Transperth - providing public transport services for the Perth metro area Transperth - providing public transport services for the Perth metro area

Student SmartRider

The cheapest and most convenient way for students to travel. Find out what it is and where you can get one.

Who is eligible for Student SmartRider?

Do you often have school bag slung over a shoulder? Spend long periods of time looking at a whiteboard? Have homework you probably should be doing right now? If you’re a primary or secondary school student you can use the Student SmartRider. You’ll get free travel for any journey Monday – Friday during the school year and concession fares on the weekend and during the summer school holidays.

If you’re a tertiary student find out about the Tertiary SmartRider here.

Primary School Students

I'm ready to stop collecting loose change, how much is the Student SmartRider?

  • Your initial card is free using the application form or $5.00 with online ordering. 
  • A replacement card costs $5.00. 
  • Cards are issued with zero balance.

Order now via Monitor WA website

Order now

Secondary School Students

I’m in high school, how much is it to get started?

  • If your school is a participating school or registered for online ordering, please ask your school’s administration about the cost of cards.
  • Otherwise your initial card costs $5.00.
  • A replacement card costs $5.00.
  • Cards are issued with zero balance.

Order now via Monitor WA website

Order now

How to get a Student SmartRider

So, you’ve figured out the Student SmartRider is right for you, maybe you’ve even designated a spot in your wallet for it to live. Now, let’s learn how you can get your hands on one.

Primary students - initial card

There are two ways to get a Student SmartRider. You can use a manual application form or place an online order. The initial card is free if you use the manual application form.

Ordering with application form

Complete an Application for Student SmartRider form, have it authorised by your school administration, and mail it to the address shown on the form.

Ordering online

If your primary school is registered you can order online. To see if your school is registered check the Monitor WA website.

Secondary students – initial card

There are different ways of getting your initial Student SmartRider card depending on whether your school is a “participating school” or registered for online ordering.

Participating secondary schools

Check with your school’s administration to find out if it’s a participating school. A participating school automatically processes a Student SmartRider application for all new students, receives the cards and issues them to students.

Ordering online

Some secondary schools are registered for online ordering. To see if your school is registered check the Monitor WA website.

Non-participating schools

If your school is neither a participating school nor registered for online ordering, you'll need to complete an Application for Student SmartRider form, have it authorised by the school’s administration and send it to the address on the form.

Picking up a card in person

Once you have a completed Application for Student SmartRider form you can head to Monitor WA to purchase a Student SmartRider. The SmartRider will cost $5 (cheque or cash only) and no value can be added by Monitor WA.

Monitor WA is open Monday to Friday from 9.30am until 3.00pm and located at Unit 2, 17 Macadam Place Balcatta.

Interstate primary and secondary students

Interstate primary and secondary students may purchase a Tertiary SmartRider card for $5.00. The card will charge concession fares for a maximum of eight weeks. Interstate students are not eligible for the Student Fare.

How to obtain

You need to have proof of your student concession entitlement from the home state and complete an Application for Tertiary SmartRider form

Take your completed form and proof of entitlement to an InfoCentre or Retail Sales Outlet.

How to replace a lost or stolen SmartRider Card

Replacement of lost or stolen card


You’ve looked everywhere and all you’ve managed to find is something wet and squishy at the bottom of your bag. It’s definitely not your SmartRider. That’s ok. We can organise a replacement card if you lose or damage your Student SmartRider card or if someone steals it. Firstly let us know it’s gone so we can put a hold on your remaining balance. See Lost or stolen cards for more info. The balance on your card will automatically transfer to your new card.

Please note that while you are waiting for a replacement Student SmartRider you will need an Interim Pass, which can be issued by your school. 

Ordering a replacement card during school term time


During school terms, use one of the following methods to obtain your replacement card.

  • If your school isn't a participating secondary school, contact your school's administration. 
  • If your school is a primary school or secondary school not registered for online ordering, complete the Application for Student SmartRider form, have it authorised by your school and send it to the address shown on the form with a $5.00 cheque or money order payable to “Monitor WA”.
  • If your school is registered for online ordering, you may order the replacement card from the Monitor WA website

Ordering a replacement card during school holidays


If you need a replacement Student SmartRider during school holidays, use one of the following methods.

  • Complete the Application for Student SmartRider form, form and send it without school authorisation to the address on the form with a $5.00 cheque or money order payable to “Monitor WA”.
  • If your school is registered for online ordering, you may order the replacement card from the Monitor WA website

Transferring your balance


If you are ordering a replacement SmartRider your balance should automatically transfer to your new card, however if the balance does not automatically transfer please contact the Transperth InfoLine.

If you are moving from Primary School to High School and require a new SmartRider the balance on the old card won't automatically transfer, you will need to contact the Transperth InfoLine to arrange this.

About the Student SmartRider

Primary and secondary students are entitled to free travel on all Transperth services from Monday to Friday, from the first to the last school day of the year*. Student SmartRiders are issued with zero balance; you don't need to add any value on your SmartRider to receive the free travel, however SmartRiders must not have a negative balance. Students must tag on and off each journey to receive the free travel.

Students will be charged a concession fare based on the zones travelled on weekends and during the summer school holidays.

With the student fare comes a little responsibility – you should stand for adults, especially those with special needs such as seniors, people with disabilities and pregnant women.

If you don’t offer your seat when an adult is standing, a Transperth Authorised Officer may ask you to get up. If you refuse, we can suspend your entitlement to the student fare for 30 days. The suspension period will start seven days after we issue the suspension notice.

During the suspension period you can still use your Student SmartRider, however we will charge you the higher concession fare.

 *During the first month of Term 1, students will be able to travel for free while they wait for their Student SmartRider to arrive.From March 1 students must have a Student Smartrider to travel for free, or purchase a cash ticket. 

Up to Year 12 concession

Your Student SmartRider card will work on a concession rate while you’re still a student. However if you turn 18 while you’re in secondary school you’ll need to update your card. Initially all ‘Up to Year 12’ concession expiry dates are set to expire on 31 March in the year after the student turns 17. If you attend a secondary school in the year in which you turn 18, you can seek an extension to their ‘Up to Year 12’ concession expiry by one year. You can do this by following the same process that you would use for obtaining a new card.

Secondary Students 19 years and above

If you attend secondary school in the year in which you turn 19 or older, you are ineligible for both the ‘Up to Year 12’ concession and the student fare.

You may apply for a Tertiary SmartRider card through the normal replacement card process. This will give you a Tertiary concession and it will expire on 31 March in the year after you obtain it.

Student SmartRider Registration

Good news! Registration of your Student SmartRider card is automatic. For more information, go to Register your SmartRider.


SmartRider Benefits

Bike Shelters

 

Sign-up to My Account and access bike shelters at the station.

If you already have an account, Go to My Account.

 

My Alerts

Sign-up to My Account and activate My Alerts to receive email notifications of changes or disruptions to your services.

If you already have an account, Go to My Account.

Frequently Asked SmartRider Questions

If you’ve registered your SmartRider and it’s lost or stolen we can transfer your remaining balance to your new card. Unfortunately, there’s no protection for unregistered cards. Make sure you let us know as soon as you notice it’s gone so we can hotlist it. For more info go to Lost or Stolen Cards.
How do I tag on and off?

At the start and end of each journey, place your SmartRider card over the picture of the card on a card validator on the bus, on the ferry or at the train station. A beep and green light confirms a successful tag on or tag off. When you tag on, the card reader will display your remaining balance. When you tag off, the card validator will display the amount of the fare deducted and your remaining balance. 

Note: When catching a bus, passengers can only tag on at the front of the bus. If you tag on at a centre or rear door, you will receive a default fare. When alighting, customers can tag off at any door.

For more information go to Using SmartRider.

There are a number of ways to check your balance. Go to Check SmartRider Balance.
There are a number of ways you can register your SmartRider. For details go to Register SmartRider.
Autoload enables a direct debit to be made automatically from a nominated bank account or credit card to your SmartRider when the balance on your card falls below the low-value threshold of $6 for standard users and $3 for concession users. Register for Autoload through My Account
More information on Autoload can be found here.
If you have a Health Care Card or Pensioner Card you can provide proof of your concession entitlement by showing the card on your phone through Centrelink's Digital Wallet.
A pending action is a change/update that is waiting to be applied to your SmartRider.

Your SmartRider stores information including your concession status, Autoload status and card balance. When we need to update this information, a pending action is created so that the information on the card can be updated.

Pending actions are generally available to your SmartRider the day following their creation, except BPAY which can take several days to become available. For example if you activate Autoload online through My Account today Autoload will be available to be applied to your card tomorrow.

In order to update your card with this new information you are required to tag on. We recommend that you travel within a week of the pending action being created. Alternatively, if you do not need to travel, you can tag on, wait 15 seconds, and then tag off (preferably at any train station).

This will ensure that the update is applied to your SmartRider. If you do not travel/ tag on in the first week, or if it has been over two weeks since you last used the card, it is possible that the pending action will not be applied to your SmartRider on the first try. If this is the case please contact Transperth InfoLine at least one day prior to travelling again, or tag your SmartRider on and off over two to three consecutive days. 

Please contact the Transperth InfoLine (13 62 13) if you have trouble applying a pending action.
Autoload is designed to activate even if the card is new and you have no previous balance on the card, though unfortunately there can be instances where this doesn’t occur. If this happens to you please contact the InfoLine on 13 62 13 or visit an InfoCentre in Perth.
When you tag on under the low value threshold we will add the value of your Autoload onto your card immediately, under the assumption we will be able to get this value from your credit or debit card within the next 24-48 hours. If, for whatever reason, we are unable to access those funds your Autoload will be disabled and the value that was credited to your card will be removed.

In order to add value to your SmartRider balance, you will need to use alternative ‘add value’ methods until you can check your details and reactivate your Autoload.
The SmartRider system is currently a card based system, where the information from your travel is stored on your card. Unfortunately we are unable to keep the Transperth website and app immediately up to date with every transaction that occurs.

The system takes between 12 and 24 hours for your latest transactions and any changes to appear online.
No, this will simply mean that it is no longer linked to that particular My Account.

Any Autoload, SmartParker or Bike Shelter registrations will remain active on the SmartRider card.

If you would like to report your card as lost or stolen and have it hotlisted please contact the InfoLine on 13 62 13.
If you damage or lose your SmartRider you will need to order a new SmartRider.

You will need to go through the same process as when you received your initial SmartRider card.

For example, if your card was issued by your school you will need to speak to your school to order a new one. Or if you ordered your card through the online system you can also order your replacement here.
This expiry date relates to the concession entitlement to the student fare you receive while you are in high school. Once the expiry date passes your SmartRider will revert to a standard SmartRider and you will be charged standard fares.

Before this date you can apply to have a new concession on your card, such as a Health Care Card or tertiary concession if you are continuing your studies at an eligible institution
Service Updates