Sydney - Contactless Payments at Opal readers now available

[Melburnian1]

..So, what should I do with my current Opal card? I won't be needing it any more, can you get a refund of the remaining balance?

I don't share your enthusiasm, as the potential exists for this information to be hacked (although serfty would know 1000 times more about that than me.)

You can receive a refund by cheque or payment to a nominated personal bank account. You have to mail the card and completed form to an Alexandria address. See the 'Opal card refund form' in this document:

https://transportnsw.info/document/2081/opal-refund-and-balance-transfer-policy.pdf

I won't be ceasing use of my Opal, myki, Go or SmartRider cards, though it would be easier if all the States had a common platform. We can thank Victoria for stuffing up myki under a previous Labor Government (an extremely costly exercise, $500 million plus in extra costs and a poor outcome to boot) as one of the reasons why this isn't possible.

 

[moa999]

As a Sydney resident I'll be sticking to Opal for a while.
Reasons
1. Fare feedback - easier to identify errors as the card is written too. Contactless just displays a tick.
2. Trip records - at least for now the contactless just shows amounts not deducted on the online portal, not the more useful from/to information

 

[Melburnian1]

As a Sydney resident I'll be sticking to Opal for a while.
Reasons
1. Fare feedback - easier to identify errors as the card is written too. Contactless just displays a tick.
2. Trip records - at least for now the contactless just shows amounts not deducted on the online portal, not the more useful from/to information

The Sydney fare system is more complicated than Melbourne's (the latter is really only complex if one uses V/Line.) So a really important point moa999.

 

[mrsterryn]

Another one who will be sticking to the opal card
Much happier using a dedicated transport card. Having said that it would be handy if I forgot or lost my opal card

 

[awaywithfairies]

As a Sydney resident I'll be sticking to Opal for a while.
Reasons
1. Fare feedback - easier to identify errors as the card is written too. Contactless just displays a tick.
2. Trip records - at least for now the contactless just shows amounts not deducted on the online portal, not the more useful from/to information

These are pretty much the reasons I'll be sticking with Opal too. I like getting feedback at the card reader of the fare deducted "in real time".

And I like the ability to check my account online to determine trips taken - Point A to Point B on a certain date/time with this fare deducted. Helpful when I occasionally need to claim expenses via work.

I've used a contactless card on one occasion a couple of weeks ago when I accidentally left my Opal card at home. It was definitely convenient (I arrived at the station as the train was approaching - had just enough time to realise I didn't have my Opal card, quickly tapped another card and still made it onto the train). But all I received was a lump sum deducted from my account a few days later with no information re trips/fares deducted. I just have to trust that the total was correct.

 

[moa999]

Hopefully they can provide more infor on the reporting, but immediate fare feedback is a function of the way the cards work

 

[VPS]

And not useful if you're on a concession card because it can't work out your concession