FAQ: Commuter Card

What is the Commuter Benefits Program Commuter Card?

The Commuter Benefits Program offers the Commuter Card Plan.

The Commuter Card is a stored value debit card linked to a special Transportation Spending Account, secured by the City Commuter Benefit provider, Edenred. They are also contactless payment cards, meaning you can use your Commuter Card to tap & go at OMNY turnstiles, or upload the Commuter Card to your digital wallet on your phone.

Under the commuter card option, you can elect to have any pre-tax deduction amount up to $325, the transportation fringe benefit pre-tax limit per month. Deductions exceeding $325 be deducted post-tax. With the Commuter Card, you designate a monthly deduction amount to suit your commuting needs. The Commuter Card is funded each pay day with your transportation deduction.

How do I enroll in the Commuter Benefits Program Commuter Card plan?

City employees: use NYCAPS Employee Self Service or contact your agency's Transit Benefit Coordinator.

Department of Education (DoE) employees: use the DoE payroll portal or obtain an enrollment form from the DoE website. DoE forms are mailed to the Department of Education, 65 Court Street, Room 1003, Brooklyn, NY 11201.

City University of New York (CUNY) Community College employees: download an enrollment form from the CUNY website or contact your Transit Benefit Coordinator.

Where is the Commuter Card accepted?

Your Commuter Card will work at transit provider vending machines and ticket windows throughout the New York metropolitan area including NYCT MetroCard Vending machines, Metro-North Railroad, Long Island Railroad, New Jersey Transit, PATH and many other providers. Your Commuter Card can only be used at transit provider vending machines, ticket window and transit provider online stores. Your Commuter Card cannot be used to purchase tickets at other merchants (for example, a grocery store, drug store or newsstand). See a list of where the Commuter Card will work.

Is the Commuter Card the best option for me?

The Commuter Card may be the best option for you if:

You want to save up to 30% from your monthly transit expenses*.
You use Long Island Railroad, Metro-North Railroad, PATH or New Jersey Transit or other transit providers that accept credit cards to purchase fares.
You use online/web options such as the MTA Mail&Ride program or WebTicket program or New Jersey Transit Quik-Tik program.
You use the MTA Reduced-Fare MetroCard.
You ride on MTA express buses.
You change transit providers from month to month or week to week.
You want to occasionally buy daily or weekly tickets.
You prefer Pay-Per-Ride MetroCards.

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*Up to 30% is illustrative of typical savings. Your actual savings depend on the cost of your transit options, your particular tax situation and the monthly IRS limits.
Use the Edenred Calculator to calculate your estimated savings.

Are there any service fees for this program?

Commuter Card - No Admin Fee: Under this option, your pre-tax deduction will be $132/month, which is equivalent to the cost of the MTA NYCT 30-Day Unlimited Ride MetroCard. You will receive a Commuter Card that can be used to purchase the 30-Day Unlimited Ride MetroCard at NYCT MetroCard vending machines or to enroll in the MTA EasyPayXpress program which supports an unlimited ride MetroCard. You can also purchase any qualified transit pass up to the available balance. The City will pay the administrative fee of $1.50 per month for this plan.

Commuter Card - Unrestricted: Under this option, you can elect to have any deduction amount up to Federal pre-tax transit limits which is currently set at $325 pre-tax per month. Deductions exceeding $325 are allowed but will be deducted post-tax. You will receive a Commuter Card that can be used to purchase qualified transportation media from local and regional carriers' vending machines, ticket booths or websites such as the Long Island Railroad, Metro-North Rail Road and New Jersey Transit. With the Unrestricted Plan, you will pay an administrative fee of $1.25 per month through payroll deductions. The City of New York will pay an administrative fee of $0.25 that will be added to your taxable earnings as a fringe benefit.

How is my IRS Form W-2 Affected?

Your taxable wages in Box 1, Social Security and Medicare wages in Boxes 3 and 5, and state and local wages in Boxes 16 and 18 will be reduced by the value of the pre-tax Transportation Deductions from your pay.

Commuter Card - No Admin Fee: the amount of the administrative fee paid to Edenred in your behalf by the City will be shown in Box 14 as a fringe benefit added to your taxable earnings in Boxes 1, 3, 5, 16 and 18 if you have an $132 monthly election amount only.

Commuter Card - Unrestricted: You will pay an administrative fee of $1.25 per month through payroll deductions. The City of New York Wil pay an administrative fee of $0.25 cents that will be added to your taxable earnings as a fringe benefit.

How does the program work?

After you enroll in the Commuter Benefits Program, your elected Commuter Card Transportation Deduction Plan amount will be taken from your wages every pay day. You will receive your new stored value Commuter Card in the mail. Upon receipt of your Commuter Card you will activate the card. Your Commuter Card will remain valid for as long as your participation in the program continues. A new Commuter Card is issued every five years.

If I enroll, how will I receive my Commuter Card?

Your Commuter Card will be mailed to you at the address on file with Edenred, the City Commuter Benefit Provider. Make sure you provide a complete and accurate address so that you will receive your Commuter Card in a timely manner.

Are there any purchasing restrictions?

The provisions of Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 132(f) do not permit pre-tax earnings set aside for transportation to be used for any other purpose.

How do I use my Commuter Card at transit vending machines?

You use your Commuter Card at a transit provider vending machine in the same manner as you would use a personal credit or debit card. One key thing to remember is to select "Credit" rather than "Debit/ATM" for the type of card. Although the Commuter Card is not a credit card, this is the appropriate option to choose since this card does not require a Personal Identification Number or PIN. The amount of your purchase at the machine is deducted from your Commuter Card balance.

Remember, the Commuter Card is also a form of contactless payment, meaning you can tap & go and OMNY turnstiles, or upload your commuter card to your digital wallet on your phone.

Is the Commuter Card a credit card?

No. You cannot use your commuter card for purchases other than qualified transit and parking purchases through the NYC/Edenred Commuter Benefits Program.

What happens to the balance on the card at the end of the month?

Any unused balance will remain on your card for future use. Balance exceeding $2,000 will be moved from your credit account to your commuter master account.

What are the eligible Commuter benefit expenses I can purchase with my Commuter Card?

You can use the Commuter Card to purchase transit fare media for buses, subways, trains and ferries.

What are the ineligible Commuter benefit expenses I cannot purchase with my Commuter Card?

Ineligible expenses include, but are not limited to, gas, tolls and parking.

Why would my Commuter Card be rejected?

Your Commuter Card transaction could be rejected for several reasons:

You do not have enough funds in your card account to pay for the transaction.

You are trying to purchase from an ineligible merchant.

If you were prompted for a "billing zip code" and you did not enter the zip code on file with Edenred.

You selected "Debit" instead of "Credit".

There is a temporary network problem that is preventing your card from working. You may want to try another machine or try again later in the day.

Can I use the Commuter Card at an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) or a Check Casher to purchase my pass?

No, you may not use your Commuter Card at an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) or a Check Casher to purchase your pass. Your Commuter Card can only be used at transit provider vending machines and online.

What happens if my Commuter Card is not received or is damaged, lost, or stolen?

As soon as you realize your card has not been received or is damaged, lost, or stolen, contact Edenred Customer Service at 833-584-8109. Your old Commuter Card will be deactivated within 24 hours after you have spoken with an Edenred Customer Service Representative. A new Commuter Card will be mailed to you to at the address on file with Edenred and a $2.50 replacement fee will be charged to you.

Can I get a refund when my Commuter Card is Undelivered, Damaged, Lost, or Stolen?

No, there is no need for a refund as your transportation deductions will still be available in your account.

Can I get a refund of my Commuter Benefits deductions if the fare media I purchased with my Commuter Card becomes Damaged or is Lost or Stolen?

If the fare media you purchased with your Commuter Card is damaged or is lost or stolen, you should contact your transit provider directly. If a MetroCard you purchased with your Commuter Card becomes damaged or is lost or stolen, you can call 718-330-1234, call 511, or go to the MTA website for additional information.

My Commuter Benefits payroll deduction was suspended or cancelled. How can I resume my payroll deduction?

Log into your agency’s payroll portal at https://www.commuterbenefitsnyc.com/signup.aspx. If your deduction was suspended, you can change the resumption date to have the payroll deduction resume earlier than originally scheduled. If your deduction was cancelled, you will need to re-enroll in a commuter plan to start the payroll deduction. Because of payroll timeframes, your deductions may not occur for up to two payroll periods.

What should I do if I am a NYC Commuter Card holder and need to return my MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) or Metro-North Railroad (MNR) ticket and get a refund?

Use the yellow return envelope to mail the unopened ticket back to MTA LIRR/MNR at the below address by the 1st day of the month for which the ticket is valid. Contact LIRR/MNR to request the credit be returned to your Edenred account; otherwise, refunds will be credited back to your Mail&Ride account. It takes 6-8 weeks for refunds to be posted in your Edenred account after LIRR/MNR receives your ticket.

For additional information regarding your return, please reach out to their customer service support.

MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR)
Return tickets to:
LIRR Ticket Refunds Department
Jamaica Station – MC 1410
Jamaica, NY 11435-4380

Phone: (718) 217-5477
Email: MRinquiries@lirr.org

Metro-North Railroad
Return tickets to:
Ticket Redemption
MTA Metro-North Railroad
P.O. Box 4117
New York, NY 10163

Phone: (212) 532-4900
Email: mailride@mnr.org

What should I do if I am a NYC Commuter Card holder and need to suspend my upcoming MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) or Metro-North Railroad (MNR) order?

Follow the steps below to suspend your MTA Long Island Rail Road or Metro-North Railroad order:

1) Suspend your Commuter Benefits payroll deductions with your employer.
2) Suspend your LIRR/MNR orders with LIRR/MNR respectively.
3) If you are enrolled in the MTA Mail&Ride program, suspend your ticket order with the MTA Mail&Ride program via your online Mail&Ride account or contact Mail&Ride customer service.

For detailed instructions and deadlines regarding this process, please visit Edenred’s COVID-19 Updates and Policies page. Information on returns and refunds can also be found there.

What happens if I leave City employment?

If you leave City employment, you have 90 days after your separation date to spend the remaining funds in your Commuter Card.

How can I check my Commuter Card balance?

Use the following options to access your Commuter Card balance with Edenred:

Log on to your account on Edenred website.

Call Edenred Customer Service at 833-584-8109 Monday-Friday, 8am-8pm and follow the prompts to check your balance. You will be required to provide the last four digits of your Employee Reference Number (ERN) and home zip code.

For additional information visit Edenred website or call Edenred Customer Service at 833-584-8109 Monday to Friday, 8am-8pm.