As people stay home and practice social distancing in response to COVID-19, we want you to know that CTA is continuing to run bus and rail service for those who need to get to critical jobs or need to travel for essential purposes.
During this time of uncertainty, CTA will be offering a one-time credit for any remaining days left on an active 7- or 30-day pass, based on when the pass was last used (more details below).
Additionally, we wanted to provide you with some helpful information regarding your Ventra account – specifically how to make the best use of any existing, inactive passes and other steps you can take to reduce your cost burden.
- Prorated credit for active 7- and 30-Day passes: Customers with an active 7- or 30-Day pass are eligible to receive a prorated credit for any remaining days, based on when the pass was last used. For example, a 7-day pass that was activated on March 15 and used only that day, would be eligible for a prorated refund reflecting six unused days. Prorated credits will be issued as Transit Value that is added to the cardholder’s Ventra account. Transit Value can be used to purchase passes in the future or for Pay-As-You-Go trips.
To receive a Transit Value credit, send an email to Ventra Customer Service (customerservice@ventrachicago.com) with the following information no later than
- April 13, 2020:
- Accountholder’s name
- Transit account ID number (12-digit code associated with your Ventra account, not your Ventra Card number), and
- Type of pass (7- or 30-Day) in which a credit is being requested.
- Unlimited ride passes (1-, 3-, 7-, 30-Day passes): Passes are only activated when tapped at a rail station or on a bus, so if you do not need to ride CTA using one of these passes, simply save your Ventra Card with un-activated passes until things return to normal. You can log into your account online to see if you have any activated or un-activated passes.
- Deactivating auto-load feature: If you have auto-load enabled, you can easily deactivate auto-load feature through the Ventra App or on our website (ventrachicago.com). And it’s just as easy to re-activate auto-load when things get back to normal.
- Pre-tax transit benefits: If you use your employer’s pre-tax transit benefits program, you can contact your employer’s administrator to turn off a 30-Day Pass or Transit Value deposits. These deposits generally occur on 26th of each month. Please note that employers or third party administrators may take some time to process your request.
And remember, Ventra Transit Value and/or un-activated passes do not become dormant until 18 months transpire without any use.
For questions or further assistance with your Ventra Card or Account, call 1.877.NOW.VENTRA or visit ventrachicago.com.
For the latest information regarding CTA service, please visit transitchicago.com.