Railwaymodeler Posted July 18, 2013 Report Share Posted July 18, 2013 I saw the noticed posted on the buses for that. Doesn't do me much good; I'm down in Kentucky, coming home a week from today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted July 24, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2013 ...BTW, I heard to get a Ventra card you'll still need to pay five dollars. You won't get it free until you register your name and a rebate will come in the mail. Give an incorrect name and your five dollar rebate goes to someone else. Pretty clever!! Although there is supposed to be free handouts of cards at select locations in which you can receive a card for free, no questions asked. Locations though so far are a big secret. The official word was that there would be a $5.00 charge but it would be credited back to the transit account if you registered the card. CTA sure isn't going to spend the money on postage. Q: Why should I register my Ventra Card? ... The $5.00 Card purchase fee is refunded for immediate transit use Then there was the Tribune report that the $5 fee would not be charged in 2013, as part of the rollout. The article referred to neighborhood festivals and the like, but it basically should be free anywhere it is available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twyztdmynd Posted July 29, 2013 Report Share Posted July 29, 2013 The new dates are announced... http://www.transitchicago.com/news/default.aspx?Month&Year&Category=2&ArticleId=3190 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juniorz Posted July 29, 2013 Report Share Posted July 29, 2013 All Ventra customers starting August 5 can call (877) NOW VENTRA (699-8368). Starting August 12, customers can visit the new Ventra Customer Service Center at 165 N. Jefferson Street, Chicago, IL 60661 to learn more about Ventra. Sales of Ventra cards at that location will begin September 9. # Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sw4400 Posted July 31, 2013 Report Share Posted July 31, 2013 Ventra is getting closer to going online... we just got our electronic device/pinpad installed by HQ today for it. I believe it's purpose is to add value and sell multi-day passes. I'll know more when I get trained on it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jajuan Posted July 31, 2013 Report Share Posted July 31, 2013 Ventra is getting closer to going online... we just got our electronic device/pinpad installed by HQ today for it. I believe it's purpose is to add value and sell multi-day passes. I'll know more when I get trained on it... Looks like Jewel and other CTA media retailers are getting the next five to six weeks to get prepped as Ventra goes live for everybody September 9 and with end of October being the deadline when retailers no longer sell magnetic strip transit cards and passes. As a matter of fact transit card users are advised to spend down their balances starting in September once Ventra is completely live for everybody. Most of the transit card vending machines are set to get replaced be Ventra machines also during September. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted August 20, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2013 sw would see the point in today's Animal Crackers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trigger Posted August 20, 2013 Report Share Posted August 20, 2013 For anyone who wants a Ventra card right now, they are available for sale at http://www.ventrachicago.com The minimum purchase seems to be $2 in transit value at this time. No $5 card fee. If you would like some extras to keep around the house or for guests, now might be a good time to buy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted August 20, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2013 ,,,, If you would like some extras to keep around the house or for guests, now might be a good time to buy. Not if you are going to lose it on the dormancy fee. As pointed out before, if you wait until 2014 and have to pay the $5, it is credited back to your account on registration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trigger Posted August 20, 2013 Report Share Posted August 20, 2013 Not if you are going to lose it on the dormancy fee. As pointed out before, if you wait until 2014 and have to pay the $5, it is credited back to your account on registration. For gosh sake, use up the balance before putting it away. Or if it's been 17 months since you used it, add a dollar. And the dormancy fee still applies even if you wait until 2014 to buy it. If you are so concerned about dormancy fees wouldn't you rather lose $2 than $5? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted August 20, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2013 For gosh sake, use up the balance before putting it away. Or if it's been 17 months since you used it, add a dollar. And the dormancy fee still applies even if you wait until 2014 to buy it. If you are so concerned about dormancy fees wouldn't you rather lose $2 than $5? I'm concerned enough about the dormancy fee that I intend to use a bank card with a chip rather than bother with a Ventra card now or at all. But you certainly have not given any reason to back up your recommendation to stock up now. Do you get Visa prepaid debit cards for your friends? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jajuan Posted August 20, 2013 Report Share Posted August 20, 2013 Not if you are going to lose it on the dormancy fee. As pointed out before, if you wait until 2014 and have to pay the $5, it is credited back to your account on registration. RIght. The only reason to get a Ventra Card now is if you plan to start using it once you get it and don't want to wait till September 9th for them to be available at relevant retail locations and the Ventra vending machines to the remaining public as a whole. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trigger Posted August 20, 2013 Report Share Posted August 20, 2013 I'm concerned enough about the dormancy fee that I intend to use a bank card with a chip rather than bother with a Ventra card now or at all. But you certainly have not given any reason to back up your recommendation to stock up now. Do you get Visa prepaid debit cards for your friends? I have not purchased a Visa prepaid card, but when I've had guests, I have met them at Union Station or O'Hare with a transit pass so we could go tour around the city. If I had a spare Ventra card in my drawer, I could just log in and add a pass to it rather than having to make a special trip to Walgreens to get a pass like today. Getting a bank card with a chip won't really help because the dormancy fee applies to a Ventra account, not to a Ventra card. While you can use a personal bank card to pay a fare without funding a Ventra account, you won't get any transfers (you will have to pay a full fare for each ride even if it is within two hours) and you won't be able to add any passes to your card. And the fare charged will be a new category called pay-as-you-go (PAYG) which is currently the same as the standard fare, but don't count on it remaining that way. If you want to get transfers or passes, you will have to establish a transit account for your personal card and pre-fund it. That transit account will be subject to the dormancy fee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted August 20, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2013 I have not purchased a Visa prepaid card, but when I've had guests, I have met them at Union Station or O'Hare with a transit pass so we could go tour around the city. If I had a spare Ventra card in my drawer, I could just log in and add a pass to it rather than having to make a special trip to Walgreens to get a pass like today. Getting a bank card with a chip won't really help because the dormancy fee applies to a Ventra account, not to a Ventra card. While you can use a personal bank card to pay a fare without funding a Ventra account, you won't get any transfers (you will have to pay a full fare for each ride even if it is within two hours) and you won't be able to add any passes to your card. And the fare charged will be a new category called pay-as-you-go (PAYG) which is currently the same as the standard fare, but don't count on it remaining that way. If you want to get transfers or passes, you will have to establish a transit account for your personal card and pre-fund it. That transit account will be subject to the dormancy fee. Your statements are blatantly untrue. Go back and read the Ventra site. There is nothing to indicate that by using an open source bank card you pay anything other than normal CTA fares. It is not a Ventra single use ticket. And the Ventra site says that passes can be added to a bank card. From that site: Use your own contactless bankcard Register your Ventra Transit Account to add passes and transit value Pay as you go without having to create a Transit Account This symbol means your card is contactless Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trigger Posted August 20, 2013 Report Share Posted August 20, 2013 Yes, Jack, you know everything. I bow before you. I also read the fine print. Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) with Contactless Credit or Debit Bank Card or Mobile Phone You may use a contactless credit or debit bank card to pay for travel without purchasing Transit Value or a pass in advance. This is called Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG). Accepted contactless bank card network brands are: American Express Discover MasterCard Visa If you have a contactless credit or debit bank card or mobile phone and do not first either load Transit Value or a pass to your Ventra Account, you may still use your card or mobile phone directly at the Ventra fare reader. You will be charged a PAYG fare each time you tap your card or mobile phone. If you travel PAYG, will not receive any transfers and you will be charged a full PAYG fare each time you enter a bus or pass through a station fare gate. To avoid PAYG fare costs for every ride and to receive other benefits that participating transit agencies offer, such as transfers, you must load your Ventra Account with sufficient Transit Value or a pass, or set your Ventra Account up to be loaded automatically using AutoLoad. In addition, if you have a Ventra Account that is linked to a contactless credit or debit bank card or mobile phone, but you do not have sufficient funds to cover your fare in your account, the Ventra system will attempt to process your fare on a PAYG basis and will not use any of your account's Transit Value. Example: If your Ventra Transit Value balance contains only $1.00 and the fare due is $2.25, you will be charged the full PAYG fare against your credit or debit bank card account. The amount in your Ventra Account will not be applied to your fare. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trigger Posted August 20, 2013 Report Share Posted August 20, 2013 Your statements are blatantly untrue. Go back and read the Ventra site. There is nothing to indicate that by using an open source bank card you pay anything other than normal CTA fares. It is not a Ventra single use ticket. And the Ventra site says that passes can be added to a bank card. From that site: Notice how carefully worded the graphic is: You must register a Ventra account to your credit card before buying passes. "Register your Ventra Transit Account to add passes and transit value." And notice the careful wording "Pay as you go without having to create a Transit Account." What they mean by "pay as you go" is specified in the fine print. Right now, it is the same as paying with a Ventra card (except no passes or transfers), but they have deliberately worded it to leave open the opportunity to make the PAYG fare different. The terms and conditions do not specify how much the PAYG fare is or that it will be the same as the Ventra card fare. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Posted August 20, 2013 Report Share Posted August 20, 2013 Reading through the User Agreement, I believe trigger is correct. There are two ways to use a personal contactless bank card: Don't link the card to a Ventra Account and use it to directly pay for rides. Full fare will be charged to your card for each tap. Link the card to a Ventra Account, allowing you to take advantage of passes, transfers, and pre-load transit value like a Chicago Card Plus. The Dormancy Fee applies to a Ventra Account, not necessarily a Ventra Card. If you take the 2nd option and link your contactless bank card (or mobile phone) to a Ventra Account, any funds added to that account are subject to the Dormancy Fee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted August 20, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2013 I wouldn't link my bank card to a transit account. The only issue then is whether PAYG means no transfers. If CTA is going to sneak something like that on people who did not agree to a Ventra agreement, and did not stick $3 or $5 into a Ventra Ticket machine, it is lying again about no fare increase. At that point, just stick 9 quarters into the bus fare box and see if that reduces CTA's collection costs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trigger Posted August 20, 2013 Report Share Posted August 20, 2013 It says explicitly that PAYG means no transfers. There is no ambiguity there. And, no, I don't think they will sneak in a PAYG fare hike for the next year or two. But just like travelers (but not employees) at O'Hare were a juicy target to be shaken down, the next time they need to raise money "without a fare hike" someone may think of excercising that loophole. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted August 20, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2013 It says explicitly that PAYG means no transfers. There is no ambiguity there. And, no, I don't think they will sneak in a PAYG fare hike for the next year or two. But just like travelers (but not employees) at O'Hare were a juicy target to be shaken down, the next time they need to raise money "without a fare hike" someone may think of excercising that loophole. It is a fare hike if they say they take open media, and then treat it as cash instead as a preexisting transit card, which you can buy on credit. And the question is what "it" is. If it is the Ventra card agreement, as I indicated above, those using open media presumably have not read nor assented to it. I suppose that CTA thinks the way to deal with these people is to let them protest their bank or credit card statements at the end of the month, instead of making disclosure to them when they tap their cards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jajuan Posted August 20, 2013 Report Share Posted August 20, 2013 I wouldn't link my bank card to a transit account. The only issue then is whether PAYG means no transfers. If CTA is going to sneak something like that on people who did not agree to a Ventra agreement, and did not stick $3 or $5 into a Ventra Ticket machine, it is lying again about no fare increase. At that point, just stick 9 quarters into the bus fare box and see if that reduces CTA's collection costs. In that case you may as well be ready to mark your calendar for when any passes loaded onto your Ventra or bank card is set to expire since one thing linking a bank card would do is make it easier on you with not having to try to remember when a preloaded pass is set to expire by automatically reloading the pass for you if you chose automatic reloads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sw4400 Posted August 20, 2013 Report Share Posted August 20, 2013 I can tell you we got the reader... but that's it. I don't know how it works nor when they're going to send someone out to train us. I hope they're not going to do this like the day before Ventra goes live. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sw4400 Posted August 20, 2013 Report Share Posted August 20, 2013 Reading through the User Agreement, I believe trigger is correct. There are two ways to use a personal contactless bank card: Don't link the card to a Ventra Account and use it to directly pay for rides. Full fare will be charged to your card for each tap. Link the card to a Ventra Account, allowing you to take advantage of passes, transfers, and pre-load transit value like a Chicago Card Plus. The Dormancy Fee applies to a Ventra Account, not necessarily a Ventra Card. If you take the 2nd option and link your contactless bank card (or mobile phone) to a Ventra Account, any funds added to that account are subject to the Dormancy Fee. I'm kinda lost here... According to the info under the user agreement, there are two ways to get multi-day passes? I always get 7-Day passes, so I can get either the Ventra Card, which has nothing to do with my personal Credit or Debit Card, or a Ventra Ticket, which sounds like a 7-Day card I have right now. Would both cost $28, or would I have to pay $28 plus some additional fee for that Ventra Ticket? Personal Contactless Bank Card... that's my own personal card, or my personal Credit/Debit card linked to a Ventra Card, not just a Ventra Card, correct? If that's true(and I don't know if it is), then it sounds like that is how Ventra is going to get you to link your personal Credit/Debit Card to their card to get transfers, passes and pre-load value, otherwise full-fare will be charged to you each time you use the card, and might have to absorb some of those outlandish fees for Customer Service or Account Research... stuff that was talked about but watered down just a bit in the past. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Posted August 21, 2013 Report Share Posted August 21, 2013 According to the info under the user agreement, there are two ways to get multi-day passes? I always get 7-Day passes, so I can get either the Ventra Card, which has nothing to do with my personal Credit or Debit Card, or a Ventra Ticket, which sounds like a 7-Day card I have right now. Would both cost $28, or would I have to pay $28 plus some additional fee for that Ventra Ticket? Interesting. The user agreement says Ventra Tickets can be used for 1, 3, and 7-day passes. But all marketing material to date has said disposable tickets are only for single ride and 1-day passes. I'll check into this. (Regarding Ventra Ticket fees, the 50-cent fee applies only to single ride tickets. No fee for 1-day passes.) Personal Contactless Bank Card... that's my own personal card, or my personal Credit/Debit card linked to a Ventra Card, not just a Ventra Card, correct? If that's true(and I don't know if it is), then it sounds like that is how Ventra is going to get you to link your personal Credit/Debit Card to their card to get transfers, passes and pre-load value, otherwise full-fare will be charged to you each time you use the card, and might have to absorb some of those outlandish fees for Customer Service or Account Research... stuff that was talked about but watered down just a bit in the past. You can link a contactless bank card to a Ventra Account and use that bank card to pay for fares, or you can use a Ventra-branded card which you can fund with cash or any credit/debit card. The fees you're referring to apply only to the pre-paid debit feature. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trigger Posted August 21, 2013 Report Share Posted August 21, 2013 The fact that the User Agreement mentions 3 and 7 day tickets is a bit puzzling. Nothing else has mentioned 3 and 7 day tickets, just 1 day tickets. I suspect, but I don't know for sure, that they put the 3 and 7 day tickets in there to give themselves a future option. As far as I can deduce, for now you can have a 1-day ticket, but if you want a 3- or 7-day pass, it will have to be placed in a Ventra Account and not be a separate ticket or card. I am trying to find out for sure, so hang on. Personal Contactless Bankcard is your own personal debit or credit card issued by your own bank if it has the PayWave or Paypass symbol on it. No, you do not link it with a Ventra card. You use it instead of a Ventra card. Think of it this way. Let's say you have a checking account at a bank. You want to take money out of the checking account. So you take your ATM card over to the nearest ATM and use that to withdraw money from your checking account. The ATM card itself is not an account and it has no money on it. It is just an ID you use to identify yourself and your account to the machine. You will have a Ventra Account. The Ventra Account can contain money (like a checking account at a bank). This money is called "transit value." It can also contain electronic passes like 1-, 3-, 7-, and 30-day passes. Now in order to spend money from your Ventra Account, you can use either a Ventra card or your own contactless personal bankcard -- your choice. The card you choose is sort of like an ATM card, except you use it to pay for bus and train rides instead of getting money out of an ATM. How do you get a Ventra Account? When you buy a Ventra card, an account is automatically created for it. If you lose your Ventra card and report it to the CTA, they will send you a replacement Ventra card that accesses your old Ventra Account. If you don't want to buy a Ventra card, you can register your contactless bankcard with the CTA (either on the web or by phone) and a Ventra Account will be created for you and your contactless bankcard will serve as the access device for that Ventra Account. You add money ("transit value") or passes to your Ventra Account. You use your Ventra card or contactless bankcard to make withdrawals from your Ventra Account when you want to ride. If you choose not to register your personal contactless bankcard and create a Ventra Account, full fare will be charged to your bankcard each time you use it. Or if you use your registered contactless bankcard and there is not enough money (or a valid pass) in your Ventra Account, your bankcard will be charged a full fare. There are absolutely no customer service or research fees associated with the transit side of Ventra. Apologies to Kevin. I did not see your answer before I posted. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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