Can I use my debit card on CTA?

You don't even have to use a card issued by us. If you have a credit or debit card with the contactless payment symbol ( ), you can pay-as-you-go by touching your card to a reader or even create a Ventra Transit Account on that card, and load value and passes onto that.



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If you ride CTA even once a year, you should pick up a Ventra Card (or use a personal, contactless bankcard) and load Transit Value or passes onto that. The new Ventra Card is a sturdy, hard plastic card you tap to a reader when boarding and keep indefinitely.

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Remember payment for bus fare in Chicago can be done through a Ventra ticket or cash only (exact change needed). NOTE: NO credit card payments and NO change from the driver on buses. If you use the new Ventra App, you can present your digital pass to the driver and get on board that way.

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You can't tap on a bus with a credit card, but you can link a credit card to an online account or use it to buy a ticket at a pay station.

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If you don't have a default set on your card and you forget to tap off at the end of your trip, you'll be charged the fare to the last stop on the train line or bus route and with your fare type and any applicable loyalty discounts applied.

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You tap in and the machine immediately deducts the flat fare. The driver will see you do this and challenge you if you don't. It's a flat fare for a trip of any length and this makes tapping out unnecessary. Indeed flat fares were introduced to make this work.

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Tap your contactless credit or debit card, smartphone, or wearable device at the OMNY reader as you enter. On local, limited, and express buses, you must enter and use the reader at the front door. On SBS buses, enter at any door and use the reader there.

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