Check your Go Card expiry date

[Derwan]

Did you get a Go Card when they first became available?  If so, it'll probably be expiring soon.  (My original card expires at the end of this month.)

Now is a good time to check.

[verbatim9]

Expired Go Cards become TransLink's cash to reinvest into the network.

Brisbane Times ----> https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/queensland/go-cards-a-gold-mine-with-6-7-million-reclaimed-by-translink-20180614-p4zlij.html

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Go cards a gold mine with $6.7 million reclaimed by TransLink

TransLink is set to reclaim $6.7 million from go cards which have not been used for half a decade.

Unregistered go card balances are recovered by TransLink after five years of inactivity.

In the 2017-18 year, about $6.7 million on more than 780,000 go cards was forecast to be recovered by TransLink.

That was about $4.7 million higher than was expected and was partly due to clearing a "backlog" from the 2016-17 year.

State budget papers revealed a "higher than anticipated revenue received from unclaimed go card balances and deposits on unused cards" over the past year.

In 2016-17, about $8.2 million on more than 940,000 go cards was recovered.

A TransLink spokesman said all money recovered from inactive go cards were re-invested in public transport to improve the network.

"Customers can still obtain a full refund of unused funds, at any time, even after the balance has been transferred to TransLink [by completing an online form]," he said.

In 2014, former transport minister Scott Emerson announced go card funds which had not been used for more than five years would be reinvested back into public transport.

Under the previous laws, there was the option for unclaimed go card money to be transferred to the Public Trustee after only two years of inactivity.

But Mr Emerson said that time frame was too short, and instead of the funds remaining dormant, they could be reinvested back into public transport.

At the time, there were 65,000 cards which had remained dormant for more than five years, with just 168 people applying for a refund.

The Queensland government is investigating a new ticketing option, which could allow people to pay for fares using credit cards or smartphones.

[tuxcomputers]

You can go to a QR station and some selected newsagents to have the expiry date extended.

[signal]

The expiry date for the normal Adult go card is "10 years from date of issue".
https://translink.com.au/tickets-and-fares/go-card/about-go-card#collapse3

If it expires, you then have 90 days to "update your expiry date" at a go card retailer or Queensland Rail ticket office.

Is this just a simple 10-second transaction, or is there paperwork - forms to fill in, etc?

How long is the expiry date extended for?  Is it another 10-years (from the date you update it)?

For the time being, can the Adult go card be kept active indefinitely (as long as it still functions, doesn't become dormant due to 5 years non-use, and expiry date is updated as required)?

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/9NewsQueensland/status/1131575517050822657

[ozbob]

Facebook ..

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> TransLink holds $5 million in unused fares from expired Go Cards

Millions of dollars is sitting on expired Go Cards waiting for commuters to stake their claim.

More than 10 million Go Cards have been issued in south-east Queensland since the system was introduced in 2008.

But TransLink acting deputy director general Martin Bradshaw said, like bank cards, Go Cards had an expiry date - set at 10 years for adults.

"The 10-year time frame was initially set to accommodate the technology, however, customers continue to use Go Card beyond the 10-year period without issue," he said.

Customers can extend the expiry date on their Go Card before it expires, or within 90 days following the expiry date, by taking it to selected retailers.

The expiry date cannot be extended if the 90-day deadline is missed - and they are considered irreversibly expired - but any leftover money on the card can be claimed back by filling out a form on the TransLink website.

Over the two years to June 2018, a total of 654,136 Go Cards became irreversibly expired and had still not had their balance refunded or transferred to another card as at June 18 this year.

The value left on those Go Cards equated to an average of $7.90 per card - or a total of $5.17 million.

Mr Bradshaw said any money remaining on Go Cards dormant for five years was reinvested into public transport initiatives to improve the TransLink network.

"Customers can request a refund of their balance at any time, even if those funds have already been reinvested into public transport," he said.

In 2017-18, about $6.7 million on more than 780,000 Go Cards was forecast to be recovered by TransLink from cards that had not been used for five years.

That was about $4.7 million higher than expected, and was partly due to clearing a "backlog" from the previous year.

In 2014, former transport minister Scott Emerson announced Go Card funds that had not been used for more than five years would be reinvested back into public transport.

Previously, there was an option for unclaimed cash to be transferred to the Public Trustee after only two years of inactivity.

But Mr Emerson said that time frame was too short, and instead of the money remaining dormant, it would be reinvested back into public transport.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/7NewsBrisbane/status/1257226512828260354

[Golliwog]

Interesting comment from the Deputy Opposition Leader given it was his side that set it up for the funds to go to Translink  when they were in power.... but hey, that's politics right?

But realistically isn't it the same as virtually any gift card balance - they have to have an expiry date or else financially government and businesses will have a growing liability of left over funds which realistically are never going to be used?

Many companies will treat those the same too - if it's expired you can still give them a call and ask if they will reactivate it and honour it.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/TransLinkSEQ/status/1282556620824875010