Where to buy farecards (in person)
You can buy farecards (Transit Card and Chicago Card), in person, at hundreds of locations throughout the region. You can also buy fares in advance in our online store.
At stations
- Transit Card Vending Machines
All 144 CTA rail stations have Transit Card Vending Machines which vend and reload Transit Cards, and also allow you to reload regular Chicago Cards. (Exact cash/coin only.)
- Express Vending Machines
At certain rail stations, CTA's new Express Vending Machines allow you to purchase new Transit Cards and reload both Transit and Chicago Cards using a credit card. All major credit cards are accepted.
- CTA Pass Machines
At certain rail stations, CTA Pass Machines accept cash or credit cards and dispense 3-Day, 7-Day, and 7-Day CTA/Pace passes, which allow for unlimited rides for one person over a designated period of time.
Note: Pass Machines will be temporarily out-of-service on Wed., June 17 and Thu., June 18, 2009. Transit Card Vending Machines and Express Vending Machines are not affected.
Want to learn more? Read our How-To Guide on Buying Fares.
At CTA Headquarters
You can buy farecards (Transit Cards and Passes) and get Chicago Card or Chicago Card Plus, in person, at CTA Headquarters:
567 W Lake St
2nd Floor Sales Center
Chicago, IL 60661
(1 block west of Clinton on the Green and Pink Lines)
At retail locations
Retail locations throughout the region sell pre-loaded Transit Cards and passes (1-, 3-, 7-, and 30-Day cards).
See a list of all Chicago Card Sales Outlets (.pdf)
See a list of all Transit Card Sales Outlets (.pdf)
Note: Not all outlets sell all media types. Please call location to verify media sold.