The Chicago Transit Authority has alerted approximately 3,500 customers who use Chicago Card Plus that the expiration date previously listed online for their account may have been incorrect and that the card may expire this week. The incorrect expiration dates impact only 1.1% of all Chicago Card Plus as there are 329,645 cards in circulation.
The cards are encoded to last four years and more than 50,000 Chicago Card Plus cards are due to expire in 2009 – with the majority expiring in July. CTA has been sending email reminders to customers whose cards are due to expire, however, because of a programming error that occurred when the cards were originally encoded, some cards are due to expire earlier than CTA records indicated.
Chicago Card Plus users are required to register and provide the CTA with an email address. The CTA has identified the 3,500 active cards that may be impacted by the error and has contacted those customers directly. In addition, the Chicago Card web site has been updated with the correct information. Once addresses are verified, new cards will be mailed to customers who have cards with incorrect expiration dates.
Customers whose cards register as "expired" when they board the bus or pass through a turnstile should contact the CTA immediately for a replacement card. In the interim, any customer with a Chicago Card Plus that reads expired will be allowed to ride the system without being asked to pay a cash fare or use a magnetic strip card. CTA thanks customers in advance for their patience.
Customers can find their correct expiration date the following ways:
- By visiting the Chicago Card web site at www.chicago-card.com ;
- at the passenger information units in most CTA rail stations;
- by calling CTA at 1-888-YOUR-CTA (1-888-968-7282), Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. – 8 p.m.; or
- by visiting the CTA Sales Center at 567 W. Lake St., Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Customers are encouraged to update their Chicago Card Plus account online now at www.chicago-card.com to assure that the CTA has the most accurate e-mail and address information for the account.
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