Can you use CharlieCard on bus in Boston?

On all MBTA buses, you can add cash value to your CharlieCard with coins or bills, up to $20. You cannot buy or reload 1-day, 7-day, or monthly passes at onboard fare boxes. To pay your fare: Tell the driver you need to add value to your CharlieCard.



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The MBTA's Fare Transformation will make paying for transit easier and more convenient. Upon completion, you'll be able to: Tap and board at any door with a fare card, smartphone, or contactless credit card. Reload using cash or credit card at vending machines at all stations and some bus stops.

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Overview. Starting March 1, 2022, Route 23, 28, and 29 bus riders are able to board at all doors without paying a fare for two years.

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Children age 11 and under ride the MBTA for free. Groups including 10 or more children (regardless of the number of chaperones), must register their travel using the field trip form. People who are legally blind, as well as an accompanying guide, ride the MBTA for free with a Blind Access CharlieCard.

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CharlieTicket, a tappable ticket that can be loaded with subway, bus, Commuter Rail, and ferry tickets or passes. an Android and iPhone app for Commuter Rail and ferry tickets or passes. Cash at onboard fare boxes on buses and trolleys at street-level stops.

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Most machines accept cash, major credit/debit cards, and EBT cards. Some machines only accept credit/debit/EBT cards and are marked to indicate that they don't accept cash. At fare vending machines, you can add cash value or 1-day, 7-day, or monthly passes to a CharlieCard or CharlieTicket.

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The CharlieCard is named after the lead character in the 1948 protest folk music song, M.T.A.. The song was written to protest a fare increase in the form of an extra five cent exit fare for longer rides and was later made popular by the Kingston Trio in 1959.

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Our Services and Standard Fares Subway one-way: $2.40 with cash, CharlieCard, or CharlieTicket. The MBTA operates 171 bus routes and 4 rapid transit routes in the Greater Boston area, with connections to the subway and Commuter Rail. Local bus one-way: $1.70 with cash, CharlieCard, or CharlieTicket.

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The MBTA is Boston's public transportation system, and it's a great way to get around quickly and cheaply. The “T” refers to the subway, which runs throughout Boston, into Cambridge, and into nearby suburbs, providing access to all the attractions located in Boston. Just look for the big T in a circle to find a stop.

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