Thursday, 13 March 2019
By Rebecca Harris, Product Manager
With the launch of Newcastle Light Rail, getting around the city is simple. Alight from the train at Newcastle Interchange, and take a few minutes to ride all the way to the beach. Light rail is new to most Novocastrians so here are two simple ways to pay before you hop on board.
Don’t stress if you don’t have an Opal card or have forgotten to top up. A Visa Debit or credit card can be used to ‘tap on’ and ‘tap off’ on trains and light rail in Newcastle.
How it works?
Similar to an Opal card, a Newcastle Permanent Visa Debit or credit card can be used to pay your fare by simply tapping on and tapping off at Opal readers on the platform. Just look for the contactless symbol on your card. You’ll pay the same Adult (peak) Opal fare as you would have paid with an Opal card, and will still qualify for any daily, weekly and Sunday travel caps (if you consistently use the same card).
When you tap your Visa card, a $1.00 authorisation1 for each journey will appear on your account. This authorisation will be removed after a couple of days and replaced with the full fare as charged by Transport NSW. Each trip appears as a separate item on your statement.
When to use it?
Your Newcastle Permanent Visa card can be used in place of an Adult Opal card whenever you are travelling on trains, light rail and Sydney Ferries. This can come in handy if you don’t have an Opal card, want to make more room in your wallet, or on those occasions when you may have forgotten to top up your Opal card.
While your Visa card is a convenient alternative to an Opal card, it is important to remember you will be charged the standard (peak) Adult Opal fare for any trip you pay for with your Visa card. So if you are eligible for a Gold Senior/Pensioner, Child/Youth or Concession fare, you’ll still be charged the full adult fare, so you may wish to stick to an Opal card for now.
1. Charges current as at publish date, for current information always check https://transportnsw.info/tickets-opal/opal/contactless-payments.
This article is intended to provide general information of an educational nature only. It does not have regard to your objectives, financial situation or needs and must not be relied upon as financial product advice. Before you act on this information, you should consider whether it is appropriate for your circumstances. Information in this article is current as at the date of publication. Information in this article is current as at the date of publication. Applications subject to credit approval and fees and charges are payable. Terms and conditions apply and are available on request.