Skip to content Skip to footer

Travel Card User Guides

Metro / Glider Smartlink User Guide

Smartlink is a smart card which can be loaded in one of two ways to enable you to buy either a certain number of journeys in advance (Multi-Journey or MJ) OR to buy a week or a month’s worth of travel (Travel Card).

Your card can only be used for ONE of these products, so when you buy your first Smartlink Card you will need to decide whether you want it to be a MJ Card or a Travel Card.

Using your Smartlink Card on Metro

  1. Hold your Smartlink Card to the target on the ticket machine reader tray with the front of the card facing upwards.
  2. The machine will bleep once and the green light will light up. The display will show ‘Adult’ or ‘Child’. For a MJ Card the card type will be displayed eg. City Zone. The display will also show the number of journeys remaining (MJ Card) or the expiry date (Travel Card).
  3. If your card is a MJ Card, the machine will automatically deduct one journey from your MJ Card. The machine will also issue you with a ticket showing the number of journeys (MJ Card) or the expiry date of the card (Travel Card). The ticket must be retained for inspection.
  4. If the red light appears, remove your Smartlink Card. Then hold it to the target and try again.
To remind you to top up your card in time, the machine will also print a reminder on your ticket when there are just 3 journeys remaining on a MJ Card or 3 days validity on a Travel Card.

Using your Smartlink Card on Glider

  1. Hold your Smartlink Card to the target on the validator device.
  2. When the card reads successfully, the validator device will bleep once. A green tick will display on the screen at the top.
  3. If a red screen appears, your card has not been validated for travel and you should contact Translink. Please choose an alternative payment method for travel as Customer Revenue Protection Officers patrol the Glider network to ensure everyone travelling has a valid ticket or smartcard.
  4. The validator device does not issue a ticket or receipt, it will deduct one journey from a MJ Card or check that a Travel Card is valid to make a journey.
  5. If a Metro bus arrives at a Glider halt and you wish to board but have already validated your Smartlink card for Glider, just tap your Smartlink on the ticket machine beside the driver when you board Metro. No additional journey will be deducted if you are travelling in the same direction and within 90 minutes of validation at the Glider halt.

Buying and Topping-Up Smartlink

You can buy a Smartlink Card and top up your journeys or unlimited travel at any participating Smartlink Agent in the Greater Belfast Area and Visit Belfast, Donegall Square North. You can top up your card at ticket vending machines at Glider halts. You can also top up your Smartlink card at any PayPoint Agent across Northern Ireland. You CANNOT buy cards or top up on board Metro or Glider.
 

Smartlink Multi-Journey Fares

  Adult Child
  Top Up* Top Up*
10 Journey £20.00 £10.00

*Plus £1.00 initial card purchase. NB: All fares are subject to alteration.

If you use Metro or Glider regularly, then the multi-journey option gives you savings on what you would pay for cash fares. The Smartlink MJ Card can be loaded with a number of journeys from a minimum of 10 to a maximum of 40, in multiples of 10 journeys (10, 20, 30 etc.) The card can hold a maximum of 50 journeys.

Smartlink Travel Card Fares

When you buy your Travel Card, you will pay a one-off charge of £1.00 for the card. The prices for adults and children are as follows.

  Adult Child
  Top Up* Top Up*
Travel    
7 day's unlimited travel £17.00 £8.50
1 month unlimited travel £63.00 £31.50

*Plus £1.00 initial card purchase.  N.B Smartlink zones have been removed, £2 per journey applies for all Metro/Glider. The standard Adult City Zone fare for each journey using Smartlink is £2.00 - a saving of 30p against the city zone cash fare of £2.30. For example, if you want to buy an Adult Smartlink MJ card and 10 journeys, you will pay £21.00 - £1 for the card and £20.00 for the journeys. Next time you top up with 10 more journeys you will pay just £20.00.

If you travel on Metro or Glider frequently, then using your Smartlink Travel Card to store unlimited travel for a week or a month is probably the best option for you.
 
You can add one week or one month’s worth of unlimited travel to your card. A week’s travel is valid for 7 consecutive days from the date of first use (not purchase). A month’s travel is valid for a calendar month from the date of first use (for example, from 25th February to 24th March inclusive). Once you start using your Travel Card, you can top up with a further week, two weeks or one calendar month.

When you top up your card, any additional days extend the validity of the card from that date e.g. if you have 3 days left on your card and you top up with a further 7 days, your Travel Card immediately becomes valid for 10 days from the date you top up, and not 3 days plus a further 7 days from the date of first use of newly purchased travel.

Card Swapping

You can swap your MJ Card for a Travel Card or dayLink Card, or vice versa by taking the card to the Translink desk at Visit Belfast Welcome Centre, 9 Donegall Square North, Belfast; providing you have a journey balance of zero (MJ Smartlink) or no remaining validity (Smartlink Travel Cards).

Further info and T&Cs

Metro and Glider Terms and Conditions