Pricing and Fare Zones
The price of your trip depends on when, where, and how you are travelling.
Tap to Pay
Save time and skip the lines! Tap your bank card or mobile wallet at the faregate to pay for your ride.
There are three fare zones across Metro Vancouver. The number of SeaBus and/or SkyTrain boundaries you cross during your trip determine your fare.
All bus and HandyDART trips regardless of zones crossed, time of day, or day of the week are a 1-Zone fare.
SkyTrain and SeaBus require a 1-, 2-, or 3-Zone fare, depending on the time of day and number of zone boundaries you cross during your trip.
A single fare is valid for 90 minutes on bus, SkyTrain, SeaBus, and HandyDART.
All journeys across the system starting after 6:30 p.m. weekdays and all travel on weekends (Saturday, Sunday, and holidays) are a 1-Zone fare.
Fare Prices and Concessions
Concession fare eligibility
Passengers who are eligible to our discounted concession fares include:
-
HandyCard holders
-
seniors 65 and older*
-
youth 13 to 18 years*
-
children 5 to 12 years
Children 12 and under ride free when accompanied by a fare paying passenger possessing proof of payment. A maximum of four children can travel free per paying passenger. (Fare-paying passenger not required for bus travel)
*Must present valid photo ID proving age
Full fare pricing table
|
Cash Fares
Cash
|
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Pass Type | 1-Zone | 2-Zone | 3-Zone |
| Adult | $3.10 | $4.45 | $6.05 |
| Concession | $2.05 | $3.05 | $4.15 |
|
Contactless Payment Fares
Tap to Pay
|
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Pass Type | 1-Zone | 2-Zone | 3-Zone |
| Adult | $3.10 | $4.45 | $6.05 |
|
Stored Value
Compass Card
|
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Pass Type | 1-Zone | 2-Zone | 3-Zone |
| Adult | $2.50 | $3.65 | $4.70 |
| Concession | $2.05 | $3.05 | $4.15 |
|
Monthly Passes
Compass Card
|
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Pass Type | 1-Zone | 2-Zone | 3-Zone |
| Adult | $102.55 | $137.10 | $185.20 |
| Concession | - | - | $58.60 |
|
Day Pass
Compass Card/Ticket
|
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Pass Type | All Zones - All Day | ||
| Adult | $11 | ||
| Concession | $8.65 | ||
For more information about fare types, visit the Compass Cards & Products page.
For West Coast Express (WCE) Fares, please visit the WCE Fares page.
For HandyDART fares, please visit the HandyDART page.
Compass Card
Find out how to pay for transit on our Compass Card page.
Estimate your Fare
Buses are a 1-Zone fare, all day, every day. Cash fares on buses are not transferable to SkyTrain, West Coast Express, or SeaBus.
Your trip requires a -Zone fare.
Plus an additional $5 YVR AddFare for Canada Line trips.
| Pass Type | -Zone |
|---|---|
| Cash/Credit Card | $ |
| Compass Card - Stored Value | $ |
| DayPass | $ |
Paying Your Fare
Paying on the Bus and HandyDART
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.
Paying on SkyTrain, SeaBus, and West Coast Express
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.
Proof of Payment
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.
Visit our Fare Infraction page for more information on paying or disputing a fare evasion ticket.
Paying as a Group
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.
Contactless Payment
Taking transit and don’t have a Compass Card? No need to print a ticket. Save time, skip lines, and go straight to the gate!
Our card readers accept contactless Interac Debit, American Express, Mastercard, and Visa credit cards along with Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay. Go paper-free and help the environment. All you need to do is Tap your card or device on the card reader to pay.
Like a Compass Card, you can only use one payment device per person. You still have 90 minutes to make your transfer across bus, SeaBus and SkyTrain services (120 minutes on West Coast Express services). Final charges are determined by when you tap out at the end of your trip. Single adult cash rate applies. For discounted rates, use a Compass Card.
Watch Out for Card Clash
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.
Avoiding Charge for Uncompleted Trips
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 Security Checks
Transit Police and Transit Security use Hand-Held Units (HHUs) to check fares. If you've paid using Tap to Pay, police or security personnel may use an HHU to detect if your credit card, debit card, or mobile device is an accepted form of payment and has been tapped into the system.
Kids 12 and Under Ride Free
As of Sept. 1, 2021, children 12 and under can ride TransLink services free of charge as part of a new provincial program. This change makes it easier and more affordable for families in and around Metro Vancouver.
Learn more about Transit Tips for Kids.
Note to Parents and Guardians
While travel for children 12 and under is free, parents and guardians are responsible for educating and making decisions about the safety and care of their children whenever travelling on transit. This includes when children are travelling unaccompanied and determining if their children can or should take transit unaccompanied.
Bus
Children 12 and under can ride buses free of charge without requiring a transit pass, identification or an accompanying fare paying customer.
SkyTrain, SeaBus, and West Coast Express
Children 12 and under can ride on SkyTrain, SeaBus, and West Coast Express free of charge only if accompanied by a fare paying customer. A fare paying customer can accompany up to a maximum of four children through the fare gates.
Children 12 and under can continue to access the gated system by themselves with the purchase of a fare to tap through fare gates.
HandyDART
Children 12 and under who are registered HandyDART customers or children who are accompanying a registered HandyDART customer can travel for free on HandyDART without requiring a fare product or identification. Learn more on the HandyDART page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do children need to be accompanied on the bus?
Children 12 and under do not need to be accompanied by a fare paying customer to travel for free on buses because there are no fare gates.
Parents and guardians are responsible for educating and making decisions about the safety and care of their children and determining if their children may take transit unaccompanied. We strongly recommend that parents and guardians are informed about transit use and the safety and care of their children whenever travelling on transit, including when their children travel unaccompanied, and determining whether their children can or should take transit unaccompanied.
Do children need to be accompanied on the gated system and how will children access the gated system for free?
Children must be accompanied by a fare paying customer when travelling on and through the gated system, including SkyTrain, SeaBus, and West Coast Express. One fare paying customer can accompany up to four children who are riding for free. The fare paying customer must escort the children through the fare gates (see below).
How should fare paying customers escort children through a fare gate?
We recommend fare paying customers tap their fare product once and let the children they are escorting through the open fare gate before passing through the fare gate themselves. If there are any issues getting through fare gates, customers are encouraged to seek a SkyTrain attendant or to pick up the closest Courtesy Phone to ask for help.
Can children access the gated system without being accompanied by a fare paying customer?
Unaccompanied children are not able to access the gated system without fare payment. Parents and guardians must ensure that their children are aware of TransLink’s fare policy and how to safely use the transit system, including the requirement for individuals under 13 to pay the appropriate fare when using SkyTrain, SeaBus, or West Coast Express unaccompanied by a fare paying customer.
Parents and guardians are responsible for educating and making decisions about the safety and care of their children whenever travelling on transit, including if their children can or should take transit unaccompanied.
Why do children need to be accompanied on SkyTrain, SeaBus, and West Coast Express, but not on bus?
Children need to be accompanied by a fare paying passenger on SkyTrain, SeaBus, and West Coast Express services because these services are only accessible by tapping fare payment to gain access through the fare gates. With buses, children can board without needing to pass through a fare gate. We will be working with the Province on simplifying this experience for children on TransLink’s gated system in the future.
How can school groups, community groups, and larger families move through fare gates?
School groups, community groups, and larger families should seek a SkyTrain attendant or pick up the closest Courtesy Phone to ask for help. A SkyTrain attendant can assist larger groups with children 12 and under access the gated system using existing procedures. If you know your plans ahead of arriving, call 604.520.5518 and let us know when and where a SkyTrain attendant can meet your group.
Transfers
If you have a Compass Card, Compass Ticket, contactless credit card or Interac Debit and used Tap to Pay, you can transfer across bus, SeaBus, SkyTrain, and HandyDART on a single fare for up to 90 minutes, or up to 120 minutes when including travel on the West Coast Express. Your travel time begins when you first tap your card or ticket to enter a fare paid zone.
Fares paid with cash on buses cannot be transferred to other modes.
Transferring and AddFare
Learn more about transferring between bus, SkyTrain, SeaBus, WCE, and HandyDART on our Transferring and AddFare page.
More Information
BC Bus Pass Program
If you are a low-income senior or a person with a disability, you may be eligible to apply for the BC Bus Pass Program, for discounted fares.
Access Transit Program
If you are unable to travel on public transit without assistance, find out more about our Access Transit program by visiting the Access Transit section.
Visiting Vancouver
You can take the Canada Line to travel to and from Vancouver International Airport (YVR), which is accessible by SkyTrain. Find out more about navigating Vancouver's public transit as a tourist or newcomer on our Visiting Vancouver page.
West Coast Express Fares
Learn more about West Coast Express fares and fare zones on our West Coast Express Fares page.
