Frequently asked questions
Using go card
- What if I forget to touch on or touch off?
- Does the go card allow me to transfer between services?
- How do I cancel a journey?
General information
- What is a pre-loaded go card?
- What if my card is faulty?
- What is the frequent user scheme?
- How do I cancel my go card?
- How do I receive a refund?
Managing your card
- What is the difference between a registered and unregistered go card?
- When will my top up funds be available for travel?
- When will my go card expire?
- Does go card credit ever expire?
- I have seen that there is an expiry date when I top up my go card online. What does this mean?
- Where can I obtain a transaction history for my card?
- Will I be sent a regular statement detailing my top-up amounts?
Auto top-up
- How do I set up auto top-up?
- What credit cards are accepted?
- At what amount will my go card automatically top up?
- What are the auto top-up amounts?
- How do I change my auto top-up amount?
- How do I cancel my auto top-up?
- My credit card is going to expire soon - what do I do?
- My credit card has expired - what do I do?
- My credit card has been lost or stolen - what do I do?
- What happens if there is not enough credit on my credit card?
- Are there any charges for auto top-up?
Lost and stolen go cards
- What do I do if my card is lost or stolen?
- If I lose my go card, can someone else access my bank details?
Privacy and security
- Is the go card secure?
- How is my privacy protected if I have a go card?
- What personal information is linked to my go card?
Using go card
- What if I forget to touch on or touch off?
If you don't touch on or off, the system won't be able to calculate the correct fare and will charge you a non-refundable fixed amount. This fixed amount may be more than the correct fare for your journey.
The next time you use your go card the card reader display will show you have been charged a fixed amount. If you see this message do not touch on again, your touch has been recorded.
View video clip or page 4 of the user guide - touching on and off.
- Does the go card allow me to transfer between services?
You can transfer up to three (3) times in one journey.
Your go card will automatically calculate one overall fare for your whole journey, as long as you follow the transfer rules.
- Touch on at the start of each new leg of your journey.
- Touch off to finish each leg of your journey. You must touch on to start the next leg within the 60 minute transfer window.
- You must touch on to start the final trip of your journey within the three and a half (3 ½) hour maximum transfer time.
- You must touch off at the end of the last leg of your journey within five (5) hours from the time you started your journey.
- When transferring using train services only, you need only touch on to start your journey and touch off at the end of your journey, not between train services.
View page 16 of the user guide - transferring between services.
- How do I cancel a journey?
To cancel a journey after you have touched on, wait 10 seconds and touch your card again at the same bus or ferry stop (on board the service) or train station within 20 minutes. The card reader will display a message showing that no fare was deducted and the available balance remaining on your go card.
If you are at a gated train station, you must exit the station through a fare gate to cancel your journey.
General information
- What is a pre-loaded go card?
Pre-loaded adult, senior and child go cards are now being sold at retailers throughout South East Queensland for $20. This includes a $5 deposit and $15 travel credit. They are exactly the same as other go cards, so when the $15 travel credit has been used, they can be topped up either:
- online and phone (including auto top-up)
- fare machines
- selected go retailers
- selected QR stations
- onboard buses, except on Brisbane Transport buses
- What if my card is faulty?
If you cannot touch on or off and you see that other people can, your card may be faulty or damaged. Ask an authorised staff member for help or call TransLink on 13 12 30.
View page 20 of the user guide - frequently asked questions.
- What is the frequent user scheme?
Passengers who travel more than 10 journeys in any one week (Monday to Sunday) will qualify for the frequent user scheme.
Regardless of whether you travel by bus, train or ferry, go card will automatically give you a 50% discount on every trip taken after the tenth journey in a seven day period from Monday to Sunday. The TransLink frequent user scheme resets every Monday.
For example, if you use your go card to make ten journeys through two zones during the week, you will automatically qualify for the frequent user discount. You will then receive an additional 50% discount on all TransLink single trip fares until last service on Sunday that week, no matter how many more trips you take or how many zones you travel through on each trip.
View page 6 of the user guide - the go card frequent user scheme.
- How do I cancel my go card?
You may wish to cancel your go card for a number of reasons:
- your go card has expired (concession and child)
- change of eligibility for concession and child cards
- it may be lost or stolen
- it may be damaged or faulty
- you don't need your go card anymore.
View details on how to cancel your go card, organise a balance transfer or receive a refund of any balance remaining on your go card.
- How do I receive a refund?
If you would like to cancel your go card, you will receive a refund, including any deposit amount you have paid.
View details on how to receive a cash refund in person or by post.
Managing your card
- What is the difference between a registered and unregistered go card?
Your go card can be registered or unregistered. If you register your card, your personal information will be held on a secure central system and linked to the serial number of your go card. You will then be able to call TransLink to block the use of your card if it is lost or stolen.
If your go card is registered, you can also:
- top up your go card balance using a credit card online or over the phone
- check your go card history online or by phone
You can't top up your balance or check your history online or over the phone for unregistered go cards.
View page 18 of the user guide - what's the difference between a registered and unregistered go card?.
- When will my top up funds be available for travel?
On average it will take 24 hours or less for top-up funds to be added to your go card. Sometimes it takes longer (up to 48 hours) as the funds need to be cleared by the relevant bank.
However, if you top up in person at a retailer, fare machine or train ticket office, your funds will be added instantly to your go card.
Remember, funds will not register and you will not see evidence of the transaction on your go card until you have touched the card to a reader. You must touch on within 60 days after topping up or the top up expires and the funds are returned to your credit card.
- When will my go card expire?
- Adult and senior go cards don't expire.
- Concession go cards expire on the same date as the concession entitlement card - that is, the school student identification card, tertiary student identification card, Pensioner Concession Card or Queensland Repatriation Health Card that you used to prove your eligibility when you bought your go card.
- Child go cards expire on the child's 15th birthday.
You can't use your go card after the expiry date.
Thirty days before your card expires you will see a warning message on the card reader each time you touch on or touch off.
You can change the expiry date on your card at a retailer where you can top up your go card. Simply present both your go card and valid concession entitlement card or proof of age document (for child cards) to the retailer and they will update your expiry date.
The expiry date can be updated at any time before the current go card expiry date, and within 90 days of the card's expiry. Please note that the 90 day grace period does not apply to unregistered go cards that are dormant at expiry.
There is no limit to the number of times an expiry date can be modified (warranty period applies from time of issue) so you can continue to use the same go card.
Alternatively, you can obtain a refund before your card expires by visiting a selected go card retailer. Your card balance must no more than $50 (plus any card deposit), and your last top up was made by cash at a fare machine or by any method at a go card retailer (excluding QR ticket offices).
- Does go card credit ever expire?
go card credit will not expire. However, if your card expires (see question above), you have 90 days from the card expiry date change your expiry date to have the card expiry date modified to match that of your current concession entitlement card or apply for a refund or balance transfer.
- I have seen that there is an expiry date when I top up my go card online. What does this mean?
If you top up online or by calling 13 12 30, and don't touch your card to a card reader within 60 days (i.e. a fare machine or touch on when travelling), the money will be refunded to your credit card.
This only applies to online and phone top ups, as cards topped up elsewhere will be touched on a card reader at the time so that funds can be loaded to the card immediately.
- Where can I obtain a transaction history for my card?
- online at my go card account (registered cards only)
- at fare machines at QR stations
- at go card retailers
- by calling TransLink on 13 12 30 (registered cards only).
View the video clip or page 14 of the user guide - checking your balance and transaction history.
- Will I be sent a regular statement detailing my top-up amounts?
No - you will be able to view your transaction history on-line where you can see all the dates and amounts of your auto top-up transactions.
Auto top-up
- How do I set up auto top-up?
To activate auto top-up your go card must be registered. Click here to register your card.
You can set up auto top-up online.
When you are setting up auto top-up for the first time, your preselected top up amount will be charged to your credit card immediately. For example, if you preset the amount of $20 as your auto top-up amount, $20 will be charged to your credit card immediately and added to your travel balance within 48 hours. Once you have set up auto-up, and your go card balance falls below $5, auto top-up will be triggered and $20 will be charged to your credit card and added to your travel balance immediately.
If you have already registered your go card, simply log onto "Manage my account" and select the Auto top-up tab.
- What credit cards are accepted?
Only Visa and MasterCard are accepted.
- At what amount will my go card automatically top up?
Your go card will automatically top-up whenever it falls below $5.
- What are the auto top-up amounts?
You can nominate a preset amount starting from $20, increasing by $20 increments up to a maximum of $200.
- How do I change my auto top-up amount?
You can change your auto top-up amount anytime simply by logging onto your account online.
It will usually take approximately 48 hours for any changes to be processed.
- How do I cancel my auto top-up?
You can cancel your auto top-up anytime. Log onto your account online.
- My credit card is going to expire soon - what do I do?
If your credit card is about to expire you will need to update your billing details before your next auto top-up is generated, otherwise the transaction may not occur and you may not be able to continue travelling without topping up manually.
Find out where to top up your go card.
Note: You can change your billing information including your credit card details at any time online or by phoning 13 12 30.
- My credit card has expired - what do I do?
If your credit card has expired before your next auto top-up is generated, the transaction may not occur and you may not be able to continue travelling without topping up manually. You will then have to reapply for auto top-up and the facility will have to be reactivated.
- My credit card has been lost or stolen - what do I do?
If you have an alternative credit card you can go online or phone TransLink on 13 12 30 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) and change your billing details. A customer will need to do this prior to their next top up, otherwise the top up may not occur and they may need to top up manually via other means before travelling.
If customers don't have an alternative credit card, they will need to phone 13 12 30 as soon as possible and cancel their auto top up. Customers will also need to report the loss of the credit card to their bank. Please note customers will be required to reapply for auto top-up in order to re-establish this feature once cancelled.
- What happens if there is not enough credit on my credit card?
The money will still be loaded onto your go card.
- Are there any charges for auto top-up?
No, this is a free service provided by TransLink.
Lost and stolen go cards
- What do I do if my card is lost or stolen?
If your registered go card is lost or stolen, phone TransLink immediately on 13 12 30. As soon as you do this, your card can be blocked so no one else can use it. If your card is not registered, TransLink is unable to block the card.
You can then arrange a new go card over the phone, and transfer the balance from the old card to the new card. Please note that for registered child cards, the adult card holder will be required to request the balance transfer.
Your balance transfer will usually take about 24 hours but please allow up to 10 working days.
Alternatively, you can cancel your go card and obtain a refund by completing the cancellation and refund form.
- If I lose my go card, can someone else access my bank details?
No. No one can access your name, address, bank details or any other information about you from your go card. Credit, debit and bank account numbers are encrypted for storage on a secure central system.
The only information you or any other person may be able to obtain from your go card is the card balance and card history.
Privacy and security
- Is the go card secure?
Yes - TransLink go cards and card readers use secure, fast and reliable technology.
- How is my privacy protected if I have a go card?
The TransLink Transit Authority is committed to protecting the privacy, accuracy and security of personal information in accordance with the Queensland Government Information Privacy Act 2009.
View privacy statement.
- What personal information is linked to my go card?
All personal information is held on a secure central system - not your go card. The type of information held depends on whether your card is registered or unregistered.
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