Pricing and Fare Zones
The price of your trip depends on when, where, and how you are travelling.
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 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, and SeaBus.
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 Zones
Estimate your Fare
Fare Prices and Concessions
Full fare pricing table
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Cash Fares
Cash
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|---|---|---|---|
| Pass Type | 1-Zone | 2-Zone | 3-Zone |
| Adult | $3 | $4.25 | $5.75 |
| Concession | $1.95 | $2.95 | $3.95 |
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Contactless Payment Fares
Tap to Pay
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|---|---|---|---|
| Pass Type | 1-Zone | 2-Zone | 3-Zone |
| Adult | $3 | $4.25 | $5.75 |
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Stored Values
Compass Card
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|---|---|---|---|
| Pass Type | 1-Zone | 2-Zone | 3-Zone |
| Adult | $2.40 | $3.45 | $4.50 |
| Concession | $1.95 | $2.95 | $3.95 |
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Monthly Passes
Compass Card
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|---|---|---|---|
| Pass Type | 1-Zone | 2-Zone | 3-Zone |
| Adult | $98 | $131 | $177 |
| Concession | - | - | $56 |
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DayPass
Compass Card/Ticket
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|---|---|---|---|
| Pass Type | All Zones - All Day | ||
| Adult | $10.50 | ||
| Concession | $8.25 | ||
| HandyDART Service | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Pass Type | All Zones | ||
| Adult | $3 | ||
| Concession | - | ||
Concession fare eligibility
Passengers who are entitled to our discounted concession fares include:
HandyCard holders
seniors 65 and older
youth 14 to 18 years*
children 5 to 13 years
Children under 5 ride free when accompanied by a paying guardian possessing/provide proof of payment. A maximum of four children can travel free per paying passenger.
*Must present valid photo ID proving age
Compass Card
Find out how to pay for transit on our Compass Card page.
Transfers
If you have a Compass Card, Compass Ticket, or a contactless credit card and used Tap to Pay, you can transfer across bus, SeaBus, and SkyTrain 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, and WCE on our Transferring and AddFare page.
Paying Your Fare
Paying on the Bus
Using a Compass Card, Compass Ticket or contactless credit card
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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
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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).
Paying on SkyTrain, SeaBus, and West Coast Express
Using a Compass Card, Compass Ticket, or contactless credit card
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To travel on SkyTrain, SeaBus, or West Coast Express, you'll need a Compass Card, Compass Ticket, or to pay using your contactless credit card or mobile wallet (Tap-to-Pay). Paper bus transfers are only valid for transfer between buses.
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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.
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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.
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:
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Compass Cards and Compass Tickets with a valid fare that has been successfully tapped in are accepted as proof of payment on all modes.
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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
Our card readers accept contactless American Express, Mastercard, and Visa credit cards along with Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay. 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
Watch Out for Card Clash
If you tap your wallet or phone case, multiple credit cards may be charged. Remove your credit 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 or mobile device is an accepted form of payment and has been tapped into the system.
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) 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.