PrePay

PrePay simply means purchasing a ticket before boarding the bus. Customers are encouraged to PrePay every time they travel.

PrePay only buses do not sell cash fares on board. Customers must use a pre-purchased ticket to use these services.

There are close to 900 ticket agents in Sydney, including newsagents, 7-elevens and convenience stores. Tickets are also available from Sydney Buses' TransitShops, CityRail train stations and Sydney Ferries wharves.

Download a list of ticket resellers in Sydney (PDF).

Benefits

The benefits of PrePay include:

• Quicker boarding times for bus travellers to increase the reliability of bus services.
• Easy transfer of large notes, instead of requiring change from the driver, who only carries limited change.
• Shorter boarding times, so less waiting at bus stops.
• Saving money, as most of our PrePay tickets are discounted.

PrePay - Sydney CBD

PrePay-only boarding of bus services is now throughout the Sydney CBD - Wynyard, George Street, Central Station, Circular Quay, Castlereagh Street, and Elizabeth Street.

PrePay-only boarding at Sydney CBD bus stops operates between 7am and 7pm Monday to Friday only.

See below for more information on each area of the Sydney CBD.

On average it takes three seconds to 'dip' a prepaid ticket into the validating machine on a bus as opposed to 11 seconds to pay in cash. Multiply that by 55 passengers per bus and time begins to mount and buses may become delayed. PrePay-only speeds up passenger boarding times and helps improve the on-time reliability of bus services.

There are over 140 ticket outlets including ticket vending machines throughout the city to make it easy to buy a PrePay bus ticket before boarding. These ticket outlets accept cash, credit card and / or EFTPOS.

Eighty Five percent of passengers who board Sydney Buses in the CBD have already discovered the convenience of PrePay.

PrePay - Elizabeth & Macquarie Streets and Eddy Avenue

Bus stops along Elizabeth Street, Macquarie Street and in Eddy Avenue are now PraPay only between 7am and 7pm weekdays.

As a result, Sydney Buses services operating from Elizabeth and Macquarie Streets and from Eddy Avenue are not selling tickets on board the bus.

Please refer to the PrePay Elizabeth Street Map for the prepay area and bus stops affected and refer to the Fare Ticket Guide for Elizabeth Street that lists both the ticket agents near Elizabeth Street and Central Station and the TravelTen ticket needed for various destinations to and from Elizabeth Street and Central Station.

Download PrePay Elizabeth Street Map (PDF).

Download PrePay Fare Ticket Guide - Elizabeth Street (PDF).

PrePay - Pitt and Castlereagh Streets and Circular Quay

Bus stops along Pitt and Castlereagh Streets, and the broader Circular Quay area, are now PrePay only between 7am and 7pm weekdays.

Sydney Buses services operating from Pitt Street, Castlereagh Street and Circular Quay will not sell tickets on board.

Please refer to the PrePay Quay and Castlreagh St Map for the prepay area and bus stops affected and refer to the Fare Ticket Guide for Quay and Castlereagh Street and lists both the ticket agents near Circular Quay, Pitt and Castlereagh Streets and the TravelTen ticket needed for various destinations to and from that area of the CBD.

Download PrePay Quay Castlereagh Map (PDF).

Download PrePay Fare Ticket Guide - Quay Castlereagh St (PDF).

PrePay - George Street

Bus stops along George Street and the Western half of the city will be converted to PrePay-only between 7am and 7pm, weekdays.

This area includes bus stops on George Street, from the railway overpass at Circular Quay in the north of the CBD to Railway Square (including Lee Street) in the south; and in the QVB precinct which includes York Street, Druitt Street and Clarence Streets.

Sydney Buses services operating from these areas will not sell tickets on board.

Please refer to the PrePay George Street Map for the prepay area and bus stops affected and refer to the various Fare Ticket Guides that list both the ticket agents near George Street and the TravelTen ticket needed for various destinations:

1. George St to and from Parramatta Road services
2. George & Druitt Streets to and from Victoria Road
3. Services to and from QVB and Clarence Street
4. Services to and from Railway Square

Download PrePay George Street Map (PDF).

Download PrePay Fare Ticket Guide - George St / Parramatta Rd (PDF).

Download PrePay Fare Ticket Guide - George St/Victoria Rd (PDF).

Download PrePay Fare Ticket Guide - QVB/Clarence St (PDF).

Download PrePay Fare Ticket Guide - Railway Square (PDF).

PrePay - Wynyard

On Monday 2 March 2009, the bus stops at Carrington, York and Clarence Streets were converted to prepaid ticket-only stops.

Sydney Buses services at Carrington, York and Clarence Streets bus stops will not sell tickets on board between 7am to 7pm Monday to Friday.

Download the Wynyard Brochure as PDF
Download the Wynyard Map as PDF

Other PrePay-Only Bus Stops

• Watson Street - The first trial to speed up boarding times was conducted in 2004 at the Watson Street bus stop on Military Road, Neutral Bay and saw a drop in on-board cash sales from 12% to 4% and average loading times were reduced from 50 seconds to 36 seconds. This involved the sale of single ride magnetic tickets off the bus by staff at State Transit's ticketing booth at Watson Street during the morning peak.
• Druitt Street - The outbound Druitt Street bus stop was trialled as a PrePay Only bus stop between the hours of 3.30pm and 6.30pm. This initiative aimed to reduce passenger loading time at the stop and improve on-time service running for the trip.
• Chatswood Interchange - westside bus stops at Railway Street and Victoria Avenue. Tickets will not be sold on board buses.
• Epping Interchange - Bus Stops at Epping Interchange (Cambridge Street). Tickets will not be sold on board buses between 7am and 7pm (Monday to Friday).

More information on Pre Pay services.