Accepting payments
The regional seniors travel card can be used at Australian retailers for travel-related purchases in-store, online or over the phone.
Merchant category codes
You can accept regional seniors travel card payments if your business is using one of the following travel-related merchant category codes:
- 4111 – Local/suburban commuter passenger transportation – railroads, ferries, local water transportation
- 4112 – Passenger railways
- 4121 – Taxis
- 5541 – Service stations (with or without ancillary services)
- 4131 – Bus lines
- 5983 –Fuel
- 4789 – Transportation services (not elsewhere classified)
- 5542 – Automated fuel dispensers
- 9399 – Government services (not elsewhere classified)
- 4011 – Railroads– Freight
- 763 – Agricultural co-operatives
- 5172 – Petroleum and petroleum products
- 5552 – Electronic vehicle charging
Merchant category codes are used to classify businesses by the type of goods or services they provide. If you’re not sure which merchant category code you’re using, you can check with your merchant acquirer or payments provider.
Fuel payments at service stations and mixed businesses
After putting fuel into their car, the cardholder (or a staff member) will need to swipe/tap the regional seniors travel card in a point-of-sale terminal. The cardholder will then need to select ‘credit’ (not ‘savings’ or ‘cheque’), and enter their personal identification number (PIN).
The transaction will be accepted if you are operating with a service station or fuel category code.
Online and over the phone payments
The card can be used for one-off payments online or over the phone. Cardholders will provide their card number, card expiry date (printed on the front of the card) and CVV number (the CVV number is the 3-digit card verification value found on the back of the card).
The transaction will be declined if your business is operating under a non-travel related merchant category code.
Card balances, split payments and contactless payments
If the total cost of the transaction is more than the card balance, you can ask the cardholder to:
- pay the outstanding balance in cash or by using a different card (if you accept split payments), or
- use an alternative method of payment for the entire purchase (if you don’t accept split payments).
The regional seniors travel card is designed for contactless payments (tap and go, payWave) at accepted retailers. Cards issued prior to 2022 are not designated for contactless payments.
To check their balance, cardholders can contact card services 24/7 by:
- visiting nswregionalseniors.cards, or
- calling 1800 569 070.
More information
By applying for the card and accepting the regional seniors travel card terms, cardholders are aware that:
- the card is to be used for travel-related purchases only, and
- if a retailer does not accept the card, they will need to use an alternative form of payment.