> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.refund.co.nz/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Respond to a Fare Evasion Infringement Notice in NZ

> Got a fare evasion notice but you'd paid or tagged on? Refund reviews your grounds and responds to the authority — no win, no fee.

A fare evasion infringement issued by a public-transport officer can feel alarming, especially if you know you paid or tagged on correctly. These notices are issued on the spot and often without the benefit of full information — reader failures, officer error, and genuine proof of payment are all grounds that can get a notice withdrawn. Refund reviews your notice, assesses your evidence, and submits a formal response to the issuing authority on your behalf. Act quickly: deadlines on fare evasion notices are strict.

## Common grounds to respond

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="You had tagged on or paid" icon="check-circle">
    If you tagged your card on a working reader or purchased a ticket and can show evidence, the notice should not stand. Refund documents the proof and puts it to the authority.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Reader failure prevented tagging" icon="wifi-slash">
    If a card reader was faulty or out of service and prevented you from tagging on, that's a technical failure — not fare evasion. Refund can identify whether a reader fault is on record for the route that day.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Officer error" icon="user-slash">
    Infringements issued to the wrong person, based on a mistaken observation, or without following the correct procedure can be challenged on procedural grounds.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

<Warning>
  Deadlines on fare evasion notices are strict. You typically have a short window — often 28 days — to respond before the infringement is escalated. Start your case as soon as possible to preserve your options.
</Warning>

## How Refund handles your fare evasion response

<Steps>
  <Step title="Upload the infringement notice">
    Take a photo of your fare evasion notice and upload it at [refund.co.nz/case/fare-evasion](https://refund.co.nz/case/fare-evasion). The agent reads the notice details automatically.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Tell Refund whether you had paid">
    Explain what happened: had you tagged on, bought a ticket, or were you unable to tag because a reader failed? Your card transaction history is the most powerful supporting evidence.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review the draft response">
    Refund identifies the strongest grounds — proof of payment, technical failure, or procedural error — and drafts a formal response to the issuing authority for your approval.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Refund sends and follows up">
    Once you approve, the agent submits the response, monitors the deadline, and follows up until the authority provides a decision.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  Your card transaction history from your AT HOP, Snapper, Bee Card, or Metrocard app is usually the strongest evidence in a fare evasion dispute. It provides a timestamped record of your tag-on (and tag-off) that is difficult for the authority to dispute. Download it before starting your case.
</Tip>

## What you'll need

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="The infringement notice" icon="file-lines">
    A clear photo or PDF of the fare evasion notice, showing the notice number, date, route, and amount.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Proof of tag-on or payment" icon="credit-card">
    Card transaction history from your transport card app, a paper ticket, or any other record that shows you paid for the journey.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Description of what happened" icon="message">
    Your account of events: had you tagged on, why you were in the vehicle, and anything you observed about the card reader or the officer's conduct.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Prefer to hand it off entirely?

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Chat interface">
    Go to [refund.co.nz/case/fare-evasion](https://refund.co.nz/case/fare-evasion), upload your notice and describe the situation. Refund drafts your response and sends it once you've approved it.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Autonomous agent">
    Launch the autonomous agent to handle everything — drafting, submitting, and following up with the authority — without further input needed from you.

    [Launch the agent →](https://refund.co.nz/launch?type=fare-evasion)
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Frequently asked questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="What happens if I miss the deadline on the notice?">
    Missing the response deadline can result in the infringement being confirmed and referred for collection. If you're close to the deadline, start your case immediately — Refund will prioritise getting a response out as quickly as possible.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What if I don't have card transaction records?">
    Other evidence — such as a paper ticket, a bank statement showing a fare purchase, or witness information — can still support your case. Start a case and Refund will advise on the strongest available grounds with what you have.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I dispute if I genuinely couldn't find a working reader?">
    Yes. If readers on the vehicle or at the stop were not functioning, that is a service failure — not an act of fare evasion on your part. Refund checks whether reader faults have been logged for that route and date, and uses that information in the response.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What does it cost?">
    Nothing up front. Refund charges a 25% success fee only if it gets the fine reduced or withdrawn. If the response is unsuccessful, you pay nothing.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Is this legal advice?">
    No. Refund provides general information and manages the administrative response process on your behalf. It is not a law firm and is not affiliated with any council, public transport authority, or government agency.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>