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Tag on and tag off

When you want to travel on a train, bus or ferry you simply tap your SmartRider card on the processor located on board the bus, ferry or at the train station. The system will record where you have boarded on your SmartRider card.

At the end of your journey, repeat this process to finalise your trip. The SmartRider system will instantly record where you have alighted, calculate the lowest fare payable for that trip and deduct the amount from the stored value on your SmartRider card.

You cannot use your your SmartRider to tag on more than one person at a time.

Click here for detailed instructions on how to tag on and tag off Transperth services.

Click here for exceptions to the Tag on/tag off rules.

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Can I tag on once for me and once for my family or friend?

No. Each person will be required to have their own SmartRider card.

Will I need to tag on and tag off each service?

Yes, in most circumstances. Tagging on and off each service doesn’t mean you are charged each time, the transferring function that exists with the current ticketing system still exists with the new SmartRider system. When you transfer onto another service and tag on (within the 2 or 3 hour free transfer period) SmartRider will recognise this as a transfer.

What will happen if I forget to tag on and off?

The new system operates on a tag on / tag off basis. This means when you first board you tag on with your SmartRider card at the processor and when you alight you Tag off at the processor. If a card is not tagged off when alighting a Transperth service, a default fare will be charged the next time you tag on.

The default fare will be the cost of a fare to the final destination of the bus, train or ferry service that you have boarded. For train services, the default fare is automatically set to 4-zones.The Default fare exists to ensure all passengers tag on and tag off at the beginning and end of their journey to pay for their travel on Transperth services.

Won’t the tag on / tag off process delay people in boarding and alighting Transperth services?

Tagging on takes approximately 300 milliseconds (or .3 of a second). Compared to the current MultiRider validation (of 1-2 seconds) this is significantly quicker.

Current technical specifications allow for up to 35 people to pass through the fare gates in a one minute time period. Buses have card processors at both the front and back doors to ensure quicker departure and tagging off times. Slower boarding and disembarking times may occur while the system is still new and people are adapting to a new behaviour. Please be patient during this period.

What will happen with the Free Transit Zone?

TRAIN: You must have a SmartRider to access the FTZ when using the train. This is because you will be passing through ‘closed’ stations and will be required to tag on or off to enter or exit these facilities.

All passengers must be in possession of a valid ticket for any journey on Transperth's train services. Those passengers who are in possession of a SmartRider will not be charged a fare if their journey starts and finishes between the Claisebrook, McIver, Perth and City West Train Stations.

Passengers who do not have a SmartRider will need a valid two-section cash ticket or free travel entitlement pass to travel between these stations.

BUS: SmartRider is not required when travelling on CAT services and buses travelling wholly within the FTZ. That is, you do not have to tag on or off. However, if you intend to travel beyond the FTZ, you must remember to tag on and tag off.

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