In order to improve the health and safety of our staff and guests, our decision to pivot to a fully cashless business emerged as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yes you can. Upon your arrival at Taronga Zoo Sydney, head on over to the Ticket Office at the Top Plaza or Lower Entry to collect a wooden card. Go to the Cash Machine and follow the prompts on screen to purchase Zoo tickets. Our machines accept both bank notes and coins, and will issue the correct change for your transaction. 

Once your purchase is complete, the machine will print your receipted tickets to be scanned by staff at the entrance. 

The Cashless Card is Taronga Zoo Sydney’s payment solution for domestic and international guests who would still like to spend in cash at Taronga but may not have access to contactless payment capable devices. 

Taronga’s Cashless Cards are environmentally friendly and convenient to use. Simply tap and go at selected retail, food or beverage terminal for a fast and contactless payment experience. 

You can manage your card balance easily on the Cashless Card App, available to download for free via Google Play or the App Store. Once installed, scan the QR code on the back of your Cashless Card and follow the in-app activation instructions. Once linked to your card, you can top up, transfer, donate and withdraw (Australian bank accounts only) via the app. 

For guests choosing not to use the App to manage their Cashless Card, you will need to visit a Cash Kiosk machine to see your balance and load your funds. 

Yes you can. After receiving the card, follow the prompts on one of the machines to load cash onto your  Cashless Card. 

We issue the physical Cashless Cards at no cost to you. When topping up your Cashless Card, a fee of 1.20% of the deposited amount + $0.10 will be processed. There will be no transaction fees imposed on Cashless Card transactions at point-of-sale locations; these fees are worn by Taronga. 

If you would like to withdraw your remaining balance, there is a $3.30 refund processing fee. Alternatively, you can opt to donate your remaining balance to the Taronga Foundation, with no fees attached. 

You can use your Cashless Card at any of the below Taronga Zoo Sydney’s food, beverage and retail outlets: 

• Forage & Graze, Top Plaza 

• Taronga Food Market, Palm Plaza 

• Connoisseur Ice Cream Truck, Palm Plaza 

• Salt Water Bistro 

• Top Shop (Retail), Top Plaza 

• Mid Shop (Retail), Palm Plaza 

• Lower Shop (Retail), Lower Entry 

They sure can. Once your card is loaded up, it is ready to use by the whole family. Simply tap and go at selected retail, food or beverage payment terminal within the Zoo grounds.

Yes! Minus the chip module included within them, Taronga Zoo Sydney’s Cashless Cards are made entirely of a biodegradable wooden compound. In fact, they are some of the first of their kind (in the world!). There is no PVC or other plastics used within our Cashless Cards.

Yes. This can be done via the Cashless Card App or at a cash kiosk.

You can top up your cashless card anytime via the cashless card App or by visiting one of the cash kiosks.

Your Cashless Card balance is stored securely within a cloud-based digital wallet. When your Cashless Card is scanned at point-of-sale, your digital wallet is accessed and the funds are deducted.

A digital wallet is an electronic currency management system designed to store digital currency units, or credits.

Not just yet! We are working on expanding our cashless card program to include our friends at Taronga Western Plains Zoo.

Your Cashless Card balance will remain active for 12 months after any activity, either spend or top up, is recorded on the card. If a card is inactive after 12 months, then the remaining balance of that card will be donated to the Taronga Zoo Foundation. Money donated to the Taronga Zoo Foundation directly funds all of Taronga’s conservation outcomes and are recorded as donations. All donations will produce a receipt to the account holder, with each donation over $2 eligible for tax deductibility.

Yes, at any time within 12 months of your last card activity. Withdrawals can be requested via the Cashless Card App to an Australian Bank account. If you don't have access to the App, please contact one of our Guest Experience Officers who can provide you with a support number to call. Please note that each refund request will incur a processing fee pf $3.30 AUD.

Yes. Taronga encourages to re-use your Cashless Card for future visits. Simply top-up your funds via the Cashless Card App or on-site cash kiosks.

No, your digital wallet will be deleted securely after 12 months of non-activity.

1. Log in to your Cashless Card App and select the option to cancel the Cashless Card that has gone missing. You will still be able to withdraw funds from your digital wallet if you don’t have a physical card.
2. If you are unable to access the App to cancel your card, please reach out to the Taronga contact centre for further support on (02) 9969 2777 or email tz@zoo.nsw.gov.au.
3. Secure a replacement Cashless Card via the Admissions Desk located in Taronga Zoo Top Plaza. Link the new card to your Digital Wallet by scanning the QR code on the new card and following the activation prompts. You can also link a new card to your Digital Wallet via one of the cash kiosks.

Your first name, last name, email address and mobile phone number will be collected upon the activation of your Digital Wallet. We collect this information so we can issue you with your receipt and contact you about a lost or stolen card. This information will never be used for Marketing purposes without your consent.

Yes, you can do this easily via the Taronga Zoo Cashless Card App. Note that this needs to be done between two active cards. If you require an additional card, you can secure one from the card dispensing kiosk.

Not just yet, but this is a feature that we are working on for our guests. For now, it is recommended that you arrive at Taronga with your foreign currencies having been already converted to AUD.

No, cryptocurrencies are not supported.

Of course, we are here to help! Contact our General Enquiries line at Taronga Zoo on (02) 9969 2777 or email tz@zoo.nsw.gov.au.