UPDATE: SEE BELOW

Mobile Myki was made permanent last month. Even though for now it’s only available on Android phones, it’s great that it’s increased the options for public transport ticketing.

So if you’re a senior (60+) and you want to use Mobile Myki?

No problem – grab your Android phone with NFC, install Google Pay and load it up.

If you’re a tech-savvy tertiary student, with a PTV Tertiary Student Concession Card, and you want to use Mobile Myki?

Not so fast! It turns out only a few specific types of concession fare can be used with Mobile Myki.

The following concession categories are currently available as a Mobile myki: – Child (Code CH) – customers aged 16-18 years only;

– Victorian Seniors Card holders (Code VS);

– General Concession (Code GC) – Interstate Seniors Card and Interstate Pensioner Concession Card holders only. For all other concession categories, Mobile myki is not currently available, and another type of concession ticket must be used. – PTV Fares and Ticketing Manual 2019, page 12

This is not an April Fools joke.

Apart from tertiary students, Health Care Card holders are also excluded from the list, as well as some other types of concessions. Children under 16 are excluded, perhaps because Google Pay needs to be linked to a valid credit or debit card.

Why is this? I don’t know, but I’ll see if I can find out.

Given it works fine with Visa and Mastercard debit cards, there should be no concerns about the use of credit cards for low income earners.

Maybe there’s a good reason. But it seems completely illogical to exclude a huge number of tech savvy public transport users who happen to use concession fares.

UPDATE Monday 5:30pm: The government has been in contact to advise that tertiary and other concession card holders can use Mobile Myki, by choosing the “General concession” option in the app. It appears the Fares And Ticketing Manual, normally the bible for these types of issues, is incorrect – perhaps the new Mobile Myki information was added in a hurry.

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