New South Wales pensioners will be able to enjoy the benefits Gold Opal Senior/Pensioner card which is due out before the end of the year.

The Opal card for senior and pensioner customers would be released in 2014, providing travel on all modes of public transport for no more than $2.50.

The launch of the Opal card for senior and pensioner customers comes after the recent launch of the Child/Youth Opal Card.

To help prepare for the rollout of the Opal Senior/Pensioner card there will be some changes to the way customers buy their paper Pensioner Excursion Tickets on board State Transit buses across metropolitan Sydney.

NSW Minister for Transport Gladys Berejiklian says new technology is being installed on State Transit buses to get ready for the Opal card, which this means customers will soon no longer be able to buy their paper Pensioner Excursion Tickets on board the bus.

Customers will need to buy their Pensioner Excursion Tickets before they travel on buses from more than 1,600 ticket sellers across Sydney.

"The vast majority of seniors and pensioners already buy their tickets before they board the bus -- so the change will only affect a small percentage of customers," she says.

To ensure there is a smooth transition for customers, a letter and information brochure will be sent to more than 230,000 seniors to let them know about the Opal card and provide them with a list of the retailers nearby where they can buy their bus tickets.

Information will also be made available ahead of time on buses and the Transport for NSW website.

"Before the end of the year, all pensioners and seniors will be able to get their own Gold Opal card, which means they won't have to worry about buying a ticket or fumbling for coins ever again," Berejiklian says.

Two bus routes now have Opal, with the remainder of public and private buses in Sydney, the Hunter, Illawarra and Blue Mountains to come on line by the end of the year.