A Ventra Card is a reloadable electronic fare payment system and your ticket to ride Metra trains, CTA buses and trains and Pace buses. You can add up to $100.00 per transaction to your Ventra Card, up to a maximum $300.00 value limit.
Ventra Cards are available for purchase
Online at ventrachicago.com
Ventra Vending Machines in CTA rail stations and select suburban locations
Participating Ventra Retailers
By phone at 1-877-NOW-VENTRA (1-877-669-8368)
Ventra Customer Service Center at 567 West Lake Street, 2nd floor (at CTA headquarters)
Note: There is a $5 fee for a new Ventra Card This fee is returned to your Ventra Account as Transit Value if you register within 90 days of purchase.
Using your Ventra Card on buses and trains is easy. Just tap it on the center of the card reader. Wait for the green "Go" message to appear on the screen, and board your train or bus
Cost: $5
Load value/passes with cash or card
Buy at any Ventra Vending Machine, online, by phone, at retail locations.
Purchase fee refundable as transit value if registered within 90 days of purchase
Cost: $3
$2.25 fare + 25¢ transfer + 50¢ limited-use media fee
Buy at any Ventra Vending Machine, except at O'Hare. $5
Ticket good for entry onto 'L' train or bus and two transfers
Cost: $5
Ticket good for entry onto 'L' train or bus and two transfers
Buy at any Ventra Vending Machine at O'Hare
Cost: $10
Ticket good for 24 hours of riding from first use. Limited-use media fee waived
Buy at any Ventra Vending Machine in all CTA rail stations.
Reduced fares are available for children 7-11 years old.
On CTA, children 7-11 are eligible to ride at the CTA Reduced Fare.
On Pace, children 7-11 are eligible to ride at the Pace Reduced Fare.
On Metra, children 7-11 are half fare on weekdays. On the weekends and select holidays, up to three children age 11 and under ride Metra free with each fare-paying adult.
On CTA and Pace, to receive a reduced fare, ask the bus driver or station attendant for a reduced fare before touching your card to pay when intending to pay a reduced fare for children.
On CTA or Pace:
Children under 7, when traveling with a fare-paying adult, ride free on CTA or Pace.
Children under 7, when traveling alone, pay a reduced fare on CTA or Pace.
Note: On Pace, there is a limit of 2 free child riders per fare-paying adult.
On Metra:
Children under 7 ride free when accompanied by a fare-paying adult (up to three children free per adult).
Children under 7 may not ride Metra alone.
Please note: Cash is still accepted on buses. Cash can also be used to add value to Ventra cards. Riders wishing to pay cash for a single-use rail ticket will buy a single-use paper Ventra ticket, which will cost $3 and includes two transfers.
CTA Visitor Pass
The CTA 1-day Visitor Pass costs $10 and allows unlimited rides on all CTA buses and trains. Passes can be purchased online at www.transitchicago.com or at nearly 1,300 retail locations, including drug stores and currency exchanges.
Customers can also pay for rides with a credit or debit card that has this contactless symbol
Pay-as-you-go (PAYG):
You can use your Contactless card to Pay-as-you-go without having to create a Transit Account
To pay for individual rides on rail or buses, just take out your bankcard and tap it on the center of the card reader. The full fare will be deducted for each ride ($2.25 for CTA, $1.75 for Pace).
Add passes and transit value
Passes and transit value can be added to your Contactless card at Ventra Vending Machines at CTA rail stations or participating Ventra Retail Locations.
Ventra Contactless card fees:
There are no additional fees associated with using a personal contactless credit or debit card.
