Contactless payments on regional buses
Regional bus passengers are now able to pay their fare on select bus services by tapping their credit or debit card or digital wallet on a contactless card reader when boarding. This tap and go payment option is part of a wider Contactless Ticketing Program being rolled out across more than 400 regional NSW buses by the end of 2027.
Importantly, cash will still be accepted on all buses, ensuring passengers have multiple payment options.
How it works
Contactless is a simple and secure way for you to pay for your regional bus ride, without the need to handle cash. You can tap to pay for your fare using your contactless credit or debit card or a digital wallet. The driver will then issue you with a bus ticket.
Fares
The fares paid with a contactless payment method are the same as the bus ticket price, which varies based on the time and location of travel. Adult fares apply.
See more on regional bus fares
Accepted contactless payments
Contactless card (credit/debit card)
- If your bank card shows the contactless symbol
you can use it to pay for your travel. - We accept American Express (AMEX), Mastercard and Visa credit or debit cards.
- If you're unsure whether your card is contactless-enabled, check with your card issuer.
- The Regional Seniors Travel Card is also accepted.
Digital wallet (Apple Pay, Google Wallet, Samsung Pay)
- Digital wallet (Apple Pay, Google Wallet, Samsung Pay) also accepted.
- Add a payment card to your digital wallet on your phone, watch or other device before you travel.
- Passengers will still be able to pay with cash on buses when the new technology is rolled out.
The Contactless Ticketing Program does not include dedicated school services where students mostly already use pre-paid bus passes or NSW TrainLink long distance coach services where tickets are pre-paid.
Frequently asked questions
Bathurst – Buslines
Dubbo – Buslines
Tweed Heads – Surfside Buslines (PDF, 366.5KB) (pdf 366KB)
Wagga Wagga – Busabout
Transport for NSW is finalising details of the further stages of the roll out and will announce the first communities to receive the new technology in coming months.
No, a Transport account will not be required or available.
No, you will not be able to pay your fare using an Opal card.
You can use a contactless payment when boarding to buy your ticket. Tapping off is not required for regional bus tickets.
The payment may have been declined due to insufficient funds in your account. Please check your balance or try using a different card to pay.
Every time you use your card, an authorisation check is done to verify the card. $1 is held by your financial institution and refunded to your card once your details have been verified. It may take up to 7 days for this to be reflected in your statement, depending upon your financial institution.
The technology is not related to Opal, which is available for Greater Sydney. A Transport Connect account is also not required to view their travel history. You can check your previous travel history in your bank statement or via the Check your Contactless Activity page.
A $1 pending transaction may appear on a customer’s statement or device for each trip taken. When fares are settled by their bank (processing times may vary), any pending transactions will be replaced with individual charges for each trip taken.
Transport for NSW processes payments at 4am the day after travel has taken place so customers may see delayed transactions or fare adjustments on their statement up to seven business days after they travelled.
Yes, you can request a refund from the bus driver within five minutes of payment. After five minutes, you will need a physical copy of the ticket and contact the bus operator’s customer service team using their contact number.
Bathurst Buslines: 02 6331 2744 or info@bathurstbuslines.com.au
Dubbo Buslines: 02 6882 2900 or info@dubbobuslines.com.au
Busabout Wagga Wagga: 02 5942 6600 or customerservice@busaboutwagga.com.au
When you pay your fare using a contactless card or device, the contactless reader applies a series of safety protocols including end-to-end encryption, to ensure the payments are processed in line with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI-DSS).
If the card or device is still not recognised, this means there is an issue with the card you are trying to pay with. The contactless reader will display a ‘Card Not Valid’ message with an error number.
Below is a list of error numbers and an explanation of what they mean:
84: The card has expired.
87: The card is old and does not have the features to support contactless payments for transport.
88: The card has insufficient funds, or has been reported lost or stolen. Outstanding fares for any prior travel also need to be settled before the same card or device can be used again to travel.
89: You are trying to use a pre-paid card or your credit or debit card may not be accepted in the regional contactless payment solution.
91: You are either using a card other than Amex, Mastercard or Visa, or you are using a card that is not contactless enabled.