How to Pay for Sydney Public Transport: Opal Cards & Contactless
Most visitors to Sydney don’t realise they can use their existing credit card, debit card, or phone to pay for trains, buses, ferries, and light rail. You don’t need to buy anything in advance or queue up for a physical Opal card unless you want cheaper child fares. As a lifelong Sydneysider who relies on public transport daily, I’ll explain how Sydney’s tap-and-go system works, when you actually need a physical Opal card, and how to get the best value with daily and weekly fare caps.
This guide covers the essentials for visitors, answering common questions from our Facebook Group. For complicated questions about concession cards or regional travel, check the official Transport NSW website. But if you’re here for a few days and want to know the simplest way to catch a train from the airport or ferry to Manly, keep reading.
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Do I Need to Buy an Opal Card?
No, most visitors don’t need to buy a physical Opal card. You can use your existing contactless credit card, debit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay on all Sydney trains, buses, ferries, and light rail.
You only need to buy a physical Opal card if:
- You’re travelling with children aged 4-15 who need discounted fares
- You’re eligible for concession fares (students, seniors, pensioners)
- You prefer not to use your bank card for daily transactions
- Your bank charges high foreign transaction fees and you’re making multiple trips
For most tourists visiting for a few days, just tap your credit card or phone. It works exactly the same as a physical Opal card, including daily and weekly fare caps.
What is the Opal Card System?
Opal is Sydney’s pay-as-you-go fare system for all metropolitan trains, buses, ferries, and light rail. It’s not a pass or ticket you buy in advance – you only pay when you actually travel.
You can use Opal in three ways:
- Tap your contactless credit/debit card (Visa, Mastercard, AMEX)
- Tap your phone using Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay
- Buy a physical Opal card and load money onto it
All three methods work identically. You tap on when you board, tap off when you exit, and fares are calculated automatically. Daily and weekly fare caps apply regardless of which payment method you use. The main advantage of using the same card or payment method for every trip is the fare caps – once you hit the daily maximum ($19.30 for adults on weekdays, $9.65 on weekends), all additional travel that day is free.
Using Your Credit Card or Phone (Contactless Payment)
This is the easiest option for most tourists. Tap your Visa, Mastercard, or AMEX credit or debit card on the Opal reader, or use Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay from your phone. You don’t need to download an app or register anything.
You can use Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, or Google Pay by adding your AMEX, MasterCard, or Visa credit/debit cards. Make sure to use the same card to get daily/weekly caps. Using the same card daily will provide the same benefits as an Opal, like daily/weekly caps or off-peak price reductions. Children or concession cardholders need an Opal card for reduced fares.
Using a card from your digital wallet and a physical card will produce different numbers for the same account,
so you won’t get your discount if you switch.
If you’re an overseas traveller, your bank may charge you foreign transaction fees, so an Opal card might be the best option for multiple trips. However, if you’re only in town for New Year’s Eve or Vivid, it’s probably easier to use your credit card, even with transaction fees.
How are Opal fares charged when using a credit card?
Fares are calculated like regular Opal fares, so the card isn’t charged until the end of the day. When you tap on for the first time, a $1 pre-authorisation is charged (pending on your bank account balance). Later, you’ll see a charge for the total travel that day. If you take one trip or reach your cap, there will be one charge (and only one foreign transaction fee per day if applicable). The payment date, when processed, may differ from the travel date and will appear as Transport for NSW on your statement. Find out more about contactless payments here.
How Much Will I Spend on Sydney Transport?
Here are realistic costs for typical tourist trips using Opal or contactless payment:
Common single trips:
- Sydney Airport to city centre (train): $17.92 (includes $14.30 station access fee)
- City to Bondi Junction (train): $3.80 off-peak, $5.43 peak
- Circular Quay to Manly (ferry): $7.60 off-peak, $10.85 peak
- City to Taronga Zoo (ferry): $7.60 off-peak, $10.85 peak
- Most bus trips within the city: $2.50-$4.00
Daily spending with fare caps:
If you’re doing a lot of sightseeing in one day, you’ll hit the daily cap and everything after that is free:
- Weekdays: $19.30 maximum (adults)
- Weekends/public holidays: $9.65 maximum (adults)
For example, if you arrive on Saturday, catch the train from the airport ($17.92), then take a ferry to Manly ($7.60), you’ve already hit your $9.65 weekend cap. Any buses, trains, or ferries you catch for the rest of Saturday cost nothing.
Multi-day visitors:
A typical 3-day weekend visit using trains, buses, and ferries might cost:
- Friday: $19.30 (weekday cap)
- Saturday: $9.65 (weekend cap)
- Sunday: $9.65 (weekend cap)
Total: $38.60
If you stayed a full week and used transport every day, you’d hit the $50 weekly cap and pay nothing after that. Note: Airport station access fees ($17.92 each way) don’t count toward your daily caps.
Paying your fare
Tapping is as simple as holding your card over the sensor for a second or two. It’s not a quick tap, but a hold and remove. The light will go green, and you’ll hear a beep. Don’t swipe, just tap.
Do you tap on before or after boarding?
When travelling by bus, you tap on at the front door. Boarding buses in Sydney is only through the front, so there are no machines further down the bus.
With the Light Rail, you need to tap on before boarding because there are no Opal readers inside. The same applies to ferries and trains.
Some train stations have barriers to tap at the entry, but at smaller stations, the card reader is on the platform.
Opal terminology
These definitions from the Opal website might help when figuring out how quickly you’ll earn your eighth journey travel reward.
- A trip is travel on one route or mode (e.g. a single bus trip). When you transfer to another route or service, you’re starting a new trip.
- A journey includes one or more trips on eligible services with transfers within 60 minutes*.
- A transfer happens at the end of a trip, involving a change of transport mode or route to continue the journey. Transfers within a 60-minute* standard time combine trips into a single journey.
*60 minutes applies to all services except the Sydney Ferries Manly service. The standard transfer time for the Sydney Ferries Manly service is 130 minutes from tapping on.
Opal costs and charges
How much does an Opal card cost?
Opal cards are free when you load a minimum amount. The minimum cost is $20 for adult cards, $10 for child cards (other types such as seniors and students’ cards must be ordered). If you buy your Opal card at the airport train stations, the minimum top-up is $35 because the station access or gate fee for these private stations is $17.92 for adults and $16.03 for kids.
No fee for the card; all credit for travel. Top-ups in $10 increments. If you buy online, minimum credit is $40. There is no reason to order online before you arrive. It’s not worth the effort.
You can set up auto top-ups for cards registered online, but I don’t recommend it unless you’re here long-term.
Understanding Opal discounts and benefits
The biggest benefit of Opal is the advantages you can gain by using the same Opal card or credit card for every trip.
- Daily Travel Cap* – Adults pay no more than $19.30 per day and children pay $9.65 to travel anywhere in the network.
- Weekend Travel Cap* – Adults pay up to $9.65 and kids pay up to $4.80 for unlimited travel on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and public holidays. This does not apply if you buy a single ticket from a machine.
- Weekly Travel Cap* – When travelling on Opal-enabled transport from Monday to Sunday, pay no more than $50 for adults and $25 for kids.
- Transfer discount – Get a $2 discount for every transfer between metro/train, ferry, bus or light rail as part of one journey within 60 minutes from the last tap off.
- 30% fare discount on weekends, public holidays, and off-peak times (see ‘Peak and Off-Peak Times’ section for details).”
Is there a Sydney transport day pass or weekly pass?
No, Sydney doesn’t sell traditional day passes or weekly passes. Instead, the Opal system uses daily and weekly fare caps, which work out better for most visitors.
Here’s how it works: you pay for each trip you take, but once you reach the daily cap, all additional travel that day is free. It’s automatic – you don’t need to buy anything special or make any decisions in advance.
This means if you’re visiting Sydney for a weekend and plan to take a ferry to Manly, catch a train to Bondi Junction, and use buses around the city, you’ll automatically stop being charged once you hit $9.65. You don’t need to calculate whether a “day pass” would save you money – it happens automatically.
The only exception is single-trip tickets bought from machines, which don’t include fare caps and cost more. That’s why using Opal (whether a physical card or contactless payment) always makes sense.
When are the peak and off-peak times for Opal fares?
Travelling off-peak gives you a 30% discount on your fare.
Peak times are:
- For trains, buses, ferries, and light rail in Sydney:
Morning: 6.30am–10am – Afternoon: 3pm–7pm - For intercity trains (to Blue Mountains, Central Coast, South Coast):
Morning: 6am–8am – Afternoon: 4pm–6.30pm
Everything outside these times counts as off-peak, including all day on weekends and public holidays. The 30% off-peak discount applies whether you’re using an Opal card or contactless payment.
How to get an Opal Card
You can buy cards from retail outlets like convenience stores, newsagents, and supermarkets or order online. Cards are not sold on buses and the Opal machines at train stations, and ferry wharves only sell single-use tickets and allow you to top up existing cards.
The only train stations where you can buy Opal cards are the two airport stations. Most other stations will have a nearby newsagent or convenience store where you can buy a card.
Popular spots to buy Opal cards in the city centre include:
- Woolworths supermarkets (including Town Hall and Wynyard locations)
- 7-Eleven convenience stores throughout the CBD – Newsagents near major train stations
- Look for the Opal symbol in shop windows
You can also use Transport NSW’s Opal retailer search to find the nearest location.
Can I buy a card at Sydney Airport?
You can buy opal cards at Sydney International and Domestic airport terminals. Cards can also be purchased at NewsLink or WH Smith bookshops at either terminal, or at the Airport Station.
This page on taking the train from Sydney Airport will help you navigate this trip smoothly.
Types of Opal Cards and who can use them
There are a number of Opal cards available, some of the most popular categories are:
- Adult Opal cards – for anyone over 15 years of age.
- Child/Youth – for those 4-15 years – children under 4 years travel free
- School Opal – for full time secondary school students over 15 years.
- Concession Opal – for tertiary students, apprentices, those on Jobseeker payments and people with a disability.
- Gold Opal Cards are available for NSW Seniors card holders and pensioners. Interstate seniors can apply online.
See the full range of opal cards if none of these suit your circumstances.
Travel caps do not include access to airport terminal stations.
Managing your Opal Card
How can I check my Opal card balance?
The quickest way to check your Opal balance is on the official Opal app, available for iPhone or Android. You tap your card on your phone and see the balance.
Where can I top up an Opal card?
You can top up your Opal card using a machine at a train station or ferry wharf. However, there may be long lines during peak hours.
You can also top up online, via the Opal app, or on the phone using your credit card (13 67 25). If you top up online or using the app, it can take up to an hour for the credit to be ready, so do it in advance.
What happens if I forget to tap off?
If you don’t tap off, you will be charged as if you rode to the final stop on the route you are travelling. This may be significantly more than you would have paid otherwise. If this is the case, you can call the Opal office and report it. They will usually reverse the charge.
Opal FAQs
Now that you’ve mastered Opal, it’s time to learn more about using Sydney Public Transport. find great ways to use your card. Here are some popular ones.
- 10 Great Sydney Ferry Rides
- Using public buses for the HOHO route
- Sydney beaches by Public Transport
- Five suburbs to explore by train
- Day trips you can take using Sydney Trains
- Exploring Eastside Sydney by bus
- Barangaroo to Watsons Bay by Bus
If you are backpacking in Sydney we have even more tips to help you save money.
Have questions about things to see and do in Sydney?
Head over and join our Facebook Group and we will be happy to help.