We have new ways for customers to pay for their travel on public transport with contactless Visa, Mastercard and American Express credit or debit cards, including reloadable and non-loadable options (this includes physical and virtual prepaid cards, travel cards and gift cards issued as contactless Visa or Mastercard).
Benefits of using contactless payments
There are a number of benefits to paying for your travel with contactless cards and devices:
Convenient
Paying with your contactless debit or credit card means there’s no need to worry about keeping track of your go card, or making sure it's topped up regularly.
Safe
A safe and privacy compliant method to pay for travel. Your data is protected with the same high-security standards used by banks, so you can ride with peace of mind.
Easy
Simply tap your card or smart device at the start and end of your trip just like you would with your go card. Learn more about how to use contactless payments.
Contactless payment availability
Contactless payment is available on all South East Queensland (SEQ) trains, trams, ferries and buses.
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Contactless payment fares
All fares on Translink services are 50 cents per journey, regardless of how far you travel on the network or how you choose to pay – whether it’s by go card, contactless debit or credit card, or paper ticket. Normal transfer rules apply.
Just like when you use your go card, Translink may charge a default fare if you don't tap on at the start of your trip and tap off at the end of your trip.
How to pay using your contactless card or device
Using contactless payment methods is similar to using a go card, but there are a few important differences to be aware of.
FAQs
Yes, you can still use your go card on new Smart Ticketing validators or purchase a paper ticket to pay for travel.
No, even though they're linked to the same bank account, digital wallets like Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, and Google Pay create a unique digital number for each card that is different to the number associated with your physical card. This makes these different payment methods. You must use the same payment method to tap on and tap off successfully, get frequent traveller discounts and receive refunds.
Yes, now that contactless payment is available on all SEQ services you can pay with contactless even when transferring. You will need to tap on and tap off with the same payment method when transferring between any station or service to ensure you are charged the correct fare for your journey.
You may be charged a default fare (or fixed fare) if you do not tap on at the start of your trip, or tap off at the end of your trip.
If you think you have been charged a default fare in error, you can request a fare adjustment through the Ticketing Assistant.
You may see a $0 or 10c pending charge on your bank statement after tapping to travel, or after accessing your activity through the Ticketing Assistant. This is a temporary authorisation hold, used to verify your payment method.
This charge will disappear from your statement within a few days, depending on your bank, or once your final fares are processed at the end of the day.
Using your contactless debit or credit card to travel costs the same as using your go card, but how you’re charged is different.
Fares paid with contactless debit or credit cards are rolled up into one transaction and charged to your bank at the end of each day – so if you’ve taken several trips, the combined charge will reflect this.
Occasionally, if you accumulate more fares than your card provider’s daily limit, you might see more than one charge on your statement.