Buy and refund tickets

You can buy a paper ticket from: 

• ticket offices at train stations during opening hours (cashless)
• from fare machines at a train, tram, or busway station, and some bus interchanges
• onboard bus services outside of South East Queensland only. 

Important information:

• Please use correct money where possible. Fare machines do not accept $100 notes.
• Change is given as coins up to a maximum of $19.90.
• In South East Queensland, tickets must be purchased before boarding (onboard sales are not available).
• Tickets are for a single one-way journey (includes a 2 hour transfer window or 3.5 hours if travelling a longer distance e.g Sunshine Coast to Gold Coast).
• You must begin your final trip before the expiry time printed on the ticket.

Paper tickets are non-refundable. However, you may be eligible for a refund if the fare machine fails to provide the correct change.

Complete a Fare Machine Refund form and mail it to us with the original receipt and the Refund Claim receipt printed by the machine. 

You can buy a go card from:

• selected retailers
• online
• by calling 13 12 30
• fare machines at G:link and selected busway stations
• Queensland Rail stations during ticket office opening hours.

If you're buying a go card from a fare machine:

• please use correct money where possible. Fare machines cannot accept $100 notes.
• machines can only provide change up to $19.90 in coins. If you don't receive the correct change and you have the original receipt, you can claim a refund.

Refund options

1. Directly into an Australian bank account

Complete the go card refund form (PDF) and post it to us along with your physical go card (if required).

Refunds are made to Australian bank accounts only and may take up to 28 days to appear in your account.

2. Cash refunds

Available at selected go card retailers if: 

• your go card balance is less than $50 (plus card deposit), and

• your last top-up was made at a retailer using cash, and

• your go card hasn't expired within the last 255 days.

Cash refunds are not available at Queensland Rail ticket offices in South East Queensland. They may also not be available from go card retailers or Airtrain ticket offices if they do not have sufficient cash.  
 

    3. EFTPOS refunds

Available at Queensland Rail ticket offices in South East Queensland if:  

• your go card balance is less than $50 (plus card deposit), and

• your last top-up was made using a credit or debit card from an Australian bank at a Queensland Rail ticket office, retailer or fare machine, and

• your go card hasn't expired within the last 255 days.
   

International visitors

go card refunds are not available to international bank accounts or credit or debit cards issued by international financial institutions.

If you have a go card and are returning home, you can:

• hold onto your go card for your next visit

• give your go card to family or friends (if your go card has not been registered)

• donate your unused go card balance to charity. Drop your go card into one of the collection boxes at the Airtrain station ticket offices. Your go card must be unregistered to have the balance donated.

• get a cash refund at selected go card retailers (except Queensland Rail ticket offices) if your go card balance is less than $50 plus deposit

• apply for a refund into an Australian bank account.

If you used a Visa or Mastercard credit or debit card to pay for travel and think you have been charged incorrectly, you can request an adjustment or refund using our Translink Ticketing Assistant or call us on 13 12 30.