Contactless payments 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. 

You can use the Translink Ticketing Assistant to request a fare adjustment or refund. 

You may see a 10c or $0 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.

Your tap was declined if you see any one of these messages:

• Please try again: There was an error with the machine and your tap was not accepted. Try tapping again.
• Present one card: More than one card has been detected by the reader Remove the card or device that you would like to use from your wallet or bag and try tapping again.
• Invalid card: Your card is invalid and cannot be used to tap on and tap off for travel. Please use a valid go card or contactless payment method to tap on/tap off. Alternatively, you can purchase a paper ticket. If your go card is invalid, please call Translink on 13 12 30. If your bank card is invalid, please contact your bank or financial institution.
• Not accepted: Your card cannot be used for travel. It may be from a non-participating scheme, reported lost, stolen or has been blocked by your financial institution. For more information, please contact your financial institution. For immediate travel, please try another payment method.
• Card has expired: Your card has expired. For immediate travel, please try another payment method. To extend your go card expiration date, please visit a participating retailer. 

If your plans change and you decide to no longer travel, you can tap the same card or device at the same station from 10 seconds up to 20 minutes after your first tap to successfully cancel your tap. There is no charge for cancelling a tap.

The description of the charge listed in your transaction history or bank statement will appear as “TRANSLINK SMARTTICKET QLD AU“

Each person needs to tap on and tap off using their own contactless debit or credit card or go card. 

If you have multiple devices for one account (like a physical card, digital card, or smart watch), these can be used as separate payment methods. 

Alternatively, you can buy a paper ticket.

If you paid using a contactless debit or credit card, you can check your trip history online through the Ticketing Assistant. You can also request a fare adjustment if something doesn’t look right. 

If you’re using a go card, please continue managing your travel through your go card account. 

You can also call us on 13 12 30 if you have an enquiry about your travel.

If the Ticketing Assistant can't retrieve your travel history, it may be for one of the following reasons: 

• The details you entered are incorrect
• Your card hasn’t been used for travel with Translink
• Your card has expired
• Your card has been blocked by your financial institution

If you're sure the card details are right, there may be an issue with your account. This can happen if a charge was declined. In this case, you’ll need to wait until your charge goes through successfully to use the Ticketing Assistant. We'll automatically retry declined charges overnight for you.

Completed trips should be visible in the Ticketing Assistant within minutes of tapping off. 

If you forgot to tap on or tap off, you’ll need to wait six hours for your incomplete trip to be visible. You can then request a fare adjustment to complete your trip correctly.

Sometimes it could take longer for your travel to appear. If your trip is still not appearing after 24 hours, call us on 13 12 30 for further assistance. 

Apple Device Account Number
The Device Account Number can be found by opening the wallet app, tapping the card you used to pay for your travel, then tapping the (***) symbol in the top right corner and scrolling down to find your Device Account Number.

Google Pay Virtual Account Number
The Virtual Account Number can be found by opening the Google Pay app, tapping Payment, then tapping the card you used to pay for your travel and scrolling down to find the last 4 digits of your Virtual Account Number.

Samsung Pay Digital Card Number
The Digital Card Number can be found by opening the Samsung Pay app, tapping the card you used to pay for your travel, then tapping Card Details where your Digital Card Number will be displayed underneath your card number.

The Ticketing Assistant will show you up to 20 trips at a time. To start with it will show you travel from the past 14 days but you can also search for trips in specific date ranges. 

If you need help with travel further back than Ticketing Assistant can provide, please call 13 12 30.

When you submit a fare adjustment request using the Ticketing Assistant, you’ll receive a Translink case reference number.

If we find that you were charged an incorrect fare, a refund will be credited to the card you travelled with. We aim to process your request within 10 business days.

You can check if a refund has been processed by selecting 'Follow up on an existing fare adjustment' in the Ticketing Assistant. This will show you the date any refund was approved. Please note the trip you requested an adjustment for will still display the original fare.