Boston Shuttle Bus: Paying For A Smooth Ride

Boston's Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) offers a range of payment options for its shuttle bus services. Local buses, which only travel within Boston and its immediate communities, accept cash, CharlieCard, CharlieTicket, or contactless payment. The standard fare is $1.70, but if you're transferring to the subway or an express bus, you can pay the difference with your CharlieCard. For express buses that serve the suburbs, the fare is $4.25, and you can use the same payment methods as local buses. Additionally, monthly passes are available for both local and express buses, offering unlimited travel for the remainder of the month. You can purchase these passes at fare vending machines or retail sales locations. It's important to note that MBTA bus routes 23, 28, and 29 are currently fare-free until March 2026, so you can simply board without needing to pay.

Paying with cash

If you're looking to pay with cash for the Boston shuttle bus, here are some things to keep in mind. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) shuttle bus accepts cash payments, with a one-way fare costing $1.70 for Local Bus service and $4.25 for Express Bus service. It's important to have the exact change, as the bus drivers don't give change. You can also use coins or bills, up to $20, to add value to a CharlieCard, which is a reusable plastic card that can be loaded with cash value or passes.

When boarding the shuttle bus, inform the driver that you'll be paying in cash. You can then insert the required amount, as displayed on the fare box. It's worth noting that if you pay more than the one-way fare, you won't receive any change. Instead, you can load the remaining amount onto a CharlieCard and use it for future rides or on other modes of transit.

Additionally, if the fare box accepts your cash without registering the payment, you can call 617-222-3200 for assistance. This number can also be used for any issues or inquiries regarding payment or purchases at any fare point.

While cash is a convenient option, it's worth noting that cash fare payments do not include transfers to other modes of transit. If you plan to use multiple modes of transportation during your trip, you might want to consider other payment options, such as a CharlieCard or CharlieTicket, which offer transfer options.

Using a CharlieCard

The CharlieCard is a reusable card that can be loaded with cash value or passes to pay for bus and subway fares. You can get a CharlieCard from fare vending machines in most subway stations or from MBTA staff at most subway stations and select bus stations. You can also get a free, blank CharlieCard from select municipalities and organizations, such as Boston public libraries, or the Charlie Service Center at 296 Washington St.

Once you have your CharlieCard, you can load cash value or passes onto it at fare vending machines, onboard fare boxes on buses, or at the Charlie Service Center. If you load your CharlieCard with cash value, you can use it to pay for both Local Bus and Express Bus fares. The Local Bus fare is $1.70, while the Express Bus fare is $4.25. If you load your CharlieCard with a pass, you have several options: a 1-Day Pass for $11, a 7-Day Pass for $22.50, or a monthly pass. The monthly passes vary in price depending on the type of service you need: a Local Bus Monthly Pass is $55, a Monthly LinkPass for travel on Local Buses and the subway is $90, and an Express Bus Monthly Pass is $136.

When you're ready to board the bus, simply tap your CharlieCard on the fare box target to pay. The display will show how much value remains on your card. If your payment is successful, you'll hear one long beep. If the machine is unable to process your payment, you'll hear three quick beeps, and you may need to try again or load more money onto your card.

It's important to note that CharlieCards cannot be loaded with money or passes online. However, you can register your card with MyCharlie to protect your balance in case of loss, theft, or damage. Additionally, MBTA bus routes 23, 28, and 29 are currently fare-free through March 2026, so you won't need to use your CharlieCard for these routes.

Using a CharlieTicket

A CharlieTicket is a tappable ticket that can be loaded with subway, bus, Commuter Rail, and ferry tickets or passes. CharlieTickets can be purchased at fare vending machines in all subway stations and at the Lynn and Worcester/Union Commuter Rail stations. They are also available at select retail stores throughout Greater Boston and Providence.

When boarding a bus, you can pay with a CharlieTicket by inserting the ticket into the fare box with the orange arrow facing up and away from you. Your ticket will be returned after the machine reads it, and the display will show how much value remains on your ticket.

It is important to note that CharlieTickets with stored value expire 18 months from the purchase date. Additionally, transfers are not available with store value CharlieTickets or cash payments.

For Local Bus service, a one-way fare is $1.70 with a CharlieTicket. Payments by CharlieTicket include one free transfer to another Local Bus or the SL4 or SL5 within two hours of the first tap.

For Express Bus service, a one-way fare is $4.25 with a CharlieTicket. Payments by CharlieTicket include one free transfer to the subway, Local Bus, Express Bus, or any Silver Line route within two hours of the first tap.

1-Day and 7-Day passes are also available on CharlieTickets and are valid from the date and time of purchase.

Contactless payment

To pay with contactless, simply tap your card on the fare box target. The display will show how much value remains on your card.

Note that if you are transferring between services, different rules apply depending on your method of payment. With contactless payment, transfer rules still apply.

If you are riding an Express Bus locally (boarding and exiting the bus before it reaches the highway), you can pay the Local Bus fare. Be sure to let the driver know your exit stop to pay the lower fare.

Monthly passes

The second option is to purchase a monthly pass through a retail sales location, such as select stores throughout Greater Boston and Providence. These stores accept credit, debit, and cash payments.

The third option is to sign up for Auto-pay, which allows you to automatically renew your pass each month. You can sign up for Auto-pay through the MyCharlie website.

• Local Bus Monthly Pass: $55.00
• Monthly LinkPass (for travel on Local Buses and subway): $90.00
• Express Bus Monthly Pass: $136.00

Frequently asked questions