For those who track such things…
Which jurisdictions in Australia have got bank card fare payment (aka “Contactless” aka “Tap and pay”) on their public transport?
Sydney: rollout started 2017, completed 2019
Adelaide: rollout started 2021. Buses and trams working now. Expected completion (for trains) late-2025
Canberra: since November 2024
Brisbane/South East Queensland: rolled out 2021-2025
…and just announced… Perth: switching on 8th December 2025 (with regional towns using the Smartrider system to be done by the end of the year)
So, who’s left? Some regional areas still use paper tickets or isolated other systems. Remaining capital cities:
Darwin/Alice Springs: dodged this question by shifting to fare-free buses in 2024 following issues with new ticket machines.
Hobart (and other Tasmanian cities): expected from 2026 (using the same system as Queensland)
…and Melbourne and Victoria: expected to start in early 2026 on Metro trains, before progressively rolling out to other modes.
Will we in Victoria get there before Tasmania? Maybe our rollout will start first, but they have the advantage of a much smaller system, so theirs will probably finish first.
There’s also work going on in Victoria to enable it for concession fare payments, which is something none few of the other systems do yet, though some are working on it. (Also in the mix: Victoria is about to shift under 18s to a free fare Myki card.)
Being a tourist recently in Europe just emphasised to me: the option of bank card payment is incredibly useful. No need for new users (locals or visitors) to learn about the ticket system or the fares.
Along with a comprehensible network structure and frequent services, it genuinely makes it easier for new and occasional users to get onto public transport.
EDIT: Canberra’s MyWay+ supports concessions. Thanks Beau Giles for the comment.
6 replies on “Who’s got bank card fare payment?”
Concessions on contactless has been supported in Canberra since the launch of MyWay+ a year ago. https://www.transport.act.gov.au/tickets-and-myway/concessions
“Link a contactless payment method (Mastercard or Visa) or a MyWay+ travel card so you receive the correct fare discounts (or free travel) no matter what method you tap on and off with.”
You are right to mention concession fares which would account for a fair chunk of travellers. It’s important to have a bank-card fare payment system that takes account of concessions.
How would I be able to prove to Visa/Mastercard that I have a valid seniors card and not produced an AI version?
Some regions in Victoria seems to have adopted bankcard contactless payments for a while, like the buses in Warrnambool and Port Fairy.
Sydney’s bank card system has been in place for a while but it’s still not available for concession fares.
Indeed it will be interesting to see who comes out first out of the last remaining laggards. I still cannot believe that Melbourne has not yet got the contactless tap and go yet for such a tourist focused city.
@Chris Y – Well, Melbourne is still yet to have an airport rail link. Even Perth has one already.