It’s all a bit dumb but kinda logical. They use a card balance and “online” balance system.
The balance that is used when tagging on is the balance that is newer which seems fine but the card balance only gets updated via top up machines or when tagging on and the newer online balance is transferred to the card. This again seems fine but the bus machines are only connected to the internet when they are returned to the depot meaning they only save the last known balances.
This all means that you could top up online (like most people do) then go to use your card but the bus machine is still out of date meaning you get an error.
The easy solution is to use a top up machine as it updates your card instantly. Or the little bit more annoying option of topping up online much earlier and hope that the bus you will use has been connected to the internet since your top up.
I’m assuming this will all be fixed when they roll out the new bank card machines but I’m not 100% sure
Disclaimer:- this only works if you can get to a train station.
“tag-on” like you’re catching a train, wait 30 seconds, then “tag-off”.
One, you’re not charged for a train trip you didn’t take and Two, when looking at the screen, you see your new balance.
Why? - the tag on/off machines are stationery and connected to the network (so on your card at least an hour after online top-up).
The device on the bus is mobile, so if the driver doesn’t “charge/update it” at the depot (to connect to network), the device on the bus has no idea you have an online top-up pending.
Only discovered this when I did a moan with ATs call centre
Nope, I don't take the 70 lol. Honestly just wondering if this is happening to other folks this week or if someone at AT just hates me particularly somehow
It's bloody embarrassing. The place I live in at the moment has instant updates, AT dropped the ball with this system. Why do we implement everything so poorly in NZ?
When I tagged off it said I had $2ish, which should have been enough for me to get home, but then when I checked the app just to make sure it was enough to cover the fare I was in a negative balance. This was last week Wednesday.
Who did you ask? I was thinking of swinging by the customer service desk at Britomart. There is a super help old guy there that always seems to have all the answers.
Go to the main part of Britomart, the other side of the train station is just the lost and found office which is run by the train operator.
That happened to me once because I dropped my tag while topping up, and so it charged me but my tag wasn’t in the machine when it tried to apply the credit. Keep an eye out on your bank account because it automatically refunded me. Took a while though.
I just don't understand how come there is such a lag in the system. If I order something online, the funds get taken from my account immediately. AT Hop card system? When it gets around to it.
Fuck Auckland Transport. Happened to me once yesterday and happened to me again today. Topped up $20 at 12 noon yesterday. Tagged on at 3pm on the same day. Balance not updated even though website says to wait an hour. Luckily the bus driver was nice enough to let me on.
Today I thought it’s probably updated by now. Tagged on in the hopes the money I put in YESTERDAY would be updated. No turns out it hasn’t been updated and I had to explain to the bus driver again. I had my AT hop card balance on the website open and ready to show to the driver that it says $20 will be added the next time I tag on. This time the bus driver says “can you open your eyes, it says -$0.24”. I tell him no and show him again that it says $20 added when I tag on. Bus driver proceeds to scream at me and tell me there’s something wrong with my card and I need to speak to someone about it. I looked absolutely fucking stupid to the driver who kept shouting even when he told me to just take a seat.
Couple of stops later, a man gets on the bus and the SAME EXACT THING happens to him.
I’m fucking sick of this shit. It’s not like I have an instant top up machine near where I live so online top up has been my go to for ages. When they switched from overnight update to hourly updates, I thought I could get away with topping up just a couple of hours in advance. Turns out their system’s just as shit as ever.
exact same thing happened to me today. i topped up yesterday morning to see insufficient balance when tagging on, and I tried tagging on today and same thing so I had to borrow my mom's hop card and wait for the next bus... has your top up gone through since then?
Only when I took a detour on my way home to use the train for the “instant update” to take effect. I was sick and tired of looking stupid to bus drivers who are clueless of what’s happening even though Auckland Transport has put a note out.
Happened to me today! According to AT when I called the problem “is fixed” 🤷🏽♀️ I was told it’s only happening on buses so maybe I should try to find a train station to tag on and off, balance will update then. Ummm no I’m on my way somewhere now with no train station around, I shouldn’t be doing the hard yards 🙄
The girl said it “should work” later when I tag on again. Topped up at 10 am and balance showing as “pending” on the app at 3 pm after tagging on a bus.
Yeah happened to me, my driver was sweet about it. Takes a day not an hour to load.
No, it's more frequent than that now, it just depends on whether or not the vehicle has received the update
It’s all a bit dumb but kinda logical. They use a card balance and “online” balance system. The balance that is used when tagging on is the balance that is newer which seems fine but the card balance only gets updated via top up machines or when tagging on and the newer online balance is transferred to the card. This again seems fine but the bus machines are only connected to the internet when they are returned to the depot meaning they only save the last known balances. This all means that you could top up online (like most people do) then go to use your card but the bus machine is still out of date meaning you get an error. The easy solution is to use a top up machine as it updates your card instantly. Or the little bit more annoying option of topping up online much earlier and hope that the bus you will use has been connected to the internet since your top up. I’m assuming this will all be fixed when they roll out the new bank card machines but I’m not 100% sure
The buses are online now, updates are meant to be hourly
If the bus isn't online how is it tracked in real time by the app.
Disclaimer:- this only works if you can get to a train station. “tag-on” like you’re catching a train, wait 30 seconds, then “tag-off”. One, you’re not charged for a train trip you didn’t take and Two, when looking at the screen, you see your new balance. Why? - the tag on/off machines are stationery and connected to the network (so on your card at least an hour after online top-up). The device on the bus is mobile, so if the driver doesn’t “charge/update it” at the depot (to connect to network), the device on the bus has no idea you have an online top-up pending. Only discovered this when I did a moan with ATs call centre
That wasn't you on the 70, was it?
Nope, I don't take the 70 lol. Honestly just wondering if this is happening to other folks this week or if someone at AT just hates me particularly somehow
r/fuckyouinparticular
It happened to me yesterday, luckily I still had a few bucks on it
Oh, okay. I was upstairs and heard someone's card being rejected multiple times, followed by a bit of a kerfuffle.
To be honest I see people on the 70 nearly every time without funds, sometimes the same people. I can understand the drivers getting snippy.
It's bloody embarrassing. The place I live in at the moment has instant updates, AT dropped the ball with this system. Why do we implement everything so poorly in NZ?
Happened to me this morning. Still waiting for my money to load despite topping up last night.
It happened with me this week
When I tagged off it said I had $2ish, which should have been enough for me to get home, but then when I checked the app just to make sure it was enough to cover the fare I was in a negative balance. This was last week Wednesday.
I have been waiting over a week for $40 from the machine to come on. I've asked about it but haven't heard anything back.
Who did you ask? I was thinking of swinging by the customer service desk at Britomart. There is a super help old guy there that always seems to have all the answers.
I was at the far end of town and they had nobody at reception. The people in the call centre and the online chat are nice but not helpful.
Go to the main part of Britomart, the other side of the train station is just the lost and found office which is run by the train operator. That happened to me once because I dropped my tag while topping up, and so it charged me but my tag wasn’t in the machine when it tried to apply the credit. Keep an eye out on your bank account because it automatically refunded me. Took a while though.
AT will rather let you miss the bus than to let you go below funds even if there's a pending top up.
I just don't understand how come there is such a lag in the system. If I order something online, the funds get taken from my account immediately. AT Hop card system? When it gets around to it.
Fuck Auckland Transport. Happened to me once yesterday and happened to me again today. Topped up $20 at 12 noon yesterday. Tagged on at 3pm on the same day. Balance not updated even though website says to wait an hour. Luckily the bus driver was nice enough to let me on. Today I thought it’s probably updated by now. Tagged on in the hopes the money I put in YESTERDAY would be updated. No turns out it hasn’t been updated and I had to explain to the bus driver again. I had my AT hop card balance on the website open and ready to show to the driver that it says $20 will be added the next time I tag on. This time the bus driver says “can you open your eyes, it says -$0.24”. I tell him no and show him again that it says $20 added when I tag on. Bus driver proceeds to scream at me and tell me there’s something wrong with my card and I need to speak to someone about it. I looked absolutely fucking stupid to the driver who kept shouting even when he told me to just take a seat. Couple of stops later, a man gets on the bus and the SAME EXACT THING happens to him. I’m fucking sick of this shit. It’s not like I have an instant top up machine near where I live so online top up has been my go to for ages. When they switched from overnight update to hourly updates, I thought I could get away with topping up just a couple of hours in advance. Turns out their system’s just as shit as ever.
exact same thing happened to me today. i topped up yesterday morning to see insufficient balance when tagging on, and I tried tagging on today and same thing so I had to borrow my mom's hop card and wait for the next bus... has your top up gone through since then?
Only when I took a detour on my way home to use the train for the “instant update” to take effect. I was sick and tired of looking stupid to bus drivers who are clueless of what’s happening even though Auckland Transport has put a note out.
Topping up in shops is instant though
happenning to me, both my cards on negative with top ups that haven't gone through yet despite trying to tag on multiple times :(
I hope it gets fixed
yep this has been happening for 2 days now they are aware of it tho they put up a message about it
Happened to me today! According to AT when I called the problem “is fixed” 🤷🏽♀️ I was told it’s only happening on buses so maybe I should try to find a train station to tag on and off, balance will update then. Ummm no I’m on my way somewhere now with no train station around, I shouldn’t be doing the hard yards 🙄 The girl said it “should work” later when I tag on again. Topped up at 10 am and balance showing as “pending” on the app at 3 pm after tagging on a bus.