No more paper tickets! Your guide to Opal Card

Starting today, paper tickets will no longer be sold or accepted on the New South Wales public transport network

Only Opal cards will be accepted. If you're a frequent commuter, you'll need to buy an Opal card and top it up before travelling. If you only travel on the network occasionally, you can purchase single-trip Opal tickets at stations, or single bus tickets onboard non-prepaid buses.

Here's a refresher on how the Opal system works.

image: acnw.com.au

What services can I use with Opal Card?

- All Sydney Trains.

- All NSW Train Link Intercity services.

- All buses in Sydney, the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Hunter and Illawarra.

- All Sydney Ferries.

- Stockton Ferry in Newcastle.

- Selected private ferries - details here.

- Light rail.

What's in it for me if I use Opal Card? 

- Once you complete 8 paid journeys between Monday and Sunday, fares for the rest of the week are free! (... until September, when you'll get a 50% discount instead.)

Free/discounted travel does not include Sydney Airport, where there is a surcharge.

- There is a Travel Cap set for daily, weekly and Sunday.

You'll never pay more than:

- Off-peak train fares

- Auto top up

How do I use the card?

Tap On when you get on the train, bus or ferry.

And don't forget to Tap Off when you get off.

If you don't tap off, the system assumes you took the furthest distance for that service and will charge the corresponding fee.

I still have paper tickets 😱 What should I do?

You can apply for refunds until 30 October 2016.

Find out details and application forms here.