LAST UPDATE: 4 January 2025
This article is based on the details contained in the contract with NEC as well as information from Transport Canberra and other publicly-available sources.
⚠️ ACT Bus has made every effort to provide accurate and up-to-date information, however we recommend referring to the Transport Canberra website for official guidance on how to use MyWay+. All details or advice issued by Transport Canberra at any time must be regarded as accurate, even if it contradicts information in this article.
This article will continue to be revised as further details about MyWay+ become known.
In May 2023, the ACT Government entered into a contract with NEC Australia to implement and maintain a new Public Transport ticketing and real time passenger system.
What has changed?
The ‘MyWay’ fare payment system (from Flowbird – formerly Parkeon/Downer EDI) and the ‘NXTBUS’ real time passenger information system (from Trapeze) have been replaced with an account-based ticketing and integrated real-time passenger information system, known as ‘MyWay+‘.
How do I pay for my Transport Fare?
Buses and tram platforms have been equipped with new card and ticket validators. Passengers will verify their fare by:
- allowing one of the following cards to be read (or “tapped-on”) by the card reader on the front of the validator –
- a Transit Smartcard (“MyWay+ card”)
- a physical Visa or Mastercard credit/debit card which allows for contactless payments (American Express is not accepted)
- a virtual Visa or Mastercard on either a mobile phone (e.g. Apple Pay or Google Wallet) or smartwatch
- scanning a QR code (using the QR scanner located on the base of the ticket validator) which is –
- displayed on the MyWay+ mobile phone app
- printed on a paper ticket issued by a Ticket Vending Machine (TVM)
- displayed or printed on a pre-paid ticket purchased through the MyWay+ web portal (also known as a “print-at-home” ticket) – this ticket can be printed or scanned from a mobile phone screen
Buses which are shortly due to be retired have not been fitted with MyWay+ ticket validators. On these buses, travel is free.
Can I just show my ticket or concession card to the driver?
MyWay+ is designed to minimise driver interaction. With only a few exceptions, cards must be tapped-on or QR codes must be scanned by the ticket validators fitted to buses or on the tram platforms. This includes paper tickets purchased from a Ticket Vending Machine and print-at-home tickets – even when travelling on the tram.
Until June 2025, Seniors Card holders (including Interstate Seniors) will be permitted to show their card[1] to the driver (or tram customer service officer) when eligible for free travel; but if travelling during peak times when a fare applies, Seniors Card holders must pay their fare in the usual manner. After this date, all Seniors Card holders will be required to tap on with a MyWay+ card or a credit/debit card linked to a MyWay+ account; or to scan the QR code from the MyWay+ app.
The other exceptions to tapping-on or scanning a QR code are children aged under 5 (but not attending school), and the companions or carers of a concession card holder which allow free travel for an attendant. Refer to Transport Canberra website for full details of available concessions.
Note:
- “card” refers to the relevant Seniors Card issued to the Senior – both ACT Seniors Cards and Seniors Cards issued by other States and Territories of Australia. We really didn’t think this explanatory note was necessary as it should have been clear from the context, but here we are.
What is an account-based ticket system and how does it differ from MyWay?
MyWay+ is an account-based ticketing system. Similar to a bank account or pre-paid mobile phone, the balance and transactions are centrally stored and accessed every time you tap on and tap off. This type of system requires every bus and tram platform to have an active data connection to enable access to the accounts.
If using a MyWay+ card or the MyWay+ app, you will be required to have sufficient funds in your MyWay+ account and the fare will be deducted from that account.
However, if you tap on with a credit/debit card, the fare payment will be charged directly to the card account provided there is available credit[2]. When you first tap on, a “pending” transaction may be charged to your credit/debit card account, but otherwise all of your travel details for each day will be stored and a single transaction will be charged to your account the following day (or shortly afterwards).
The MyWay system operated as a “stored value smartcard” in which the available balance and card concession type were stored on a microchip in the card. This allowed the system to calculate and deduct fares on the spot without the need for a data connection. The disadvantage of this type of system is that account top-ups and other adjustments had to be written on to the card after they are processed – if the top-up was performed by a TVM or an agent, the card would be updated straight away; but when top-ups were performed over the internet, the transaction had to go through several steps (which take several days) before it was applied to a MyWay card at the next tap-on.
Note:
- Where the credit/debit card is linked to a registered MyWay+ account, the fare may be deducted from the MyWay+ balance rather than the credit/debit card if there is sufficient balance.
Can I keep using my old MyWay card?
No – MyWay cards will not be accepted by the new system. A new MyWay+ card can be used, but you also have the ability to use a Visa or Mastercard credit/debit card (and virtual cards on mobile phones and smartwatches) tap on to buses and trams. Alternatively, a QR code (“MyWay+ pass”) generated by the MyWay+ app, or a pre-purchased ticket (with a QR code) can be scanned by the ticket system.
Can I save a MyWay+ card as a Transit Pass in Google Wallet or Apple Pay?
No, but you will be able to tap on and off using Google Wallet or Apple Pay to access a Visa or Mastercard credit or debit card saved to your phone.
Does MyWay+ support Express Mode for Apple Pay?
Initially, no. However Transport Canberra are planning on making it available in the future.
How do I top-up my MyWay+ card account?
- through retailers connected to the ePay network (which includes Coles, Woolworths, Australia Post, BP, 7-Eleven, EG, Ampol and many other retailers such as newsagents, convenience stores and other supermarkets) – extent of retailers to be confirmed
- by using an Ticket Vending Machine located at tram platforms and selected bus stations
- online through the MyWay+ website or app (including unregistered cards)
- by setting up an auto top up from a nominated credit/debit card using the MyWay+ web portal – this option will not be available for unregistered cards. Auto top ups will only be available for Mastercard or Visa cards; bank account direct debits will no longer be available.
MyWay+ retailers are currently BP outlets and selected newsagents and convenience stores. Additional retailers will be added at a later date and are expected to include Woolworths and Coles Supermarkets.
The current list of agencies can be found on the Transport Canberra website.
Will the new MyWay+ cards expire?
MyWay cards expired after 2 years without use.
There is no information on whether the new cards will expire or what will occur with inactive accounts.
Do I need to register an account to in order to use MyWay+ ?
No – you will be able to use a MyWay+ card without having to register it. However unregistered cards cannot be blocked in the event of loss. Cards without a registered MyWay+ account will also not be able to transfer any card balances from an old MyWay card.
Unregistered (or “anonymous”) MyWay+ cards can be obtained for all concession types, however proof of concession is required and the card will revert to an adult fare type when the default concession period expires. There is no information available about how to extend a concession period for an unregistered card – this may require obtaining a replacement card.
Unregistered cards cannot set up an auto top-up authority, or be used with a Park & Ride permit.
You will also be able to pay using a Visa or Mastercard credit/debit card without a MyWay+ account, but adult fares will be charged.
How is account registration managed?
The MyWay+ account can be accessed using the ACT Digital Account infrastructure, which is also used by Access Canberra, Domestic Animal Services and ACT Housing.
Alternatively, a MyWay+ account can be created without an ACT Digital Account, but an email address must be provided: this email address cannot be used for another MyWay+ account registration.
Can I register a single account for all members of my family?
Yes – you will be able to create a master account which can be accessed by multiple MyWay+ cards. This will allow school children (for instance) to travel while accessing a single family account.
The ability to link multiple accounts into a master account will not be available until early 2025.
If I am entitled to a concession fare, can I use my credit/debit card?
Concession fares are available with credit/debit card only if a MyWay+ account has been registered. Details of your concession (e.g. Seniors Card) must be set up in the account as well as the credit/debit card(s) which will be used. Passengers are required to carry their proof of concession when travelling on a concession fare.
Once a MyWay+ account is registered for a concession holder, the expiry date of the concession can be updated using the MyWay+ account portal. If a concession expires, the account will revert to adult fare.
If I use my credit card, will the card details be safe?
The contract requires that MyWay+ complies with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard and that all data is encrypted with ASD-approved cryptographic protocols.
Are there any additional fees for paying by credit card?
As is the case with tickets purchased through a Ticket Vending Machine, tapping on with a credit card will not attract any additional processing fee. Nor will any fees apply to account top-ups performed online or through a ticket vending machine.
Can I pay by cash?
The new system is designed to be cashless. You will not be able to purchase any tickets from bus drivers, nor will you be able to purchase tickets from a Ticket Vending Machine with cash. Cash top ups to a MyWay+ account can still be made at retailers and agents.
If I am visiting Canberra, how do I pay for a bus fare without a MyWay+ card?
Without a MyWay+ card, the easiest way to pay is to tap on with a contactless Visa or Mastercard credit or debit card. Adult fare will be charged if the card is not associated with a MyWay+ account.
The second option is to create a MyWay+ account which will allow you to tap on by scanning a QR code generated by the MyWay+ app. This will also allow concession fares to be accessed by linking the MyWay+ account to a Visa or Mastercard credit/debit card, and tapping on with the card.
The third option is to purchase “print-at-home” tickets from the MyWay+ web portal. Once purchased, you must download the ticket from web portal and then either print the ticket or save it to a mobile phone. These tickets will include a QR code which must be scanned by the ticket validator when boarding. The ticket must be used within 7 days of purchase. Print-at-home tickets are either single trip or daily tickets and can be purchased as a group ticket, allowing multiple passengers to travel with one ticket purchase.
How can I purchase paper tickets?
Paper tickets will be able to be purchased from Ticket Vending Machines located at tram stops, the Airport and most bus stations. This includes the option to purchase a “group travel” ticket where a single ticket can be issued for multiple passengers travelling together.
As with the “print-at-home” tickets, tickets from a TVM may be purchased in advance of travel and must be used within 7 days of purchase.
Ticket Vending Machines to support the MyWay+ system are planned to be made available in early 2025
Will the system be compatible with Queanbeyan buses, Opal or Myki?
At this stage, the MyWay+ fare system is for Transport Canberra services only. The system could be later added to the Queanbeyan and Yass bus services (CDC Canberra), but this will require the hardware to be installed on their buses. There are no known plans for this to occur.
While MyWay+ cards cannot be used interstate, credit/debit card payment systems are already available on transport services in many regions – including CDC buses in Queanbeyan and across the Opal network in NSW. And for those services which don’t currently accept credit/debit cards (such as PTV/Myki in Melbourne), they are expected in implement such systems in the future.
Do I need to tap off at the end of a trip?
Yes. ACT Transport Minister Chris Steel has referred to “tapping off” in Media Releases and elsewhere when discussing the new system. Tapping off will enable the system to monitor passenger levels on board buses – and it will also provide data to Transport Canberra about passenger journeys.
Passengers will be required to tap off in the same manner as tapping on – including when tapping on with a credit/debit card. If a credit/debit card is tapped on using a virtual card (e.g. on a smartwatch), the same device must also perform the tap-off – a physical card is regarded as being a different card and will not be treated as a valid tap-off if used when the tap-on was performed using the virtual card (and vice-versa).
Journeys that use a paper ticket with a printed QR code will also need to be scanned off when exiting a bus or tram platform.
A default fare for failing to tap off will still apply.
Will the fares be the same?
MyWay+ will use the same fare structure as MyWay. This includes the monthly trip cap, default fares for failure to tag off, and the 5% auto top-up discount.
The auto top-up discount will only apply for fares paid using the MyWay+ account where an auto top-up is active. If an account is topped up manually using a retailer or TVM, the auto top-up discount will not apply. Similarly, fares paid by tapping on with a credit/debit card will not attract an auto top-up discount even if an authority was previously active for the account.
Tickets purchased from a Ticket Vending Machine or “print-at-home” tickets are referred to as “Pre-paid fares” and are the same price as the former “cash” fares. All other forms of payment are the same as the former “MyWay” fares.
While the fare structure will remain the same for now, in theory, an account-based ticketing system allows more fare options than those possible with a stored-value smartcard. For example, a “fare cap” based on the value of the fares could be used instead of the number of paid journeys; it would also be possible to apply time-based fare caps such as the “off peak daily” fare[3] which existed prior to MyWay as well as “weekly”, “school term” and “yearly” caps.
As announced in the 2024/25 ACT Budget, fares increased by 3% effective from 4 January 2025. The fare structure remained unchanged.
Note:
- While MyWay+ offers single trip off-peak fares, the old off-peak daily fare was a fare cap which applied when all travel occurred during off-peak periods, similar to how the weekend daily cap is lower than the weekday cap.
Will there be any additional Ticket Vending Machines?
At this stage, no. The 26 Ticket Vending Machines which existed as part of MyWay will be modified to support the new system but no additional machines are included in the contract.
How are tickets checked?
Ticket Inspectors and Transport Officers have been issued with hand-held devices which can scan MyWay+ cards and credit/debit cards as well as QR codes from paper tickets, the MyWay+ app or “print -at-home” tickets from the web portal. The device will display whether the inspected card, ticket or app QR code has been correctly validated and also show the concession status and account balance (where applicable).
What does MyWay+ app do?
The MyWay+ app is available for Android and iPhones. This app provides journey planning and real-time tracking of buses and trams (replacing the NXTBUS website).
It also offers account and card management functions including: account top-ups, transaction history and a function for tapping on and off using a QR code.
Are the SMS bus tracking notifications still available?
The SMS notification service available from NXTBUS has been discontinued.
Real-time bus tracking will be available in the MyWay+ app and will be available to third party apps and Google Transit in the future.
How was the transition to MyWay+ managed?
In the lead-up to the new system, four MyWay+ demonstration buses commenced service in May 2024 to raise awareness of the new system. These buses were equipped only with the MyWay+ system and operated on regular route services fare-free (since they could not accept old MyWay cards) until the new system was activated.
Unlike the roll-out of MyWay in 2011, there wasn’t a dual ticketing system used during the implementation of the new system. Instead, the MyWay ticket system and NXTBUS real-time system were deactivated on 20 September 2024 and public transport became fare-free while MyWay+ was installed.
The new system commenced operating on 27 November 2024, at which point fares were again being collected.
How can I access the remaining balance on my old MyWay card?
For MyWay cards which were registered prior to 20 September 2024 – the remaining balance can either be transferred to a new MyWay+ account (using the MyWay+ account portal) or be refunded. No transaction fees will apply for either request.
MyWay cards not registered as at 20 September can still have their balance transferred to MyWay+ via the web portal, but refund requests may not be possible.
How do Seniors Cards work in the new system?
The current combined Seniors Card/MyWay cards will not be re-issued or replaced. The Seniors Card aspect will remain active, but the MyWay smartcard will no longer be functional.
Seniors Card holders will be able to access MyWay+ using the same options as other passengers. New MyWay+ cards will be able to be linked to a Seniors Card entitlement (including free travel for ACT residents over 70 years); a Visa or Mastercard credit/debit card or the MyWay+ app can also be used to access a Seniors Card fare, provided an account has been registered.
Seniors Card holders will be able to obtain a new MyWay+ travel card free of charge from MyWay+ retailers. There will be the option to obtain an anonymous Seniors MyWay+ card which will not require a registered account.
Cards are available from MyWay+ retailers or can be ordered using the MyWay+ app.
However, Seniors Card holders (including Interstate Seniors) will be permitted to show their card[1] to the driver (or tram customer service officer) instead of tapping-on when eligible for free travel; but if travelling during peak times when a fare applies, Seniors Card holders must pay their fare in the usual manner. This will apply until June 2025. After this date, all Seniors Card holders will be required to tap on with a MyWay+ card or a credit/debit card linked to a MyWay+ account; or to scan the QR code from the MyWay+ app.
Note:
- “card” refers to the relevant Seniors Card issued to the Senior – both ACT Seniors Cards and Seniors Cards issued by other States and Territories of Australia. We really didn’t think this explanatory note was necessary as it should have been clear from the context, but here we are.
Do Seniors need to re-apply for Opal concession cards?
No – the ACT Seniors Card will remain active so any concessions linked to it will remain unaffected. It is only the MyWay smartcard which will no longer be able to be used.
How did the 3G network shutdown influence the change-over to a new system?
Despite reports to the contrary, the MyWay ticketing system was able to collect fares without using an active data connection. However, some aspects of the system (such as ticket agents) may have been utilising the 3G network to process top-ups and card updates. Ticket vending machines at tram stops and bus stations are believed to have been using either 4G mobile or fixed line data networks.
On the other hand, the NXTBUS real-time location system did rely on the Optus 3G network to send bus location data.
A new ticketing and real-time system has been under consideration since July 2016 and the date of the shutdown of the Optus 3G network (originally intended to be in September 2024) was factored in to the planning for the new system.
What were the implementation milestones?
MyWay and NXTBUS were switched off from 20 September 2024. Installation of new equipment onto buses commenced on 23 September, with Light Rail platform validator installation commencing 10 October.
User testing of the new system, including the MyWay+ account portal, commenced in October 2024.
The MyWay+ app and account portal was activated on 14 November 2024 – this allowed MyWay+ accounts to be set up and for cards to be ordered online. MyWay+ cards were also available for purchase from retailers at this date.
MyWay+ commenced on 27 November 2024 and fares began to be collected using the new system. However at this date, since not all buses were fitted with the new equipment, travel was fare-free when no MyWay+ was equipment fitted. Around 20% of buses will not be fitted with MyWay+ equipment since they are due to be withdrawn from service in the coming months – these buses will offer fare-free travel, but will not report on real-time tracking once it commences.
Limited real-time bus tracking commenced on 18 December 2024 (when 80% of buses were fitted with MyWay+ equipment). However this data is only showing for certain routes, and has not yet been released to third-party apps.
Functionality of MyWay+ not activated on 27 November 2024 includes:
- real-time tracking of buses through the MyWay+ app or on third-party transit apps
- Ticket Vending Machines
- support for master accounts
- Express Travel Mode for Apple Pay
Any further questions? Have we missed anything or got something wrong? Get in touch using the Contact Us link below, or find us on Facebook.
Further reading:
Article previously titled as “MyWay+: what you need to know” and “MyWay+: how will it work?”
This page was last updated on 4 January 2025
