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If you’re taking the tram less than 5 days a week, or off-peak, Clipper could be cheaper than a 7-day travelcard.

And you can use a Clipper ticket on your smart card, so you don’t have to faff about with ticket machines.

How to order your smart card.


What’s a Clipper?

  • A Clipper is the same as 10 Metrolink Adult x1 day travelcards...
  • Except you get one free!
  • You can pre-load it onto your smart card to save time at the ticket machine.
  • You can choose anytime or off-peak travelcards, for whichever zones you want.
    Off-peak is after 9.30am Monday to Friday or anytime on weekends and bank holidays.
  • Clipper is a great option for people who work flexibly or part time, or anyone who travels regularly but not every day.

How to use it

With Clipper you can travel anywhere in your chosen zones as many times as you like.

It’s just like using an Adult travelcard.

  1. Choose the start date for your ticket.
  2. You’ll have eight weeks to use your x10 travelcards (1 per day).
  3. The time starts from the day you buy your Clipper in an Information and Ticket Office. Or the start date you choose when you buy online.
  4. It’s really important to touch-in before boarding and touch-out at your destination every time you travel. Don’t forget! Otherwise it’s the same as travelling without a valid ticket – and it could cost you £120.
  5. Having travelcards left on your Clipper does not mean you have a valid ticket. You must touch-in and touch-out at the smart readers on tram stops.
  6. If you want to find out how many travelcards are left on your Clipper, just log in to your account or pop into one of our Information and Ticket Offices and the team will check your balance for you.

The costs

The cost of Clipper depends on which tram zones you travel through. Find your tram zone using our online tool.


Any one zone

  • Clipper anytime: £24.30 (saving £2.70)
  • Clipper off-peak: £17.10 (saving £1.90)

Zones 1+2

  • Clipper anytime: £38.70 (saving £4.30)
  • Clipper off-peak: £31.50 (saving £3.50)

Zones 2+3 or 3+4

  • Clipper anytime: £31.50 (saving £3.50)
  • Clipper off-peak: £27.90 (saving £3.10)

Zones 1+2+3

  • Clipper anytime: £54.90 (saving £6.10)
  • Clipper off-peak: £38.70 (saving £4.30)

Zones 2+3+4

  • Clipper anytime: £42.30 (saving £4.70)
  • Clipper off-peak: £35.10 (saving £3.90)

Zones 1+2+3+4

  • Clipper anytime: £63.90 (saving £7.10)
  • Clipper off-peak: £44.10 (saving £4.90)

How to buy it

You will need a Bee Card or existing get me there card to buy Clipper. smart card. You can pre-load your Clipper online or at a PayPoint store or one of our information and ticket offices (Travelshops). And you can renew your ticket before your current one runs out.


If you’re having trouble with your smart card

  • Make sure your travelcards cover the zones you need to travel through.
  • Check that you’re not trying to travel with an off-peak travelcard before 9.30am on a weekday.
  • You may have used all 10 travelcards already.