- myki is the only accepted fare payment on Melbourne's fully cashless trains, trams and buses
- A full-fare myki card costs $6 and a concession card $3, both non-refundable
- From 1 June 2026 to 1 January 2027 all Victorian public transport is half price, cutting the full-fare daily cap from $11.40 to $5.70
- International undergraduates can save over $550 a year with an iUSEpass.
Melbourne runs one of the most convenient public transport networks in the world, but it is entirely cashless. You cannot pay a tram driver with coins or buy a paper ticket at a station. Every trip on a train, tram or bus is paid for with a single reusable smartcard called myki. For students arriving in Melbourne, getting a myki is one of the first practical steps to settling in. This guide explains what the card is, where to get one, what it costs, and how international students can cut their travel bills.
What Is the Cashless Card in Melbourne?
myki is Melbourne's reusable smartcard and the only accepted way to pay for public transport across the state's trains, trams and buses. Melbourne's network is fully cashless, so drivers and stations no longer sell paper tickets. You tap a myki on and off to travel, and it deducts the correct fare automatically.
The card works across metropolitan Melbourne and, with the right pass or myki Money balance, on regional trains, coaches and buses too. Once you own a physical myki you keep reusing it for years, simply topping up the balance whenever it runs low. There are two ways to pay with it: myki Money, where credit is deducted per trip up to a daily cap, or a myki Pass, where you buy a set number of consecutive days of travel.
How Can a Student Get a myki Card?
Students can buy a myki at any metro premium station, at myki machines at railway stations and selected tram and bus stops, at over 800 retailers displaying the myki sign including every 7-Eleven, online at transport.vic.gov.au, or by calling 1800 800 007. No student ID is needed to buy a standard full-fare card.
- Metro premium (staffed) stations and the PTV Hub at Southern Cross Station
- myki machines at railway stations and selected tram stops and bus interchanges
- Over 800 retailers showing the myki sign, including every 7-Eleven inside the myki boundary
- Online at transport.vic.gov.au (allow time for postal delivery before you travel)
- By phone on 1800 800 007
How Much Does a myki Card Cost?
The reusable myki card itself costs $6 for a full-fare card and $3 for a concession, child or seniors card, and this purchase price is non-refundable. On top of that you load travel credit called myki Money, or buy a myki Pass. The card price does not include any travel; fares are charged separately when you tap on.
| Item (2026) | Cost (AUD) |
|---|---|
| Full-fare myki card | $6 (non-refundable) |
| Concession / child / seniors myki card | $3 (non-refundable) |
| Full-fare daily cap (normal) | $11.40 |
| Full-fare daily cap (half-price, 1 Jun 2026 - 1 Jan 2027) | $5.70 |
| Concession daily cap (half-price period) | $2.85 |
Can International Students Get a Concession myki?
Most international students are not eligible for the standard concession myki, but international undergraduates can buy an International Student Travel Pass (iUSEpass) that gives 50 percent off travel and can save over $550 a year. It comes as 90-day, 180-day or 365-day passes, ordered online once your institution issues an iUSEpass code.
- Check that your institution participates in the iUSEpass scheme and ask it for your iUSEpass code.
- Go to the iUSEpass website, register your details, and create a student account with a photo and postal address.
- Buy your 90-day, 180-day or 365-day pass and order the myki online; it is posted to you (mobile myki is not available for iUSEpass).
How Do You Top Up and Use a myki?
Top up your myki with myki Money or a myki Pass online at transport.vic.gov.au, through the Transport Victoria app, at station machines, at over 800 retailers, or by phone on 1800 800 007. To travel, tap your card on the reader when you board and tap off when you finish so the system charges the right fare.
Are Melbourne Public Transport Fares Cheaper in 2026?
Yes. From 1 June 2026 until 1 January 2027 public transport across Victoria is half price for everyone, every day. The full-fare daily cap falls from $11.40 to $5.70 and the concession daily cap from $5.70 to $2.85. SkyBus, ferries and non-subsidised regional buses are excluded, and the discount applies automatically when you tap on.