Yahoo Finance The new shortcut set to make it easier to pay for public transport
Commuters in Sydney will now have the option to tap on and off train stations using their credit card or mobile device.
Transport for NSW has announced it has extend its contactless payments trial for trains, which previously ran on the Manly F1 ferry from July 2017 and light rail services from March 2018.
The scheme, in partnership with the Commonwealth Bank, Cubic and Mastercard, will mean travellers will no longer have to rely on their Opal cards to board services.
Since its introduction last year, contactless payments have funded more than 235,000 trips.
Yet the new method of payment doesn’t receive previous Opal benefits such as the weekly travel discount and concessions while the transfer discount will not be available.
All Visa, Mastercard and AMEX cards are accepted, and commuters using contactless payments will now also enjoy daily, weekly and Sunday travel caps in line with Opal caps.
“Nearly all of an individual’s daily transactions across the city can now be accessed with a single card or device,” Commonwealth Bank’s Business Customer Solutions Executive General Manager Clive Van Horen said in statement on Monday.
“This is in direct response to a growing demand for contactless payments, and the use of digital wallets.”
If successful, Mr Van Horen thinks it won’t be too long until the concept is rolled out right across the country.
“Cities and public transport authorities across Australia are realising the value this payments technology can deliver for both customers and transport providers alike,” Mr Van Horen said.
“It demonstrates the future capability for commuters across the states and territories, and will ultimately make commuting across the country, and across transport networks, a simpler and easier day-to-day process.”
Transport for NSW also announced they plan to roll out the trail on buses mid-2019.
