New $250 Travel Card to Assist Regional Seniors with Fuel Costs
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The $250 regional seniors travel card
Eligible NSW seniors are paying for fuel with a new travel card available from the NSW Government.
The prepaid Visa card provides seniors with $250 to ease the burden of travel costs and assist them in getting to and from essential services. The card is making it easier and more affordable for seniors to remain connected with family and friends.
Seniors are using their regional seniors travel card to pay for:
- fuel
- taxi trips
- pre-booked NSW TrainLink train and coach services.
Seniors can check their card balance or transaction history by phone or online.
After a cardholder has put fuel in their car, a member of staff or the cardholder swipes the card in a point-of-sale terminal. The cardholder selects ‘credit’ (not ‘savings’ or cheque’) and enters their PIN.
The regional seniors travel card has a magnetic strip on the back. It doesn’t contain a chip which means it can’t be inserted into a point-of-sale terminal or used for contactless payments including tap and go.
The regional seniors travel card has been restricted for use at Australian retailers based on their merchant category code. Merchant category codes are used to classify businesses by the type of goods or services they provide. The card will work at retailers or service providers using travel-related merchant category codes. This includes merchant category codes for fuel 5983 and service stations (with or without ancillary services) 5541.
If service station owners are not sure which merchant category code they are using they can check with their merchant acquirer or payments provider.
To be eligible seniors must be:
- an age pensioner with a valid Pensioner Concession Card issued by the Department of Human Services or Department of Veterans’ Affairs; or
- a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card holder – card issued by the Department of Human Services Affairs or Department of Veterans’ Affairs; and
- living in regional NSW outside Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong.
The regional seniors travel card was a 2019 election commitment by the NSW Government.
Seniors can apply at Service NSW:
- online at service.nsw.gov.au
- call 13 77 88
- visit a Service NSW Service Centre.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
More information is available at www.service.nsw.gov.au
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