What Is a Journey on Opal?

peterpeterpumpkin on 03/11/2019 - 21:47

Hey!

For the first time, I've used Opal enough in a week to receive the half-price fare. I also happened to use a debit card for the first time from the beginning of the week. Thing is, I don't get why the discount fare came in when it did.

Example trip
Mon: Morning - Bus then Train, Evening - Train then Bus = full fare all day
Tue: Morning - Bus then Train, Evening - Train then Bus = full fare all day
Wed: Morning - Bus then Train, Evening - Train then Bus = full fare all day
Thu: Morning - Bus then Train, Evening - Train then Bus = half fare all day

It would make sense that I would either get half price on the 5th day if each morning and evening was its own journey, or on the 3rd day if changing modes of transport meant I completed 4 journeys each day.

Am I confused, or is this a bug?

Yes.

I don't want to complain if I'm in a winning situation.

Travel

Related Stores

Opal Card - NSW Government
Opal Card - NSW Government

Comments

  • onetwothreefour on 03/11/2019 - 21:53
    +1

    How far were your trips? There's a $50 weekly cap so once you've spent $50 in a week then the rest of your travel for that week is free.

    • peterpeterpumpkin on 03/11/2019 - 22:36

      Yeah I checked my Contactless charges in the Opal app and it showed half price on day 4. It didn't show days 1 or 2, only 3, but my debit card was charged full price for the first 2 days as well (~$12.50). So I never hit the cap.

  • tebbybabes on 03/11/2019 - 22:12

    From transport NSW

    When using your Opal card or contactless credit or debit card, fares are charged depending on the distance of your trip or overall journey, and transfers you make >along the way.

    A trip is travel on one route, on one mode. When you transfer to another route or service, you are commencing a new trip.

    A journey consists of one or more trips on eligible services where transfers between services occur within 60 minutes.

    A transfer occurs at the end of a single trip. It is a change of transport mode or route, to another service or route, to continue a journey. Transfers made within a >standard transfer time of 60 minutes combine trips into a single journey.

    The 60 minute transfer time applies to all services except the Sydney Ferries Manly ferry service where the standard transfer time is 130 minutes from tap on.

    After re-reading your post, I have a feeling you've seen this already, but as I had already written it out, I'll post it anyway. :)

    • peterpeterpumpkin on 03/11/2019 - 22:44

      Thanks. I should have posted it myself to clarify :)

      I think it's a bug. But maybe a secret bug that people ignore (like other government agency bugs in our favour no one ever mentions).

  • John Kimble on 03/11/2019 - 22:53

    Yes, it's supposed to activate after your 8th Journey. Doesn't the app list your journeys? Or is that not enabled for debit cards yet?

    eg when I look at my opal activity, it clearly says "Journey 1, 2, 3, etc"

    • kerfuffle on 04/11/2019 - 05:23
      +1

      It's enabled if you check your card number, but it'll only list the ten most recent journeys, unlike an Opal card

      • peterpeterpumpkin on 04/11/2019 - 08:59

        This is so annoying. What do they need those kilobytes for?

        • kerfuffle on 04/11/2019 - 20:48

          Something to do with card limitations I think from what I've read; the card is king but only if you're able to write to it, which you can't with a credit card

  • vikvance on 04/11/2019 - 06:45
    +2

    I checked my Amex card & it is exactly the same.

    Half price starts after completing 6 journeys instead of the 8 journeys on a normal Opal card.

    It is possible that this is intended to be a future special bonus for tapping on with credit/debit cards, but someone accidentally switched it on early. (The government wants to encourage people to use credit/debit cards, so it doesn't have to pay retailers their commission for topping up Opal cards.)

    • peterpeterpumpkin on 04/11/2019 - 08:58
      +1

      Thanks! Visa debit card here.

      Now to post it as a deal. Or destroy all evidence it ever happened.

    • peterpeterpumpkin on 06/11/2019 - 18:34

      Check your statement for today! I was charged 25 cents for a long train trip that came after a half price bus fare. And it took only 4 journeys this time!

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