Pricing and Fare Zones

Using a Compass Card, Compass Ticket, contactless payment cards, or mobile wallet.

• When you board, tap your card, ticket, or mobile wallet on the card reader located near the bus doors. You don't need to tap out when exiting.

Using cash

• Place the coins or bills into the fare box (no change can be given). You'll be handed a bus transfer from the Operator that is your proof of payment and can be used to transfer between buses (but not on SkyTrain, SeaBus, or West Coast Express).

For more information about paying on HandyDART, visit the HandyDART page.

Using a Compass Card, Compass Ticket, contactless payment cards, or mobile wallet.

• When you travel on SkyTrain, SeaBus, or West Coast Express, tap your card, ticket, or mobile wallet to the card reader at the fare gates (or validator for West Coast Express) as you enter and exit a station to validate your fare. Tapping reserves the fare for a 3-Zone trip, or a full-distance trip in the case of West Coast Express.

• When you tap out, the system calculates the fare zones you've travelled and charges you the correct fare. This applies to all products, including Monthly Passes.

• Paper bus transfers are only valid for transfer between buses.

Transit vehicles and all areas within fare gates are Fare Paid Zones.

All customers must pay the fare required by the TransLink Transit Tariff and carry proof of payment whenever they’re aboard a transit vehicle, within fare gates, or within any station area that is designated as a Fare Paid Zone.

Valid proof of payment:

• Compass Cards and Compass Tickets with a valid fare that has been successfully tapped in are accepted as proof of payment on all modes.

• Validated FareSavers (no longer sold) and bus transfers are accepted as proof of payment on buses.

Transit Police and Transit Security regularly conduct fare checks. Ensure you’ve tapped your Compass Card or Compass Ticket to validate your fare, and have them, along with any required valid identification, available for inspection, if asked. On buses, keep your bus transfer for inspection.

Anyone who fails to produce proof of payment with valid identification on request will be asked to leave the vehicle and risks facing a fare infraction ticket with a fine of $173.

If a fare product was lost or stolen while traveling on SkyTrain or SeaBus, you must immediately purchase a new fare to ensure you have proof of payment before continuing your journey. You may purchase a new ticket at an exit ticket machine or use contactless payment at the fare gate to charge a maximum fare.

Visit our Fare Infraction page for more information on paying or disputing a fare evasion ticket. 

For large group trips (e.g., school field trips), you can bulk purchase Compass Tickets ahead of time. Visit our Group Travel page for all the details.

If you tap your wallet or phone case, multiple credit cards may be charged. Remove your credit or debit card from your wallet or phone case before you tap.

Keep in mind that Tap to Pay is unrelated to your Compass Card. Currently, there is no Compass App.

If you tap in and decide not to complete a trip, you can easily reverse your charges. If you tapped on a bus, please ask the driver to reverse the tap for you. If travelling on rail, you can undo your initial tap in by tapping out of the same station within 21 minutes on SkyTrain and SeaBus, and 60 minutes for West Coast Express.

Transit Police and Transit Security use FIA (Fare Inspection App) to check fares. If you've paid using Tap to Pay, police or security personnel may use an handheld device to detect if your credit card, debit card, or mobile device is an accepted form of payment and has been tapped into the system.