What is the RIW Pricing Model?

The RIW Pricing Model is designed to be transparent, scalable, and equitable - ensuring every organisation pays only for what they need. Whether you're a small contractor with a handful of cardholders, or a large rail operator managing thousands of workers, the model is designed to suit your workforce.


This article outlines the full Schedule 1 pricing structure effective 1 July 2026, covering cardholder fees, eLearning, premium functionality, site access control, additional services, and fatigue risk management.

Note: Before using the RIW System, all organisations must agree to the Company Registration – Terms and Conditions. Pricing is governed by Schedule 1 of those Terms.

What's in this article


Part A – Annual RIW Card & Cardholder Fees


Cardholder fees are the core of the RIW Pricing Model. All RIW Participant Organisations pay an Annual RIW Card Fee per active cardholder, with the per-card rate determined by the total number of cardholders primarily employed by the organisation, assessed as at 28 May each year.


Annual RIW Card Fee (effective 1 July 2026 – 30 June 2031)


LevelNumber of Active Cardholders (as at 28 May)Annual Card Fee (Per Card, Excl. GST)Payment Terms
Level 1> 2,000 cardholders$40.00At time of transaction
Level 21,000 – 1,999 cardholders$50.00At time of transaction
Level 3500 – 999 cardholders$75.00At time of transaction
Level 4400 – 499 cardholders$100.00At time of transaction
Level 5300 – 399 cardholders$120.00At time of transaction
Level 6< 299 cardholders$130.00At time of transaction


The Annual RIW Card Fee is payable annually on the anniversary of the initial registration of each RIW Card.


Additional Cardholder Fees

The following additional fees apply to specific cardholder events. Fees marked with * are subject to Annual CPI adjustment on 1 July each year.


ServiceFee (Excl. GST)NotesPayment Terms
New Member Fee (Supply of New Card)$55.00Includes access to Physical and/or Virtual Card. Applies in addition to the Annual RIW Card Fee and ID Check Fee (if required).At time of transaction
ID Check Fee *$15.00Required for new members and 10-year anniversary re-issuances (unless the organisation is ID Check Exempt).At time of transaction
Replacement Lost or Damaged Card *$85.00Covers replacement of lost, damaged, or cards with a non-working chip issued more than 4 years prior.At time of transaction
Fast Track Services (Competency and Medical) *$50.00Up to 10 fast track verifications per transaction.At time of transaction
10-Year Card Photo Update *$55.00Mandatory photo update at 10-year anniversary. ID Check is an additional fee unless the organisation is ID Check Exempt.At time of transaction

Note: RIW cards must be renewed at the 10-year anniversary. An ID Check is required at re-issuance (unless the organisation is ID Check Exempt), along with a mandatory photo update.


Part B – Job Ready Services

Before a worker can swipe onto the rail network, they need more than a card - they need a complete, verified RIW profile. Job Ready services manage the end-to-end process of getting a new worker registered, identity-checked, and issued their RIW card, so their profile is ready to be managed by an employer from day one.


The process covers identity verification, collection of the worker's personal details, and production of the physical and/or virtual RIW card. Once issued, the card links to the worker's profile - storing their competencies, job roles, and rail health assessments - giving Network Operators and Principal Contractors real-time confidence that every person on site is fit, qualified, and compliant.



ServiceUnitPrice (Excl. GST)Payment Terms
Job ReadyPer CardholderVariablePayable via online payment portal or purchase order at time of request, as agreed between the requestor and MTA.


For specific Job Ready pricing, please refer to How do I get a Rail Industry Worker card?


Part C – eLearning & Training

MTA offers a range of eLearning and training services to support workforce capability development within the RIW platform. All fees are subject to annual CPI adjustment on 1 July each year.


ServiceUnitPrice (Excl. GST)Payment Terms
Enterprise Learning Management System (LMS)Per LMS SystemOn QuotePayable within 30 days of invoice. A deposit may be required depending on project scope.
eLearning Package Development (SCORM compliant, based on MTA requirements) - A) Development & B) Upload existing coursePer CourseOn QuoteDependent on scope, size and complexity. Payable via online portal or purchase order as agreed with MTA.
Upload Compliant CoursePer CourseNILFee-free compliant course upload functionality.
Training Course Material UpdatesPer Hour$180.00eLearning course updates. Payable via online portal or purchase order as agreed with MTA.
Registration into Online Inductions - Includes registration, completion of online module with assessment, and competency update in the databasePer Person per Induction$10.00$10 per course enrolment administration fee, unless otherwise noted in the RIW System. Payable at time of registration via online portal or purchase order.


Part D – Premium Functionality

Premium Functionality unlocks a powerful suite of advanced RIW System capabilities for organisations that need greater control, customisation, and visibility over their workforce and compliance management.


ServiceUnitPrice (Excl. GST)Payment Terms
Premium Functionality (see inclusions below)Per Annum$6,250.00Pricing subject to annual review in addition to annual CPI. Payable prior to delivery of services or within 30 days of invoice at MTA's discretion.


Premium Functionality includes:

  • Creation and management of employer competencies
  • Creation and management of employer job roles
  • Suspension of employer competencies and employer job roles
  • Verification of employer, project-based, or site-based competencies
  • Management of allocated items (e.g. PPE or high value assets)
  • Crew management
  • Management of approved Registered Training Organisations (Network Operators only)
  • Vircarda Messaging
  • Access to Advanced Project Admin RIW System user permissions
  • Virtual site configuration with the Worker App (available from early 2027)
  • Free eLearning course access for Employer Administrators
  • Pay On Account (subject to credit checks)
  • Quarterly Newsletter
  • Invitation to participate in the Annual Maturity Assessment and Benchmarking Report


Please refer to What is Premium Functionality? for more information. 


Part E – Site Access Control

MTA provides a range of site access control hardware, software, and support services to help organisations manage physical and virtual site entry within the RIW platform. All fees are subject to annual CPI adjustment from 1 July each year.


ServiceUnitPrice (Excl. GST)Payment Terms
Site Access Hardware Products and ServicesPer Product / Per DayOn QuotePayable within 30 days of invoice. A deposit may be required depending on project size and complexity.
Travel (charged at cost)As incurredAt CostFull travel costs. Payable prior to delivery or within 30 days of invoice at MTA's discretion.
Site Access Hardware - Annual Maintenance FeePer Annum$2,000.00Includes software upgrades and support. Price subject to annual review in addition to CPI. Payable prior to delivery or within 30 days of invoice at MTA's discretion.
Drug and Alcohol Testing Equipment - ModularPer UnitOn QuoteIncludes testing unit, initial consumables, RIW System integration, 2 years software maintenance. Final pricing dependent on site requirements. Payable within 30 days of invoice; deposit may be required.
Drug and Alcohol Testing Equipment - Hand HeldPer Unit$2,650.00Pricing subject to review in addition to annual CPI. Payable within 30 days of invoice; deposit may be required.


Part F – Additional Services

MTA provides a range of professional and technical services to support organisations beyond core system functionality. All fees are subject to annual CPI adjustment from 1 July each year, with market reviews of rates every 2 years.


ServiceUnitPrice (Excl. GST)Payment Terms
System Training (for users, site champions, IT support)Per DayOn QuoteTraining beyond Premium Functionality is subject to quote. Payable prior to delivery or within 30 days of invoice at MTA's discretion.
Database and Software ConfigurationPer DayCharged at developer ratesBespoke functionality approved by NRIWAC. Payable within 30 days of invoice; deposit may be required.
Services AdministrationPer Hour$80.00Market review every 2 years. Payable prior to delivery or within 30 days of invoice at MTA's discretion.
IT Support / Project ManagerPer Hour$190.00Market review every 2 years. Payable prior to delivery or within 30 days of invoice at MTA's discretion.
Developer CostsPer Hour$300.00Market review every 2 years. Minimum 4-hour engagement. Payable within 30 days of invoice; deposit may be required.
Rights to Access the DataPer Hour$100.00Market review every 2 years. Covers requests for hard copies of personal profiles. Payable prior to delivery or within 30 days of invoice at MTA's discretion.
Travel (charged at cost)As incurredAt CostFull travel costs. Payable prior to delivery or within 30 days of invoice at MTA's discretion.
Request for Copies of Certificates and EvidenceIndicative based on volume$50.00Per medical certificate or evidence request. Payable prior to delivery or within 30 days of invoice at MTA's discretion.
Dynamic Reporting CapabilityPer Report RequestOn QuoteCustom reporting — rate dependent on report specifications. Payable within 30 days of invoice; deposit may be required.


Part G – AlertMeter & Biomathematical (FRMS) Reporting

MTA offers fatigue risk management solutions integrated within the RIW platform, including AlertMeter impairment detection and a full Fatigue Risk Management System (FRMS) with biomathematical modelling. All fees are subject to annual CPI adjustment from 1 July each year.


ProductDescriptionPrice (Excl. GST)
AlertMeter - Impairment Detection (Game-Based App)Available to all RIW Participants free of charge.FREE
AlertMeter - MonitoringFunctionality to facilitate a site requirement, inclusive of AlertMeter Reporting & Notifications.$5,000 per enterprise, per annum
FRMS – Biomathematical Reporting ModuleFull access to automated scheduled Biomathematical Reporting delivered to RIW Participant representatives at an agreed cadence via email.

Network Operator - paid per enterprise, per annum based on number of internal and external workers:
  • 0 – 499 workers: $15,000
  • 500 – 999 workers: $20,000
  • 1,000 – 1,500 workers: $25,000
  • 1,501 – 2,000 workers: $30,000
  • 2,001 – 2,500 workers: $35,000
  • 2,501+ workers: POA

Principal Contractor - $10,000 per project, per annum
Variable (see description)
FRMS Portal - Data Management & Live Prediction DashboardLive portal access with a view of individual worker AlertMeter data and fatigue prediction results.Additional $30,000 per annum
Annual Maintenance & Support FeeIncludes data hosting, regular maintenance and upgrades, troubleshooting, service and support.$2,000 per annum


How to calculate your cardholder fees

The table below provides a quick reference for calculating the total cardholder fee for the most common transaction types. Apply your organisation's applicable Annual RIW Card Fee (Level 1–6) from Part A above.


Transaction TypeFee Calculation (Excl. GST)
New cardholder issuance with ID CheckNew Member Fee + ID Check Fee + Annual RIW Card Fee
New cardholder issuance without ID CheckNew Member Fee + Annual RIW Card Fee
10-year card re-issuance with ID CheckNew Member Fee + ID Check Fee + 10-Year Photo Update Fee + Annual RIW Card Fee
10-year card re-issuance without ID CheckNew Member Fee + 10-Year Photo Update Fee + Annual RIW Card Fee

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