Opal’s contactless payment expansion completed

Commuters across NSW can now pay with their credit cards, phones, smart watches and other devices on all public transport options as part of an Opal evolution.

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Every bus commuter can now pay for fares with their credit cards, phones or smart watches, as an Opal evolution continues.

On Monday Transport for NSW completed the expansion of contactless payments across all Sydney, Illawarra, Southern Highlands, Central Coast and Hunter Region public transport options.

Transport Minister Andrew Constance said offering the service on all buses on the Opal network was the final piece of the contactless payments puzzle, joining trains, ferries, light rail and Metro in offering the option.

Contactless payments have been switched on across all buses on the Opal network.

Customers will be able to access the same benefits of an adult Opal card, including the weekly travel reward and discount.

American Express, Mastercard and Visa are accepted and customers can tap on and off using mobile wallets on smartphones, tablets and wearable devices linked to their cards.

The demand for contactless payments in Australia is growing steadily, with data from August showing 85 per cent of all American Express transactions down under were made using a contactless service or card.

Vaucluse MP Gabrielle Upton on board one of the 333 Turn Up and Go buses travelling between Bondi and Circular Quay

Mr Constance said the Australian first transport innovation coincided with the first birthday of the Bondi Link 333 bus service — the state’s busiest bus route.

“The Bondi Link service has carried more customers than the state’s population in its first year of operation, an average of 22,000 a day,” he said.

“The great news is those customers now have the ease of tapping on with a whole range of options, including debit and credit cards.”

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and NSW Minister for Transport Andrew Constance speak to the media after riding on the first light rail vehicle test from Town Hall to Circular Quay in Sydney, Wednesday, August 28, 2019. (AAP Image/Joel Carrett) NO ARCHIVING

Contactless payments on the Opal train network began in November 2018, with more services progressively added since.

The option was rolled out on buses from August this year.

On average about 250,000 people have opted to use contactless payment on the network each week.

A man uses his smart watch to pay for his train trip at Wynyard Station. Picture: AAP Image/Dean Lewins