How to use your Myki Card in Melbourne’s Public Transport
If you are new in town you will probably wonder what is the best way to travel around the wonderful city of Mebourne and its surroundings. The Myki Card is the way to go.
Melbourne is known for having a really good transportation system in Australia. They have lots of trams, trains, and buses that make it easy to get around the city. I found it easy to go from one place to another without any problems.
But when I first got to Melbourne, I was confused about how the transportation system worked, especially how much it cost and how to use the myki card. It took me a little while to figure it out, but once I did, it was much easier.
In this post, I’ll explain how the myki card works and give you a simple guide on using Melbourne’s public transportation.
What is a Myki Card?
Myki is your ticket to travel on Melbourne’s trains, trams and buses, V/Line commuter train services and buses in Seymour, Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, the Latrobe Valley and Warragul.
The myki card is a smart electronic card that you can load with money and use for all types of public transportation in Melbourne, like buses, trams, and trains. It’s the only way to pay for rides now, as they don’t accept cash anymore.
This means even if you’re visiting Melbourne as a tourist for a short time, you’ll need to get a myki card to use public transportation.
Where can I buy a Myki Card?
You can buy a physical myki card or, if you have an Android phone, a digital myki called Mobile myki.
The first thing you should do once you arrive in Melbourne, is to buy a Myki card, Where?, the most common places to get one are from every 7-Eleven stores which you can find in every corner. Also, on board buses and V/Line services, almost in every railway station (Premium stations) and PTV Hub located in Southern Cross Station.
Where Can I Get a Myki Card at the Airport?
In Melbourne Airport you can buy a Myki Card in terminals 2,3 and 4. Also, you can purchase a Myki Explorer in the Skybus terminal located at Tullamarine.
Types of Myki Cards
Full Fare ($6 for myki card)
- Adults aged 19 and over with no concession entitlement
- International visitors aged 19 and over
Concession ($3 for myki card)
- Cardholders of a Victorian Health Care Card, Australian Pensioner Concession Card or PTV ID (Primary, Secondary, Tertiary or Asylum Seeker)
- Seniors from other states in Australia
Child ($3 for myki card)
- Children aged five to 18 (including children from other states and international visitors)
- Children aged four and under travel free and don’t need a myki
Senior ($3 for myki card)
- Victorian Seniors Card holders (seniors receive a free myki with their Victorian Seniors Card)
- Seniors from other states in Australia need to buy a Concession myki
Find your nearest place to buy a myki
Where can I check my Myki Balance?
Once you buy your Myki Card/Pass you will need to Register Here so you can check your travel history and Myki Balance.
Purchasing pre-loaded myki cards on board V/Line services
Pre-loaded myki cards are used specifically by V/Line conductors to sell to customers who board trains without a ticket for travel in the commuter area.
- Full fare cards cost $30 and includes $24 worth of pre-loaded travel.
- Concession cards cost $15 and includes $12 worth of pre-loaded travel. Concession myki cards will be sold to seniors and children in this circumstance.
Now, if you travel regularly, a myki pass would be more suitable for you.
How does a Myki pass work?
You can buy a 7-day myki pass, or anywhere between 28 and 365* consecutive days of travel. Your myki pass cannot be suspended and you must use consecutive travel days only. For example, a seven-day myki pass activated on Monday is valid for travel until Sunday.
Once you have a myki pass, you can travel as many times as you want in your chosen zone/s for the duration of your pass.
For example:
A Full Fare Myki pass for a 30 days consecutive trip will cost you $140 travelling in Zone 1 & 2. And a 7 Day full fare Myki Pass for travelling in Zone 1 & 2 will cost $39 .
How to Use your Myki Card
You should touch on and touch off as you travel so that you have a valid ticket and pay the correct fare for your journey.
When using myki money, touch on at the myki reader at the start of your journey and each time you change mode or board a different vehicle.
Touch off at the end of each trip, including each time you change mode or exit a vehicle, so the system charges you the lowest fare for your journey.
You need myki money to pay for any travel in a zone for which your myki pass is not valid.
When using myki pass, touch on and touch off to ensure you do not travel outside of the zone for which your pass is valid or beyond the expiry date of your pass.
Quick tips for touching on and off
- Touch on at a myki reader to ensure you have a valid ticket.
- Touch off at a myki reader to pay the lowest fare.
- Touch your myki to the centre of the reader.
- Listen for the beep and look for the green light to indicate a successful touch on or touch off.
Metropolitan trains
Each time you enter or exit a train station, you must touch on at the myki reader at the start of your journey and touch off at the myki reader at the end.
Default fare for metropolitan trains
If you do not touch off, you will be charged with a two hour Zone 1 + 2 myki money fare.
Please note that you do not need to touch off and on again if you swap trains during part of your journey and do not exit the station.
Metropolitan trams
You must touch on at the myki reader at the start of your journey, unless travelling only in the Free Tram Zone on a tram. However, you only need to touch off if your whole trip is in Zone 2*.
Default fare for metropolitan trams
When you do not touch off, you will be charged a two hour Zone 1 myki money fare.
*In case you travel by tram within Zone 1 only, you do not need to touch off to pay the lowest fare. If you do not touch off, the system charges a 2 hour Zone 1 myki money fare the next time you touch on. This is the same fare you would pay if you did touch off. If your trip is entirely in Zone 2, you must touch off to pay the Zone 2 fare.
Metropolitan buses
You must touch on at the myki reader at the start of your journey and touch off at the myki reader at the end.
Default fare for metropolitan buses
Buses that operate within one zone: If you do not touch off, you will be charged a two hour myki money fare for the zone you are travelling in (Zone 1 or 2).
Buses that operate across two zones: If you do not touch off, you will be charged a two hour myki money fare between where you touched on and the end of that service. If you touch on in the Zone 1 and 2 overlap, this will be deemed Zone 2.
V/Line commuter service trains
You must touch on at the myki reader at the start of your journey and touch off at the myki reader at the end.
From 1 January 2015, travel on trains, trams and buses in Zone 1+2 will now be the price of a Zone 1 fare. All Zone 1 passes are now sold as Zone 1+2 passes at no extra cost. If you travel wholly in Zone 2, you can continue to purchase a Zone 2 only pass.
Metropolitan fares
The metropolitan area is difined as Melbourne and its suburbs. The zones you travel in and ticket type determines the fare you pay.
The fares below are effective from 1 July 2023.
You’ll need a myki for your journey.
- If you use a myki Pass, you’ll need to choose the zones you want to travel in and the number of consecutive days you need when you buy it.
- If you use myki Money, your fare is automatically calculated as you touch on and touch off.
There are three fare groups, based on metropolitan zones: Free Tram Zone, Zone 1+2 and Zone 2 only. Find out more about zones.
Tram Zones
Free Tram Zone
- Applies to tram travel only.
- If you’re only travelling in the Free Tram Zone, your journey is free and you don’t need a myki. If you accidentally touch on, you’ll be charged a 2 hour Zone 1+2 fare. For more information, see the Fares and Ticketing Manual.
- If you start or finish your journey outside the Free Tram Zone you need to pay for your journey and use a myki.
Zone 1+2
- Applies to train, tram and bus travel.
- Travel entirely within Zone 1.
- Travel between the Free Tram Zone, Zone 1 and Zone 2.
- Travel between Zone 1 and Zone 2.
Zone 2 only
- Applies to train, tram and bus travel.
- Travel entirely within Zone 2.
- Travel entirely within the Zone 1/2 boundary overlap.
- Travel to Zone 1/2 boundary overlap from Zone 2.
myki Money
If you travel occasionally, pay as you go with myki Money. Load a dollar amount onto your myki and your myki will automatically calculate the lowest fare possible as you touch on and touch off.
myki Money 2 hour fare
| 2 hour | Zone 1 + 2 | Zone 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Full fare | $5.00 | $3.30 |
| Concession | $2.50 | $1.65 |
myki Money Daily fare
| Daily | Zone 1 + 2 | Zone 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Full fare | $10.00 | $6.60 |
| Concession | $5.00 | $3.30 |
myki Daily fare caps
A daily cap is the maximum you’ll pay for a day’s unlimited travel – it’s the same as two 2 hour fares, for the zones you travel in.
Other daily fare caps
| Other ticket / caps | Full fare | Concession | Seniors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekend daily cap | $7.20 | $3.60 | – |
| Public holiday cap | $7.20 | $3.60 | $3.60* |
*Seniors also receive free travel on Saturdays and Sundays for trips entirely within one or two consecutive zones (including within Zone 1+2) and on regional town bus services.
Early Bird train travel
Touch on and touch off within two hours and before 7.15am on a weekday, and make sure you have a positive myki Money balance, to receive the free Early Bird fare on your metropolitan train journey.
Please note: V/Line train services are not eligible for the Early Bird fare, except for travel between Pakenham or Sunbury and Melbourne.
myki Pass
If you travel often, you can buy consecutive days with a myki Pass. Choose where you’ll be travelling and how many days you need. You can buy a myki Pass for 7 days or anywhere between 28 and 365 days.
Weekly (7 day) myki Pass fare table
| Weekly rate 7 day pass | Zone 1+2 | Zone 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Full fare | $50.00 | $33.00 |
| Concession | $25.00 | $16.50 |
Daily rate for 28-365*day myki Pass
| Daily rate for 28-365** | Zone 1+2r | Zone 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Full fare | $6.00 | $3.96 |
| Concession | $3.00 | $1.98 |
*Multiply this daily rate by the number of days required to calculate the myki Pass cost. When you buy a myki Pass for 326-365 days you only pay for 325 days, receiving up to 40 days free.
Default fares
| Mode | Fare type | Default zone/s | Default fare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Train | Full fare | 2 hour Zone 1+2 | $5.00 |
| Concession | 2 hour Zone 1+2 | $2.50 | |
| Tram | Full fare | 2 hour Zone 1+2 | $5.00 |
| Concession | 2 hour Zone 1+2 | $2.50 | |
| Bus | Full fare | 2 hour myki money fare between where a customer boards and the zone at the end of the service.Cell | All zones between and including the zone where the customer touches on and the zone at the end of the service. |
What is the Free Tram Zone?
If you are travelling inside the free Tram Zone area, you don´t have to “Touch on” your Myki. If you are travelling from the Free Tram Zone to the fare paying zone outside the Free Tram Zone, you have to “Touch on”.
Penalty Fare or Fine for not touching On your Myki
IMPORTANT: Always Touch On your Myki, travelling outside the Free Tram Zone without a ticket is an offence. You need to have a valid ticket for the journey you are making and if you don’t, you risk being fined by an Authorised Officer. Passengers who are intercepted by Authorised Officers without a valid ticket may be given the option of paying an On-the-spot Penalty Fare of $75, otherwise you will have to pay a $223 fine.
Top Up your Myki
If you do not use your myki within 90 days of topping up online or by telephone, your top up is temporarily suspended. Any existing value on your myki card is unaffected and remains available to use for travel.
If your myki card balance is low, you may need to top up at a myki retail outlet or 7-Eleven, at a Premium Station ticket office or at a myki machine, found at all Metro train stations and some accessible tram stops and bus interchanges, to pay for your next trip.
Infrequent travellers may prefer to top up just before they travel at a myki retail outlet. or 7-Eleven, at a Premium Station ticket office or at a myki machine.
Your online or telephone top up comes out of suspension at least 24 hours after you:
- successfully touch on at a myki reader (requires a positive myki money balance)
- Top up: at a retail outlet (minimum $1.00), at a Premium Station ticket office (minimum $1.00) or at a myki machine (minimum $1.00)
Top up online using the links below.
Journey Planner
Public Transport Victoria has an online platform where you can plan your trip in advance.
Access here to the Journey Planner
