If you ride Metra, you can use the Ventra app to buy mobile tickets and ride with the app. Buy your tickets before you board so you're ready to go when the conductor comes around. Tickets are stored on your device and can be used even if you don't have cell signal on the train.
How to Buy your Ticket
- From the home screen, choose Buy Metra Tickets.
- Select the line and stations you intend to use and the type of ticket you want to buy. (Monthly Passes are only sold between the 20th and the 12th.)
- Prices are displayed for each ticket type between the stations you selected. (You can buy reduced fare Metra mobile tickets, but when you use them you must present proper documentation to the conductor to prove your eligibility.)
- Confirm your selection. When you're ready to buy, choose Go to Checkout.
- Payment options will include any credit or debit cards, Apple Pay/Google Pay or Ventra transit value already added to your account (you can also add a credit/debit card if you haven't added one yet). You can also choose to split the payment between two options.
Your new mobile tickets will be stored under "Metra Tickets" in the app for when you're ready to use them. You can view and activate Metra tickets from the home screen and the "Tickets" section of the app.
Available tickets include One-Way, $6 Day Pass (good for unlimited travel across three fare zones), $10 Day Pass (good for unlimited travel across the system), 10-Ride, Saturday or Sunday Day Pass, Weekend Pass and Monthly Pass. You can also buy reduced fare tickets if you're an eligible rider, including seniors, K-12 students, people with disabilities or children. Click here to see the validity periods of all tickets. (When purchasing a day pass, passengers should select the furthest zone they wish to travel while using the pass. Passengers cannot pay to upgrade a three-zone pass into an all-zone pass onboard the train; those who attempt to use a three-zone pass to travel more than three zones will be charged for a One-Way Ticket.)
Get Transit Benefits Through your Employer
- If you have an employer that can deliver your transit benefits to a Ventra transit account, you can have money loaded into your transit account and apply the value toward your ticket purchases in the app (it'll show as transit benefit value).
- If you receive your benefits on a prepaid debit card, you can add this card like any other card and use it as a funding source.
- If your ticket costs more than the transit benefit money that's available to you, you can split your payment between your transit benefit funding source and another payment method on checkout.