth Train Station and Plaza Arcade)
- Transperth InfoLine – 13 62 13 (TTY: 9428 1999, TIS: 13 14 50).
- UWA Campus News and Gifts
- UWA Student Administration.