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Smartlink is a smart card that lets you pay in advance for your travel. You can add a set number of journeys (multi-journey or MJ) or unlimited travel for a week or a month (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.


A photo of a passenger using a Smartlink card on a Metro bus.

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 e.g. City Zone. 
  3. The screen will show how many journeys you have left or when your travel card runs out.
  4. If your card is a MJ Card, the machine will take one journey from your card.
  5. 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). 
  6. Keep your ticket as you may be asked to show it.
  7. 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 you have 3 journeys left or 3 days left on your travel card.


A photo of a passenger using a Smartlink card at a Glider halt.

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 you see a red screen, your card has not been accepted for travel. 
  4. Please contact a member of staff and use another way to pay for your journey. Ticket inspectors travel on Glider services to check tickets and smartcards.
  5. The validator does not print a ticket. It will take one journey from your Multi-Journey card or check that your travel card can be used.
  6. If a Metro bus arrives at the Glider stop and you have already tapped your Smartlink card for Glider, tap it again on the ticket machine when you get on the bus. No extra journey will be taken if you are travelling in the same direction within 90 minutes.

Buying and topping-up Smartlink

You can buy a Smartlink card and top up your journeys or unlimited travel at 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


AdultChild
 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.

You can add 10, 20, 30 or 40 journeys to your MJ Card at one time. 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.


AdultChild
 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.  NB: 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 weekly travel card lasts for 7 days from the first day you use it, not the day you buy it.

A monthly travel card lasts for one month from the first day you use it. For example, if you first use it on 25 February, it will run until 24 March. Once you start using your travel card, you can add another week, two weeks or one month of travel.

When you add more travel, the extra days start straight away. For example, if you have 3 days left and add 7 more days, your card will be valid for 10 days from the day you top up.

Card swapping

You can change your MJ card to a travel card or dayLink card, and you can change it back again. To do this, take your card to the Translink desk at Visit Belfast Welcome Centre, 9 Donegall Square North, Belfast. 

You can only change your card when all journeys have been used or your travel card has expired.

Further info and T&Cs

Metro and Glider Terms and Conditions