UPDATE: SEE BELOW
Mobile Myki was made permanent last month. Even though for now it’s only available on Android phones, it’s great that it’s increased the options for public transport ticketing.
So if you’re a senior (60+) and you want to use Mobile Myki?
No problem – grab your Android phone with NFC, install Google Pay and load it up.
If you’re a tech-savvy tertiary student, with a PTV Tertiary Student Concession Card, and you want to use Mobile Myki?
Not so fast! It turns out only a few specific types of concession fare can be used with Mobile Myki.
The following concession categories are currently available as a Mobile myki:
– Child (Code CH) – customers aged 16-18 years only;
– Victorian Seniors Card holders (Code VS);
– General Concession (Code GC) – Interstate Seniors Card and Interstate Pensioner Concession Card holders only.For all other concession categories, Mobile myki is not currently available, and another type of concession ticket must be used.
– PTV Fares and Ticketing Manual 2019, page 12
This is not an April Fools joke.
Apart from tertiary students, Health Care Card holders are also excluded from the list, as well as some other types of concessions. Children under 16 are excluded, perhaps because Google Pay needs to be linked to a valid credit or debit card.
Why is this? I don’t know, but I’ll see if I can find out.
Given it works fine with Visa and Mastercard debit cards, there should be no concerns about the use of credit cards for low income earners.
Maybe there’s a good reason. But it seems completely illogical to exclude a huge number of tech savvy public transport users who happen to use concession fares.
UPDATE Monday 5:30pm: The government has been in contact to advise that tertiary and other concession card holders can use Mobile Myki, by choosing the “General concession” option in the app. It appears the Fares And Ticketing Manual, normally the bible for these types of issues, is incorrect – perhaps the new Mobile Myki information was added in a hurry.
7 replies on “Mobile Myki – not available for uni students”
Why are there so many different concession myki codings? Wouldn’t it make sense to group all the categories where the only benefit is 50% of full fare into one general concession category?
I’ve been using a secondary school student coded myki for the last five years despite having a tertiary concession card. I’ve never had any issues with it, even when I was given a warning by the department for forgetting to touch on. No inspector has ever raised the point about it technically being the wrong type of otherwise identical concession myki card.
@Kurt – not all concession cards are the same. The Seniors myki card gives free travel (except for long distance) on weekends. As far as I know, the other concession cards do not.
@Rod – Only Seniors or Pension cards are different. Child / Primary-Secondary (except for yearlies) / Tertiary / Health Care Card all charge the same. Even in Metcard days, senior tickets were clearly different from the standard concession tickets, but there was no distinction between a child, or a health care card ticket.
I’ve had this argument with PTV many times. Ticket inspectors aren’t checking exactly what kind of concession if you purchase the “general concession” or simply “concession”. You can use a health care card or tertiary concession, or even standard student concession (or simply just be a child) on a “concession” ticket.
How I know all this: I’ve had the pain of having a secondary student concession have faults while using it as a tertiary student (I kept the card after the yearly expired), had a whole PITA after being fined for being in negative credit despite having FIVE 2-hr fares being deducted in a single day (yes, that’s how badly it screwed up), couldn’t get the card replaced because nobody could agree who should replace it, and had to take it up to the ombudsman who then sent a new replacement, clarified that “any card that charges the correct fare can be used” (paraphrased, this was over 5 years ago), and repealed the fine.
Thanks for the update and clarification.
Probably put down the ambiguity to teething problems.
BTW, a “senior” is not just someone 60+ but 60+ and not working FT. Subtle, but important!
I hope it’s not going to come to Apple devices at the cost of them getting a cut of our fare revenues…?
Does that mean that you still need to have your concession card physically present on you, even though the myki is virtual? That seems to defeat the whole purpose (I remember at the beginning, it was hoped your concession card would include the myki in it).
Also re: Apple devices: why would they need a cut of the fare revenue? They’ll get commissions from the credit card providers whenever you top up your card. In fact, since you’ll be using the wallet app for more stuff, it’s a good incentive.
@Gobwk, the Mobile Myki replaces the Myki card only – not any concession cards you might have.