Public transport trips will soon accept forms of payment in credit card or mobile phone, following successful trials on ferry services between Manly and Circular Quay. 

The electronic payment technology has arrived in Sydney quicker than expected, and could be expanded across Sydney’s public transport network by the end of next year. 

Sydney city’s ferries will be the first to welcome contactless payment technology, which will soon expand to light rail services, then rail and bus networks. 

“Since the technical trial was launched in July, the technology has remained stable and customer feedback has been extremely positive, with users finding the new payment option intuitive and easy to use,” a Transport for NSW spokeswoman said. 

“The trial will continue to run through 2018 to allow Transport for NSW to gather data to inform decisions around any further expansion of contactless payments on other services and modes of transport,” she added. 

The new payment system has been especially popular among tourists and infrequent users of public transport, eliminating the need to buy single tickets, top up Opal cards, and avoid queues. 

The cost of a credit card journey has remained the same as an Adult Opal single-trip ticket, as it will eventually expand beyond Mastercard to other credit card companies. 

However, Transport for NSW declined to confirm exactly when contactless payment will be expanded. 

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