The New South Wales (NSW) government is expanding its contactless payment system to Sydney buses from next month.

Commuters in Opal-enabled buses would be able to tap on and off with their Visa, Mastercard, and American Express cards and linked mobile wallets instead of Opal cards.

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NSW transport minister Andrew Constance said: “Launching this technology on buses marks the final piece in the contactless payments puzzle and we expect all buses on the Opal network to be able to accept credit and debit cards by the end of September.”

The technology is already used for trains, public ferry and light rail travel in the city.

Transport for NSW tested the service in 2017, in collaboration with Cubic Transportation Systems.

The core payment infrastructure has been provided by Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA).

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CBA executive general manager of business customer solutions Clive Van Horen said: “The demand for contactless payments and the use of digital wallets is growing at pace,  so we are thrilled to continue our ongoing partnership with Transport for NSW to launch one of the largest integrated consumer payments networks in Australia with over 21,000 payment devices.

“What was previously a transit gate is now essentially a payment terminal, demonstrating yet another example of how technology is enabling faster and more convenient experiences for the community and smarter, more connected cities.”

Moreover, the government is now offering fare parity and the same benefits for users of contactless payments and Opal cards.

These benefits include daily, weekly and Sunday travel caps, half price after eight trips, Opal transfer discount, along with off-peak pricing for train travel.