Contactless payments terms and conditions

These terms and conditions relate to the use of contactless debit and credit cards to pay a fare, including digital versions in the wallets of smartphones, smart watches and other wearable devices. These fare payment methods will be referred to collectively throughout these terms and conditions as contactless payment methods.

Customers using a go card to travel can view the go card terms and conditions.

Consent to collecting and processing personal information

Translink takes reasonable steps to ensure that you are aware that your personal information will be collected and processed for the purpose of providing you with public transport services.

When you use our products or services, or allow someone to use our products or services on your behalf, you have voluntarily consented to our collection, use, disclosure, transfer and retention of the personal information received by us as a result of your use in accordance with these Contactless Payments Terms & Conditions and Translink's Privacy Policy.

Use of contactless payment methods

1. Customers travelling on contactless payment enabled Translink bus, train, ferry, tram, and on-demand services will be able to tap on and tap off using their contactless payment method as a valid ticket for travel.
2. You may only use a contactless payment method to travel on Translink services where you see the contactless payment symbol () displayed on Translink’s ticketing equipment.
3. Payment methods that are accepted for use include
   1. contactless Visa, Mastercard, or American Express debit or credit cards including cards stored in the digital wallets of smartphones, smart watches and other wearable devices using Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay.
   2. contactless Visa, Mastercard, or American Express reloadable and non-reloadable prepaid cards.
4. Cards offered by Buy-Now-Pay-Later schemes (such as Afterpay and ZipPay) are not accepted as valid contactless payment methods.
5. You must tap on at the start and tap off at the end of each trip using the same contactless payment method on ticketing equipment displaying the contactless payment symbol ().  
   Note: A trip is travel from point A to point B with no transfers. A single trip does not include a return journey.
6. For a transfer to be valid, you need to use the same contactless payment method to tap on and tap off for each trip in the journey.
7. A journey refers to travel your point of origin to your final destination, in accordance with the following:
   1. Time limit for transfers (between tap off of the previous trip and tap on at commencement of the next trip) of up to 60 minutes.
   2. Transfers are permitted to a second, third or fourth trip in a journey, with a maximum of three transfers per journey.
   3. Total journey length must be shorter than 6 hours.
   4. Final trip must start within 3.5 hours of the first trip.
8. If you use different contactless payment methods for each trip, the ticketing system will record these as individual trips and you will be charged separate fares. This will result in you paying a higher aggregate of fares for the journey.
9. You cannot tap on twice with the same contactless payment method to pay for yourself and another customer.
10. If you have a joint bank account with a debit card for each person, or a credit card account with Primary and Secondary credit cards, and the cards display the contactless payment symbol, the cards can both be used as contactless payment methods to pay for travel on Translink services.
11. You cannot use your contactless payment method to travel on Translink services that do not display the contactless payment symbol ().  Where there is no contactless payment symbol displayed you must tap on and off using a go card or purchase a paper ticket for your journey.
12. You cannot use your contactless payment method to transfer between Translink services unless all services along your journey are fitted with ticketing equipment displaying the contactless payment symbol ().  
13. If a contactless payment method cannot be tapped due to a ticketing equipment malfunction or a direction given by a Senior Network Officer or Authorised Person to not tap, each unmatched tap in your journey may be charged a default fare. In these circumstances, you will need to call the Translink Contact Centre on 13 12 30 to verify the issue and confirm whether you are entitled to a refund of the difference between the default fare and the fare payable for your trip.

Recording and viewing of personal information

14. Translink may collect your name and mobile phone or email address if you call the Translink Contact Centre with a question, to answer a query or resolve a problem regarding your contactless payment method.  Any personal information you provide to us will be used and disclosed in accordance with Translink's Privacy Policy.
15. Access to travel history and associated fare payments for a contactless payment method is available to the holder of the credit card or debit card, including joint bank account card holders. Any person with access to your contactless payment method may be able to access your travel history and associated fare payments.

Payment of fares

16. The standard Translink 50 cent fare will be charged for journeys on Translink services displaying the contactless payment symbol ().
17. You must ensure sufficient funds are available in the account linked to the contactless payment method you are using to pay for your journey.
18. If you don't have sufficient funds in your account, your contactless payment method will be blocked from being able to be used on Translink services until you have paid for your fare.
19. You must ensure that your smartphone, smart watch, or other wearable device has sufficient battery life to enable the device to be used to successfully tap at the start and off at the end of each trip within your journey.
20. Translink’s ticketing system will validate your account is in good standing to travel at each initial tap - that is, your account is active at your financial institution and your contactless payment method has not been blocked because of unpaid debt or suspected fraud. 
    Note: depending on your financial institution this check may show as a nominal amount in your transactions.
21. Translink will combine all fares paid by the same payment method on the same day before debiting the funds from your account. 
    Note: this transaction may not appear in your bank transaction history immediately due to bank processing timeframes.

Request from a Senior Network officer or Authorised Person

22. You must produce the contactless payment method used for payment of your journey on request by a Senior Network Officer or Authorised Person for the purpose of confirming you have a valid ticket for travel. The Senior Network Officer or Authorised Person will use a revenue protection device to determine if you have used the contactless payment method to enable payment of the fare for the journey.
23. If a Senior Network Officer or Authorised Person determines you have not used the contactless payment method correctly to enable the fare for the journey to be processed, a warning or penalty infringement notice may be issued.

Default fares and adjustments

24. You must tap on and tap off using the same contactless payment method for each trip within your journey. If you use different contactless payment methods to tap on and tap off for your trip, the ticketing system will charge you a default fare. The ticketing system relies on you using the same payment method to tap on and tap off to calculate the correct fare.
25. If you think you have been charged incorrectly, you can seek a fare adjustment by calling the Translink Contact Centre on 13 12 30, who will review the details and consider your request according to Translink's policies. You can also self-serve online at the Translink website using the Translink Ticketing Assistant.
26. Translink reserves the right to limit the number of times a customer using a contactless payment method can request a fare adjustment in accordance with condition 25.

Refunds and debt recovery

27. Refunds resulting from approved fare adjustment requests for journeys paid using contactless payment methods are subject to bank processing requirements and timeframes. Any applicable refund will be paid back to the same contactless payment method used to pay for the journey. The following conditions apply:
    1. a fare adjustment for a paid journey will not be processed where your Transit Account is in debt. This restriction remains in place until your Transit Account debt is cleared to $0. Once this debt is cleared, a fare adjustment can be requested, and where approved, any applicable refund will be paid back to the same credit or debit card used for the paid trip.
    2. a fare adjustment for an unpaid journey can be requested, and where approved, any applicable refund will be used to reduce your Transit Account debt. Where the applicable refund clears your Transit Account debt to zero and a portion of the refund amount remains, this portion will be paid back to the same credit or debit card that was used for this journey.
28. If you are due a refund, you will need to allow up to 10 business days to receive the refund on your credit card or in the bank account associated with your debit card. The timing of the refund to your account is not controlled by Translink. Any questions you have regarding a missing refund should be referred to your financial institution.
29. Translink reserves the right to recover debt for unpaid fares. To clear a debt, the ticketing system will make several attempts to settle any outstanding amounts from your financial institution. You may also clear the debt by ensuring there are sufficient funds in your bank account and tapping your contactless payment method on a Translink validator. Failure to clear the debt will result in the contactless payment method (and any related payment method such as an alternative physical or digital version, partner card, etc) being blocked, and you will be unable to use it on Translink services until the debt has been repaid.

Loss, theft or misuse of a contactless payment method

30. As per financial institution requirements, you are required to immediately notify the financial institution of the loss, theft or misuse of your credit or debit card.
31. Translink assumes no liability for any loss, theft, or unauthorised use of a contactless payment method. As the contactless payment method holder, you acknowledge that you are responsible for following your financial institution's procedures for reporting a lost, stolen, or misused credit or debit card. You also acknowledge that any person with access to your contactless payment method may be able to view your travel history and associated fare payments linked to the contactless payment method.
32. Once a financial institution has blocked or cancelled a credit or debit card, any contactless payment method linked to the relevant credit or debit card cannot be used on a Translink service and will be blocked from accepting taps. There may be a short period between your financial institution cancelling or blocking the contactless payment method and the contactless payment method being blocked in the ticketing system.  You should contact your bank or financial institution if you become aware of any travel related transactions that occur during this period.

Changes to terms and conditions

33. Translink reserves the right to amend these terms and conditions at any time and will publish any changes to these terms and conditions before they commence.
34. Should you continue to use contactless payment methods after any changes are published on the Translink website you agree to be bound by those changes. If you do not agree to be bound by those changes, you must discontinue using the contactless payment method for travel on Translink services.
35. These terms and conditions are governed by the laws of Queensland. As a user of Translink services, you submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Queensland.
36. These terms and conditions for the use of contactless payment methods take effect on and from 24 March 2025.