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[NSW] Opal Payment by Credit Card or Mobile Device Will Receive The Same Travel Benefits as an Adult Opal Card

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From tomorrow (Monday, 29 July) commuters using their credit card or mobile device to ‘tap on and off’ Opal enabled train, light rail, Sydney Metro, and ferry services will receive the same Opal travel benefits as they would using their adult Opal card.

This is an extension to the contactless transport payments trial run by Transport for NSW in partnership with the Commonwealth Bank, Cubic and Mastercard. The trial is also extending to the Sydney bus network in a staged roll-out over the coming months.

Update 24 Sept: Contactless payments are now available on buses as well

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Comments

              • -1

                @chriise: You must go to really small stations.

                • @Munki: Hi, Yennora!

                  • +1

                    @kerfuffle: Maybe Leightonfield… Lol

                  • +1

                    @kerfuffle: the newsagent is <500m from Yennora station…

                    • @brad1-8tsi: Not when you're coming from Platform 1 side and have 3 minutes to catch your train, only to forget your Opal card in one of your other pockets and not wanting to pay peak rates with a paper ticket during off-peak (which this credit card thing now negates).

                      Plus there's only one machine too sooooo when it's also out of order …

          • +3

            @danyool: When we bought tickets to visit Sydney, we logged onto Opal website, ordered Opal cards, set up top up, and it was mailed direct to us in Perth. Ready to use.

    • +3

      where can we get 10% GC's?

    • I think it's better to do away with the separate card altogether rather than continuing to have a payment card (albeit virtual) that you've got to top up separately.

    • Curious how you get the 10% off WISH gift cards?

  • -1

    This is great! So $2.70 Sunday’s via my visa?

    • +2

      That’s been applicable since cc use was allowed.

      • +1

        Not according to Opal's info, you don't (didn't) get off peak rates on credit card transactions. Was in NSW three weeks back and almost got bitten by this. Was foolish enough to take the train from the airport with two adults and one child (4 year old children are still free on VIC public transport, but are full charge in NSW) when Uber/Bolt would have been half the price.

        Edit: current pricing page (emphasis mine).

        Standard (peak) Adult Opal fare pricing applies. If you consistently use the same contactless card or linked device to tap on and tap off, you may qualify for Opal daily, weekly and Sunday fare caps but no other Opal benefits apply.

        Also this article about the changes suggests that the change to add off peak pricing is new.

        From Monday, off-peak pricing, a transfer discount and the weekly travel reward - half price fares after clocking eight journeys in a week - will be available on all contactless transport payments.

        • @stoodamire is correct that the Sunday fare cap has applied to CCs since it was allowed for payment. Even the page you quoted says so:

          If you consistently use the same contactless card or linked device to tap on and tap off, you may qualify for Opal daily, weekly and Sunday fare caps but no other Opal benefits apply.

          You're possibly confusing the Sunday fare cap with the half price weekly travel reward, which didn't apply to CCs previously.

          • @lint: No, I'm possibly confusing the Sunday cap with off peak pricing; I took the claim that peak pricing always applied to mean that you always paid the highest rates, didn't realise that the Sunday rates were not off peak but something else again. Confusing system you have up there - but those Sunday rates are good!

            • @ely: Yep, Sunday rates on CC with a mobile wallet cashback offer is chefs kiss

              That's the best I can say about Opal, unfortunately. No travel pass option unlike most other transport cards means commuting for work is way more expensive than when paper tickets were around.

    • +3

      $2.80
      price has increased.

    • +1

      Not on buses

  • Be good if Amex does the 30% cash back with this

  • Does apple pay works too? I have heard that apple pay generate a different number every time for the payment therefore Opal system may not recognise and apply the concession (e.g. 50% off after 8 trips)

    • Yeah would like to know if Apple Pay works too so don’t have to bring any credit cards at all…

    • +7

      A new card number is only generated when you add your card to Apple Pay - it won't change unless you remove and readd the card to Apple Pay. So you're good to go.

      (remember the card number is different on each Apple Pay device, so don't tap on with your watch and off with your phone!)

      • Further to this, the number that is generated every time for payment is a dynamic CVV, which replaces the CVV on the physical card for verification of the transaction. This is also the case for payments made with physical cards using contactless or chip & pin.

        So, upon adding a card to Apple Pay, you'll receive a new, unique card number (also called the Device Account Number) for that device. Each device will have a different DAN, which won't change unless the card is removed from that device, at which point the number is destroyed.

        Upon making a payment, in lieu of sending your credit card number and CVV, the device will send the DAN and the dynamic CVV that changes for every transaction.

        Because each of your devices will have a different DAN corresponding to each physical card, you can't tap on using one Apple Pay device and then tap off with a different one (for example, tapping on with your iPhone and off with your Apple Watch) as it'll appear as a different card number. The same is the case if you need a refund at a retail store and they need to purchasing card to process the refund.

        • The same is the case if you need a refund at a retail store and they need to purchasing card to process the refund.

          I've never come across a system that actually requires the same payment method for a refund to be processed. I know that it's very commonly requested/asked for, but the system itself can process a refund to a different card without any problem.

          • @illumination: It might be possible, but it is against the MSA not to refund back to the same card.

            • @John Kimble: I wouldn't be surprised if it's required by law - I'm just saying the system itself does not force refunds to be put back onto the same card.

              What's MSA btw? I've just googled it and the only thing that came up was "MSA - The Safety Company".

              • @illumination: Should be aml, anti money laundering

              • @illumination: Merchant Service Agreement, the terms a merchant agrees to when they get a merchant facility from a bank or provider.

    • I'm pretty sure it would. If it can keep track that you tapped off with the same card but different number, then i don't see why it wouldn't work for the benefits.

    • I have heard that apple pay generate a different number every time for the payment

      That is wrong.

      When you register a new card Apple pay generates a Device Account Number (which is what Apple calls a tokenised card number). That number is used when you make purchases however it doesn't change every time you make a purchase.

    • +2

      Apple Pay works absolutely fine. Just be aware whatever device you tap on with, you must tap off with. I once tapped on with my watch, but off with my phone using the same card but it counts it as two seperate transactions and I got charged the default maximum twice.

  • So if you have a credit card, whats the point on having a separate opal card then??

    • +2

      Ability to top up your Opal card at a discount (eg, discounted Woolworths gift cards, Amex Shop Small).

      • Riteo, well I'm a very casual user so it won't affect me that much.

    • +1

      If there are disputes, probably easier to take it up with opal

    • Some people use senior or concession Opal cards.

      Bus service is still not included, which means some people will need an adult Opal card to get weekly reward benefits.

      • Bus service is still not included

        Contactless will be on all buses by the end of September, so that's only two more months.

        • finally

          wont need to carry around a wallet, a phone, an employee pass and a bluetacked opal card on the back interfering with the employee rfid

          • @furythree: Agreed. My ASIC and access cards both are RFID enabled so that rules out trying to get my Opal on my lanyard…it’s hard enough trying to swipe them anywhere without them interfering with each other.

            Opal is tedious at times so thank God I can scrap it.

        • +1

          so will this work on the buses that do have contactless?

          • @pHyR3: huh?

          • @pHyR3: Yeah. The whole idea is to stop interfere each other so you don't have to take all cards out to make it work.

            For myself, I use id card wallet that works for both without taking out but just need to make sure I put the wallet on the side of the card I want to use.

    • +2

      Stay unknown, or not taking out your credit card to be snatched by someone every time, or losing it. Concession benefits. To name a few

    • Anonymity

  • Does the card have to be linked to your Opal? Also what if ticket inspectors need to scan your opal to check if you have tapped on?

    • +1
      1. No.
      2. Present your payment method (Opal card, credit card or phone) to the ticket inspectors. https://www.ozbargain.com.au/comment/7552341/redir
      • If it's not linked, then that means I can't use Apple Pay and the physical Opal card at the same time to build up my rewards?

        • +2

          You should stick with one payment method to accumulate benefits and not switch between them.

    • Good question, I wonder how they check on Samsung pass or Google pay too

      • The same way they check Opal cards and Apple pay

        • So just turn on nfc and put back of phone to the officer?

          • @[Deactivated]: Yeah that’s it.

            They’ve checked me a few times when I used Apple Pay and they just put their device to the back of my phone to check.

            • @khao: Do you need to use the fingerprint reader like when you’re paying?

              • @tencents: You would. It's necessary for the device to initiate communication with the reader - you won't be charged though.

  • Does NFC (Google Pay) work on those terminals?

    So happy one less card to carry

    • +1

      Yes.

  • Would be great if the Opal website supported it (like London does inc Apple Pay)

  • -7

    The NSW Trains are so monumentally bad that I wouldn’t feel bad not paying. What I do is just pretend they don’t exist and every time I succumb to using it curse under my breath for my foolishness.

    • Care to elaborate?

    • +1

      I honestly think the Sydney trains are alright. I know everyone likes to complain about them, and sure once in a while they go to shit, but it's not the end of the world.

      • +2

        They are far superior to Melbourne trains. Actually, it's not so much the trains, it's the actual rail lines. Melbourne uses unwelded tracks on wooden sleepers. Noisy, bumpy, slow.

        • +1

          Plus the trains (and stations, trackside buildings, etc.) in Melbourne are dirty and full of graffiti like the bad old days of the NY Subway…that's what happens when decades of freeway investment suck money out of the train budget. Sydney canned its hugely comprehensive freeway plans (by that, imagine every motorway in Sydney right now but as huge as the Warringah Freeway) in the 1970s and upped its track maintenance in the wake of the Granville disaster, so our railway network has been much better looked after.

    • +1

      check out the trains in India.

  • Does sunday travel cap benefit applies when you use credit cards(amex, mastercard or visa)?

    • +3

      Yup. Have been using it and getting Sunday cap since they introduced credit cards to trains and ferries.

      • That's awesome, I did not know that. Thanks!

  • +5

    Opal craps all over Myki

    • +2

      Yeah, but it'd be nice if they pulled a leaf out of Melbourne's book and did mobile Opal

      • +2

        It sure is nice as an Android user to be able to lord over Apple users on ONE thing.

      • Yeh but still laggy

      • What does a mobile opal give you that a credit card doesn't? I'm happy enough to load my visa onto Apple Pay and travel. I hate topping up my opal card incessantly. One less thing or rather two, including the Opal card itself to worry about.

        • A registered Opal card … You would be able to use Google Pay to top it up, like you do with mobile myki (unless it's an Amex)

          I hate topping up my opal card incessantly.

          Do what I do and put a month's worth at a time so you don't have to do it incessantly?

          • +1

            @kerfuffle: I'd rather have that money sitting in my offset account;)

  • +7

    I think credit cards are a tad slower to be recognised at the gate (compared to opal cards), does anyone else feel the same?

    • yeah I feel the same way, nfc chips on phones are even worse.

    • +1

      It is probably because a non-opal card has to go through additional checks (eg. check with the issuer)

      p.s: It didn't allow me to post unless I selected associated with the store. weird.

  • I've lost/dropped my opal card a couple of times becuaee i use it so often but have never lost my credit card because it stays in my wallet most of the time. No way I'm going to start getting credit card out every time i tap on/off which can be up to 8 times a day.

    • Google/Apple pay? You ain't gonna lose your phone right?

    • I have my wallet setup so that I can still use my opal card without taking it out. Have two credit cards, two work security cards and a few other cards in there. Aluminium foil was required between my two credit cards and my opal card.

  • Opal card won't be phased out as it's hard to tell which credit cards are held by seniors.

    • Yes, concessions will continue to use their Opal cards to verify entitlement.

      I expect adult Opal cards to remain available at newsagents, etc. for those who do not have debit/credit cards and for those who wish to easily track their card usage online (for expenses, etc.).

  • -2

    You just add transport nsw to your nfc, on your mobile, but you don’t need to put the pin in, just tap the back of your phone

    • +3

      Wtf are you on about?

    • +1

      Isn't that only for checking your opal card balance and history?

    • -1

      Is this legit ? Never heard of the capability of using Opal with your phone

  • +3

    Any clue if you can reverse-tap off now?

  • -1

    It’s completely defies and defeats the purpose of having Opal cards that should have just stuck to having debit cards from the start.

    They shoul have fast track like a amusement park like wet and wild

    • +1

      The Opal system was designed for contactless cards to be used with it, but obviously they thought launching 5 years earlier with the separate Opal cards was more desirable than delaying for several more years just so bank cards could be used at launch (remember - it was supposed to be ready for the Olympics).

  • So.. if using cc for opal.. does govt get our travel data from the cc provider?

    • +5

      No they get your travel data from the machines, that they own, that you tag onto. Why would they need to get it from your card issuer?

  • +1

    Any idea what happens in the case of a credit card with additional cardholders?

    • +3

      I think you are asking what I am hoping to find out too. Does anyone know what happens in the case where both the primary and additional card holder cards are the same (bank west still do it this way - not sure if many others left)? - ie same card number, expiry.

      If it can’t identify the difference it could be good to help meet travel caps faster but if using at the same time would it freak out or just over-charge? (I don’t think the system uses any logic in terms of it being actually possible to move between 2 locations in the time between the tap on/off?)

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