go card top up Visa or MasterCard at Central AVVMs

[ozbob]

http://www.translink.com.au/qt/translin.nsf/index/go#credit

You can now use Visa card or MasterCard to top up your go card at Brisbane Central station fare machines ? even if your credit card is not PIN-enabled.

Just follow the prompts as if for EFTPOS, then insert your credit card.

It's quick and easy to top up and go using Visa or MasterCard:

    * Select go card add value.
    * Touch your go card to the reader when prompted.
    * Select amount (from $20 to $100).
    * Select Pay by EFTPOS.
    * Insert Visa card or MasterCard and follow instructions above the numeric keypad.
    * Touch go card again to the reader when prompted, to complete the transaction.

[bladesplace]

During the pilot, we were able to use our Credit Cards to top up at ANY AVMM. Every Saturday I'd top up my Pilot card at the brand new AVMM at Elimbah, although more often than not the AVMM was vandalised beyond working order. I remember one Saturday morning I arrived at the station at 0630 (to top up and get the 0643), only to find the AVMM on fire. 

Then in November 2007 IIRC we were suddenly not allowed to top up with a Credit Card (ven if we had PINs on them) at any AVMM, and the web interface was still months away so we basically couldn't use Credit Cards. We were told the feature would be brought back when chip-and-pin credit cards were rolled out. They haven't been fully rolled out yet, so I wonder what prompted TransLink to bring back Credit Card transactions at Central AVMMs?

[ozbob]

Not sure why only central Matt Julian but probably a pilot before wider roll out.

Others may comment:

• In mumbo TL speak "To enhance the customer experience and and convenience"


• In commuter language "Finally started to extract the digit and do something"

[Derwan]

In mumbo TL speak "To enhance the customer experience and and convenience"

How 'bout activating the auto top-up facility!   

[ozbob]

Yes indeed, auto-top up would be handy.   E-toll govia has it from the outset.

[ButFli]

This is strange. I used to credit card to top up at an AVVM at Roma St on Friday. I just assumed it was a feature that worked?? I don't have a PIN on my card.

Thinking about it I am fairly certain I have used a credit card in the AVVM's since Go Card went mainstream. Going back through my statements there credit card transactions for Translink dating back to 11/02/2008 although I am sure some of them would have been through the website.

What's going on there?

[bladesplace]

But that would mean the Go Card ops would actually have to do more work to get it running, and we all know how unlikely that is. 

[STB]

On Twitter, TransLink says that it's a trial, which I would presume is to test the software on a smaller scale before sending it out to the rest of the network, which is understandable.