You may be eligible to salary sacrifice your travel from home to work on Translink bus services in South East Queensland with a go Bus Travel Benefit card.
It works just like a regular go card. The only difference is the card is topped-up automatically using pre-tax dollars from your salary - which could potentially save you money!
Under a ruling by the Australian Tax Office (ATO), the benefit applies for travel on bus only and is available via employers or salary packaging providers who have gained a ruling from the ATO and have an agreement with Translink.
Talk to your employer or salary packaging provider to see if you're eligible for a go Bus Travel Benefit card.
go Bus Travel Benefit users
Are you already using a go Bus Travel Benefit card? Here's a few tips on using and managing your card.
- Only use your go Bus Travel Benefit card to travel between your home and work on Translink bus services in South East Queensland.
- Your card is not valid on trains, ferries or trams. Use your regular go card, or a paper ticket, to travel on train, ferry or tram, or on bus journeys which are not between your home and work.
- Fares are the same as adult go card fares, and include off-peak and frequent user discounts.
- Auto top-up has been activated on your go Bus Travel Benefit card.
- Each time your card balance falls below $5, your card will be topped-up with $25 from the pre-tax funds deducted from your salary and held in your go Bus Travel Benefit Account.
- Note, if there are insufficient funds in your Benefit Account for the top-up, your card may not work until funds are added to your card or Benefit Account in your next pay cycle.
- If this occurs, contact your employer or salary packaging provider to discuss if your current benefit is right for you. You may need to increase the amount you salary sacrifice to ensure you don’t run out of funds.
- You should not top-up your card at fare machines or go card retail locations, as these funds will not be pre-tax dollars.
Ensure you always have sufficient funds to travel.
Log-in to go card online regularly to check the funds on your card and Benefit Account balances.
Contact your employer or salary packaging provider about:
- insufficient funds in your Benefit Account
- any problems using your go Bus Travel Benefit card
- placing your benefit on hold
- if you no longer need your card
- if you have ceased or changed employers.
Call Translink on 13 12 30 about:
- lost or stolen cards
- incorrect fares
- fare adjustments.
Employers and salary sacrifice providers
Are you an employer and would like to offer the benefit to your employees?
As a salary packaging provider you need a class ruling from the Australian Taxation Office.
As an employer you can either obtain your own private ruling from the Australian Tax Office or have an agreement with a salary packaging provider who has gained a class ruling from the Australian Taxation Office.
All employers or salary packaging providers seeking to offer the benefit to employees need to enter into an agreement with Translink.
To register your interest, call Translink on 13 12 30.