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Your new way to pay COTA fares

Explore COTA’s exciting new digital payment system.
Credit: Central Ohio Transit Association

The Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) just launched a new and improved way to pay fares. The new fare policy and payment system either reduces or maintains transit fares for all customers by introducing: 

  • Fare capping | Ensures customers pay no more than $4.50 a day or $62 per calendar month when they use the new fare management system 
  • Flat fare rate | Eliminates the 75-cent upcharge on rush hour lines and makes the standard fare $2 on all lines, regardless of whether customers use the old or new fare payment system
  • Simplified transfers | Customers can travel on multiple lines in any direction within the two-hour period after they pay their fare
  • Simplified children discounts | Eliminates height specifications for children and allows children under 4 to board at no cost and children between ages 5 and 12 to board for $1, regardless of whether customers use the old or new fare payment system

What is this new and improved system?

Rather than COTA’s paper passes (which are still available), customers can now use an account-based system through either the Transit mobile app or a COTA Smartcard. Best of all, every new user gets a complimentary $4.50 account credit when they set up their COTA account. 

The Transit app

You can plan your trip, manage your account and pay your COTA fare all from one, convenient mobile app — Transit. 

The Transit app is the easiest way to start taking advantage of these benefits. To get started, download the Transit app. Then, follow COTA’s helpful step-by-step guide to set up your COTA account. Once you create your COTA account, please allow two business days for the complimentary $4.50 credit to appear on your account within the Transit app. 

COTA Smartcard

No smartphone? No problem! You can get the same benefits without a smartphone through a COTA Smartcard. To get your COTA Smartcard, visit the Customer Experience Center at 33 N. High St. There, a friendly member of Team COTA will help you set up your account.

When you scan your Transit app or COTA Smartcard on the validator to ride, COTA can track your payments to ensure that you never pay more than $4.50 in a day or $62 in a calendar month. Once you reach that “fare cap,” the system stops charging you for any future rides. It’s like paying for a monthly pass one ride at a time, rather than all upfront. 

Plus, you don’t need a debit or credit card to take advantage of fare capping! You can load cash onto your COTA account by visiting one of up to 400 local retailers (VidaPay and VanillaDirect). At the retailer, you can just hand cash to the cashier and they will scan your Transit app QR code or Smartcard and load those funds onto your account. 

Take advantage of this new, streamlined fare payment system today! Learn more at COTA.com/transitapp.

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