Contactless payments on public transport are available in cities such as London. The convenience of tapping your credit or debit card on the reader at both ends of a journey is really great.
You don’t need to worry about the kind of ticket to buy, nor do you need to line up at a ticket booth or machine. Happily, you can now use contactless payments on public transport in Sydney, Australia.
Fares for Contactless Payments
Sydney has a smart card scheme called Opal, where you load the card with money and tap on and off when travelling. This is similar to other cards around the world, such as London’s Oyster card and Dublin’s Leap card.
Using contactless payments means you will be charged the same rate as an Opal card. This fare is discounted from the usual standard ticket price, which means it’s cheaper to use a card.
A Note About Sydney Airport
The railway line that serves Sydney Airport is privately owned, resulting in a special “Station Access Fee” being charged when using the Domestic and International Terminal stations. This is A$14.87 per use, which is quite expensive.
If you are travelling on your own, it is still cheaper to pay this fee and take the train to the city. However, once you are more than a couple of people, it may actually cost you less to get a taxi where you want to do. Do your research before you travel!
Overall Thoughts
As time passes, more and more cities will introduce contactless payments on their public transport systems. It is good to see Sydney now accepting these as it will make my life easier next time I am in town.
Have you used your card in this way on public transport before? Where else can you go contactless? Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.
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Featured image by Jacques-Grießmayer via Wikimedia Commons.
Sydney Airport Domestic train station via Transport for NSW.
In Sydney, another option to avoid the Station Access Fee is to walk 1 mile to Mascot station
That would be simple enough with hand luggage, true! Good advice!
Sorry, i forgot to tap off…
Hahaha 😛
The train ride is fast, smooth, clean and plenty of room but leaves you at a “train Station” so depending on how much luggage you have that can be an issue schlepping bags down crowded Sydney streets. Uber was about the same price as two train tickets and… yup right to the door.
Yes, that is also a very good point. I prefer a door to door service if I have a lot of luggage and cash to spare on it, otherwise I’ll be dragging my bag along with me. The airport access fee does add up fast, so people should always check the other options in Sydney.