Metcard Wallets

Last modified/checked: Sunday, 28th March, 2010 - HTML 4.01 Transitional

This section shows the various designs of the cardboard metcard "keepsafe" wallets which were initially provided to hold Adult Yearly tickets and Student passes at the time that these tickets changed over to Metcard from January 2000. These wallets have two pockets - one to hold the travel ticket and the other to hold either a photocard (adult yearlies) or a concession card (Student Passes). Before long, these wallets were available on request by anybody who wanted to protect their metcard. During the second half of 2008, a pictorial series was released through the Met Shop and these signalled the beginning of the single pocket wallets.

The logos on the first wallet related to the previous "business units" and their names which had been set up in preparation for privitisation.
This suggests the wallets were produced during 1997/1998, perhaps based on the intention that Adult yearlies and Student Passes
would be magnetic strip tickets from that time?

A replacement wallet was issued within about 12 months and this included the new logos and marketing names of all the private operators' franchises.
The metcard logo on this wallet had recently become the new face of the Metcard brand and was appearing on the current series of blue generic designs.
It appears that from this point, the wallets were now freely available for the safekeeping of all Metcard tickets.

The July 2002 design of the Keepsafe wallet is shown below.

The January 2004 design features the metlink brand. From our observations, these wallets were not widely distributed.

A second version of the new Metlink keepsafe wallet was available at the Sustainable Living Festival held at Federation Square on the 14th and 15th of February 2004.
They are printed on "Novatech Satin", an environmentally responsible paper made with chlorine free pulp.
From our observations, this wallet has never gone into general use and may only have been produced as a manufacturers sample?

The sole example of this wallet was found at the end of 2005.
It was produced specifically to encourage school students to carry their Student Pass and Concession Card together.

By March/April 2005 the wallet design shown was coming into use. They were freely available at the "Revitalising Victoria's Rail" display held on the Collins Street bridge at Spencer Street on Saturday 23rd April 2005. Note the title "Metcard Wallet" - the word "keepsafe" having been dropped.

By October 2008 there had been minor alterations to the wording as shown below.

The wallet shown here was released in conjunction with the "Value metcard" campaign in September 2008. While these were distributed through premium stations, the greater number were given out by retailers whenever a metcard was sold until stocks ran out. Interestingly, the wallet depicts a blue generic pre-encoded ticket rather than the value design which appeared only the following month.
The Value metcards are described in their own section.

This is the first known single pocket wallet. It appears to have gone on issue around June 2008.
The illustrations are (we suspect) of various Melbourne outdoor/sporting activities?

This is the second single pocket wallet seen. It was released in early October 2008.
The illustrations are of various Melbourne landmarks and activities?

This is the third single pocket wallet seen. It was released during late November 2008.
Some of these images are identifiable to us but to the general public receiving these wallets, they are probably becoming increasingly obscure.

This is the fourth single pocket wallet seen. It was released during early March 2009
and would appear to signal the end of the pictorial series.

The wallet shown here is unusual in being provided specifically through Yarra Trams.
These are possibly issued on-board by Yarra Trams Revenue Protection Officers.
It appears they were manufactured during October 2008, but not discovered until May 2009.

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