Fare machines will finally take your credit and debit cards
The CTA Monday unveiled its newest fare machines that will gladly accept your credit or debit card.
Five test machines were installed at O'Hare station, the Merchandise Mart station, Clark/Lake station, Adams/Jackson station and Midway stop. After a 30-day test of the machines, 55 more will be installed at 45 CTA stations over the next four months.
Installation of those new machines will allow other older models to be redeployed to serve stations with just one machine available. Notes a CTA press release:
"The machines were purchased as part of a larger contract with Cubic Transportation Systems that also included the purchase of 30 wheelchair accessible turnstiles and additional parts to maintain the new equipment once installed. Funding for the $4.47 million purchase of the express vending machines is from CTA bonds."
The new machines require a $5 minimum purchase or addition to your Chicago Card or transit card. As a security measure, the maximum value that can be added in one day is $25. If you're adding to a card, you might as well make it a minimum of $20 to take advantage of the $2 bonus for every $20 added.
Thank you to Ron Huberman and the CTA.
(Photo by Paul Smith.)
Are these the same machines that were
ordered in 2005?
http://www.transitchicago.com/news/archpress.wu?action=displayarticledetail&articleid=110987
Posted by: reader | March 04, 2008 at 07:16 AM
Ordered, yes. Delivered, no.
Posted by: Fred | March 04, 2008 at 08:25 AM
Can you buy a Chicago Card here or is this just for putting money on a Chicago Card?
Posted by: Dude | March 04, 2008 at 09:06 AM
What? No translation on the machines en espanol?
Posted by: Nik | March 04, 2008 at 12:14 PM
According to the press release:
"Using the express farecard machines, customers will be able to purchase magnetic strip transit cards and add value to either magnetic strip transit cards or Chicago Card."
So, no, they don't vend new Chicago Cards. That to me is a fumble, and short-sighted on the part of the agency, because they've made such an infrastructure push for transitioning away from magnetic strip cards to the greater efficiency (for boarding and therefore transit time esp. for buses, as well as other efficiency gains) of the smart card. I'm glad they are introducing the new machines for the convenience, and I understand the long lag time in capital investments like this, but it's two steps forward one back for an all-Chicago Card system.
Posted by: Paul Smith | March 04, 2008 at 12:16 PM
Purchasing a Chicago Card requires the customer to provide personal information. That's the only way the balance can be protected if the card is lost or breaks (or, as we found out last fall, the card expires). That's probably not feasible at a vending machine.
Posted by: Martha | March 04, 2008 at 01:21 PM
Well, there's tons of personal information embedded on credit/debit cards...you name, address, etc.. I mean, you can use a debit/credit card to get on an airplane at the eTicket counters: just insert and it tells you who you are. Getting a Chicago Card with one should be simple enough.
Posted by: Dude | March 04, 2008 at 01:55 PM
@Martha: Perhaps, but you can buy the equivalent at WMATA
http://www.wmata.com/riding/smartrip.cfm#buying
just to name one of the top of my head, so it's possible at least in practice.
Posted by: Paul Smith | March 04, 2008 at 02:16 PM
Paul....
Wow, they even have a combined credit card/transit card...
"Metro and Citi® have teamed up to bring you the Citi® Platinum Select® SmarTrip® MasterCard®, a Metro SmarTrip card and a Citi credit card (with no annual fee) in one. For more information visit Citi's web site. "
Posted by: Dude | March 04, 2008 at 02:39 PM
These appear to be the same machines the New York City Transit Authority installed in the subways years ago: the most confusing things this side if a Rube Goldberg mousetrap.
And for people who just arrived at the airport for a short Chicago stay, let's please not make them buy $5 worth of rides. That will just leave a sour taste when all they may want is a one-way for downtown,
Posted by: Ivory-billed Woodpecker | March 04, 2008 at 03:58 PM
"And for people who just arrived at the airport for a short Chicago stay, let's please not make them buy $5 worth of rides. That will just leave a sour taste when all they may want is a one-way for downtown,"
Well, if they're riding the train to downtown Chicago, chances are pretty good they'll be riding it back, so five bucks is about right. So they waste a dollar....
Posted by: Dude | March 04, 2008 at 04:49 PM
"And for people who just arrived at the airport for a short Chicago stay, let's please not make them buy $5 worth of rides. That will just leave a sour taste when all they may want is a one-way for downtown,"
If the cost of the trip is the only complaint about our international airport transit we'll be doing well. Ever been to Europe or Asia?
Posted by: Ure Kding | March 04, 2008 at 06:04 PM
"And for people who just arrived at the airport for a short Chicago stay, let's please not make them buy $5 worth of rides. That will just leave a sour taste when all they may want is a one-way for downtown,"
better than a $60 cab ride like my friend got recently.
Posted by: Sarah | March 04, 2008 at 08:55 PM
>better than a $60 cab ride like my friend got recently
Oh snap!
Posted by: JDog | March 04, 2008 at 09:11 PM
The $25 limit suggests that the machines will not vend 30 day passes.
Would it be so hard to ask the CTA to not implement every decent idea in a piecemeal, half-assed fashion?
There's a pretty good chance that when your unlimited pass runs out, you'll be informed of the fact by an unyielding horizontal metal bar - at a station. The CTA's idea of customer convenience is that you can then obtain a new pass by leaving the station and wandering around in search of one of the CVS's that sells the passes (not all do).
Even in the handful of stations that have machines that sell unlimited passes, they're generally limited to 1, 2, and 7 day passes.
What kind of train system doesn't sell most of its own fare cards at most of its train stations?
Posted by: irk | March 05, 2008 at 12:46 AM
Do I need to mention that a "minimum" for credit card purchases violates the merchant agreement of Visa/Mastercard and other major card issuers? If you accept credit cards, you are not allowed to charge a minimum, a surcharge, or any other such nonsense.
Posted by: Chrism | March 11, 2008 at 02:35 PM
that's true, Chrism. The Fixer at the Sun-Times has written about it before. Here's what she had to say a while back:
"That's why The Fixer has created a handy list of your rights as a cardholder, perfect for clipping out and tucking into your wallet. The merchants you show it to might listen, or they might laugh in your face -- but at least you'll know you're right.
"If you encounter a merchant violating their credit agreement by setting a minimum or maximum purchase amount or imposing a surcharge, you can report them to the credit companies, which will intervene through the merchant's bank. For MasterCard, go online to http://www.mastercard.com/, where you can download an electronic "merchant violation" form. For Visa, call the number on the back of your card to file a report."
I can see why the amount might have been limited when paying only cash to buy a card or put more on one, but using credit kind of wipes out the reasons (cash in machine, etc). I agree completely with irk--completely half-baked.
or is that an oxymoron...
Posted by: Dee | March 11, 2008 at 04:44 PM
Here's the question: Can you use cash in the same vending maching to buy less than the minimum? If not, there's no violation even if there are other vending machines that will sell a lesser value for cash.
Also, while a merchant can't place a surcharge on credit card purchases, they can offer a discount to those who pay cash.
Remember, dispite all the fuss about interest rates, and hidden fees, the bread and butter of credit card revenue comes from merchant fees. The rules are meant to encourage credit card use, not to be so dracorian that they become a burden to the merchants who are paying the fees.
Posted by: Rusty | March 11, 2008 at 06:52 PM