CTA fares

From Transit.Wiki

CTA fares can be paid with cash at bus farebox and ticket vending machines (at rail stations), Ventra fare cards, contactless bank cards, and mobile phone with pay app.

Seniors, disabled, and children under age of 12 pay reduced fare. It requires a Reduced Fare Ventra card.

K-12 students pay student fare on school days from 5:30am to 8:30pm. Student fare requires a Student Ventra card.

Single ride, 1 day fare

Full Reduced Student
Bus cash in farebox $2.50 $1.25 $0.75
Rail cash at vending machine $3.00
Bus or Rail PAYG $2.50
O’Hare $5.00
1 day/24 hour pass at vending machine $10.00
  • Cash riders on the 'L' buy a single use Ventra ticket.
  • PAYG (pay as you go) means using a contactless personal bank card or mobile phone with Apple/Samsung/Android Pay without setting a Ventra account at ticket vending machine. Fare is directly funded from the bank account associated with the card or app. No transfer privileges is provided when fare is paid with this method.

Ventra

These fares require a Ventra card or...

  • contactless bank card
  • mobile phone with Apple/Samsung/Android Pay

that have fare values or passes loaded from Ventra vending machines.

Ventra card costs $5, which is returned as transit values upon registration within 90 days.

Single ride Full Reduced Student
Bus $2.25 $1.10 $0.75
Rail $2.50 $1.25 $0.75
O’Hare $5.00 $1.25 $0.75
Transfer (within 2 hours after first boarding) $0.25 $0.15 $0.15
Passes
1 day/24 hour pass $10.00
3 day/72 hour pass $20.00
7 day pass $28.00
30 day pass $105.00 $50.00