Opal is a contactless smartcard fare collection system for public transport services in the greater Sydney area.

First launched in late 2012, Opal is valid on Transport for NSW's metro, train, bus, ferry and light rail services that operate in Sydney and the neighbouring Central Coast, Hunter Region, Blue Mountains, Illawarra and Southern Highlands areas.

[1] Opal cards can also be used to pay for fares on selected third party transport services via a facility known as OpalPay.

The system featured loose integration between the different modes of transport, a complex fare structure and excluded private operators.

MyZone was designed to simplify the fare system and remove one of the stumbling blocks to the introduction of a smart card.

A replacement for the AFC based on smart card technology, named Tcard, was first announced by the government in 1996, with the aim of having a system in place before the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

The contract was awarded to ERG Group, but was delayed until 2002 due to a lawsuit from the losing bidder Cubic, which was labelled dishonest by the presiding Supreme Court of New South Wales judge.

Ruling against Cubic in 2002, the NSW Supreme Court judge Michael Adams found it was ''guilty of reprehensible conduct'' and had shown a ''lack of good faith and positive dishonesty'' in the tender process.

[8] In April 2010 the government awarded the contract to the Pearl Consortium, whose members are the Commonwealth Bank, Cubic and Downer EDI.

[14] The initial Opal rollout commenced on the Neutral Bay to Circular Quay ferry service in late 2012 and was completed two years later when the Inner West Light Rail was added to the network.

Adult and Child/Youth cards are also available from retail outlets, such as convenience stores, newsagents, supermarkets and at Service NSW centres.

From 28 July until the end of September 2014, temporary kiosks were set up at major railway stations and shopping centres, as unregistered Adult and Child/Youth cards were made available for the first time.

[45][46] Between 11 November and 5 December 2014, temporary kiosks were set up at shopping centres to allow seniors and pensioners to order their Opal cards.

Owing to the light rail's heritage as a privately run enterprise, free travel for school students was traditionally not available on this mode.

Single trip tickets can be bought from top up machines at most train stations, ferry wharves and light rail stops.

[67][68] On 29 July 2019, all Opal benefits except park & ride and on demand services, were extended to contactless payments.

[69][70] The rollout of contactless payment to Opal controlled buses commenced on 2 August 2019 and was complete by the end of September 2019.

The following tables list Opal fares: ^= $2.50 cap applies for Senior/Pensioner cardholders A surcharge is levied when using the two privately operated stations serving Sydney Airport: As there are no return or periodical options available, reusable Opal cards and contactless payments include a number of caps to reduce the cost for frequent travellers:[83]

Other key discounts include: Fares have increased on the first Monday in July (although October in 2023) generally matching inflation, but with some adjustment from government directives.

Over 350 top up machines are installed at railway stations, light rail stops and ferry wharves throughout the Opal area.

On 11 March 2015, the first top up machines became available at the recently opened Edmondson Park and Leppington railway stations.

Non-adult Opal cards have their own distinct 'ding' when tapping on or off, in addition to having a light mounted atop a train station or ferry wharf barrier lit up, allowing for Transport Officers and police to identify and enforce correct fares.

[104][105][106] Transport for NSW operates the Opal website and a phone hotline for customer service, card top ups, orders and inquiries.

[109] Passengers are able to park their cars for free for up to 18 hours if they take public transport and use the carpark using the same Opal card.

[109] Transport for NSW also used to sell a number of mobile phone case accessories that incorporate a pocket for the Opal card.

[114] Transport for NSW has stated that customers forget to tap off after about 3% of journeys, so they are charged the default fare.

[115] The Opal electronic ticketing system has won a range of awards reflecting excellence in design for its unique card reader poles used at ungated ferry wharves, light rail stops and railway stations.

[118][119] Transport for NSW disputes the site's findings, calling it "riddled with errors" and stating that only 7% would "potentially" pay more, but refused to release the analysis behind that figure.

[122] Among those who have expressed concerns have been New South Wales Privacy Commissioner Elizabeth Coomb, the Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association of NSW, and the University of Sydney.

[123] Concerns about privacy have been repeatedly raised in the mainstream media, with commentators questioning the extent to which user data can be accessed by authorities.