Melbourne commuters can now tap on and off trains using a bank card, iPhone or smartwatch as Victoria's long-awaited contactless payment trial goes live today.
The tap and go trial is running on the Craigieburn, Upfield, Ballarat and Seymour train lines, including stations in the City Loop. Passengers paying a full fare can use a Mastercard or Visa credit or debit card, or a device linked to a digital wallet like an iPhone, instead of reaching for their myki.
It’s the first time Victorians have been able to pay for public transport without a dedicated physical or digital myki card — a shift commuters have been pushing for since cities like Sydney and London adopted contactless systems years ago (Sydney’s trial started in 2017). The trial will run through March and April, with participation completely optional.
Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around Melbourne here.
How Melbourne’s tap and go trial works
Readers and gates included in the trial will be clearly marked, so passengers know exactly which ones accept contactless payments. The process mirrors what regular myki users already do — tap on at the start of a journey, tap off at the end — just with a bank card or phone instead.
There’s one important catch. Passengers planning to transfer to another train line, tram or bus need to use a myki from the beginning of their trip. Using a contactless card for the first leg and then switching modes could result in overcharging, so the Victorian government is advising anyone whose journey extends beyond the trial lines to stick with myki for now.
Concession fare holders also can’t participate yet, though the government says they’ll be included in later stages of the rollout. Station staff will be on hand throughout the trial to help passengers navigate the new system.
What happens after the myki tap and go trial
If all goes to plan, contactless payments will be switched on across the rest of the rail network that currently uses myki. Trams and buses will follow after that. It’s the next chapter in a ticketing overhaul that’s been in motion since Conduent Business Services took over the myki contract in late 2023.
The upgrade has already seen thousands of new readers installed across metropolitan Melbourne and the V/Line network, following a six-month pilot on buses in Wangaratta that wrapped in May 2025. Today’s public trial is a significant escalation — the first test involving real passengers on the train network.
Minister for Public and Active Transport Gabrielle Williams said the public trial would ensure full confidence in the technology before a network-wide rollout.
Melbourne public transport’s big year continues
The contactless trial caps off a transformative stretch for Melbourne’s transport network. The Metro Tunnel opened in December with five new underground stations, free weekend travel ran through to February, and Youth myki cards now give all Victorians under 18 free travel across the entire network.
Adding tap and go to the mix means Melbourne is steadily closing the gap on international cities where contactless travel has been standard for years. For anyone on the Craigieburn, Upfield, Ballarat or Seymour lines, your phone is now your ticket.
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