Melbourne is finally set to join other Australian cities in the tap-and-go era, with the state government confirming public trials for contactless credit and debit card payments for suburban rail commuters will launch on Monday.
Commuters on the Craigieburn, Upfield, Ballarat and Seymour lines will be the first to trial the technology, allowing them to skip the physical Myki card and pay with a debit or credit card, smartphone or smartwatch.
Melbourne prides itself on having the world’s largest tram network, but its ticketing technology has been a source of frustration for locals and tourists.
Sydney pioneered tap-and-go technology almost a decade ago in 2017. Perth and Brisbane finalized their city-wide contactless networks by the end of 2025, and Adelaide completed its train rollout last month.
But the implementation in Melbourne was far from comprehensive.
Allan’s government said only the four specified lines, including stations on the city loop, will offer tap and go technology during the trial, which will run through March and April.
Passengers transferring to trams or buses outside these zones will still need a Myki card; Failure to use it outside the testing area would result in a fine.
The technology would only support full adult fares, so seniors, students and healthcare cardholders should also keep their Myki cards if they want to continue receiving their discounted fares.
Victorian Transport Minister Gabrielle Williams said limited public testing would help “make travel faster and easier for passengers”, before the technology was rolled out across the network.
“This public test will ensure we have full confidence in the technology before it is deployed across the network,” Williams said.
As part of the trial, Colour-coded barriers and ticket readers will be used to guide travelers in testing lines towards the new technology and authorized officers will be present across the network to help with the transition.
The Victorian government first promised the new technology in 2023, saying at the time that the state would “now move into the 21st century.” At the time, it was suggested that the technology would be implemented over the next two years.
The Allan government has attributed the delay in the adoption of tap-and-go technology to the massive scale of infrastructure replacement across the state. Almost 3,000 new ticket readers were installed at 280 stations at the end of last year to support the transition, which is managed by global transport company Conduent.
The test becomes a milestone for the government’s $1.7 billion banknote reform, a project aimed at modernizing a system that has long lagged behind its interstate counterparts.
