Contactless reimbursements
When to apply for a reimbursement
You can apply for a reimbursement if you were:
- charged an incorrect fare amount due to an issue with an Opal card reader.
- unable to tap off due to an emergency evacuation or power or equipment outage.
- charged a default fare due to a service disruption.
Due to card issuer restrictions, reimbursements can only be requested for trips taken within the past 80 days.
If your contactless payment card has been used fraudulently or incorrectly, contact the issuing bank immediately.
You cannot get a refund if you:
- tapped on or off incorrectly
- did not separate your cards or devices before you tapped (see card clash)
- tapped off with a different card or device than you tapped on with.
See the Opal Refund and Balance Transfer Policy (pdf 562KB).
Before you claim
Contactless transport payments are charged at the end of each day (4am to 3.59am) and show on your bank statement as a total cost for the day. This means that all the trips taken during a day will appear as a single item on your bank statement.
Be sure to check all your trip information, including dates, times, locations, benefits and discounts before you claim.
How to apply for a reimbursement
The fastest and easiest way to apply for a reimbursement is with Transport Connect. To get started:
- Open a Transport Connect account and register your credit or debit card.
- Check your travel and payment history.
- If you spot a fare mistake, click "Fare not right" to request reimbursement.
If you don’t have a Transport Connect account, you can view basic information for your last 10 trips. If an incorrect fare has been charged, you can apply for a reimbursement within the self-service portal.
What you need to know
- Approved reimbursements will be credited to your next fare.
- If you do not travel on the same card or device within 7 days, the amount will be reimbursed to your card. These reimbursements will not appear in your contactless activity so you will need to check your bank statement.
- Card issuer fees will not be reimbursed. You need to contact your financial institution regarding the reimbursement of any card fees.
- Allow approximately 20 business days for your request to be processed.