Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions for BC Transit Riders

Top Questions

Umo is BC Transit’s digital fare payment system that allows you to pay for your fare with the payment method and fare product that best suits your lifestyle and travel habits.

Yes, you can still use cash to pay for your fare aboard the bus. You can also use cash to buy a fare product for your reloadable Umo card through a BC Transit fare product vendor. 

Because the Umo app provides riders with additional travel tools including real-time information and maps, it is BC Transit’s recommended payment method for riders with access to a mobile device.

No. Security features designed to prevent fraudulent use prohibit two payment methods to be used interchangeably.

Payment Methods

Unless using cash, all riders are required to carry their own payment method. This includes individuals riding as a group. 

Umo payment methods can not be used interchangeably, and you must choose one.

To swap from a Umo card to the Umo app: After funding a Umo card you are able to download the Umo Mobility app and follow the app’s instructions to transfer your card’s balance to the app. Once the transfer has been completed the card will be void and unable to be used again.

To swap from the Umo app to a Umo card: To transfer your app’s loaded fare products to a Umo card, please pick up a Umo card from a BC Transit vendor and call Umo Customer Service at 877-380-8181.

Payments by debit and credit card are not currently functionable but are planned to be enabled in the future.

Mobile App

The Umo Mobility App is a convenient travel tool that enables you to seamlessly plan your trip and pay for your fare in one central place.

The app can be found in both Canadian Apple App and Google Play stores by searching “Umo Mobility”. Please note that you must be connected to a Canadian app store to download the Umo Mobility app that will connect to BC Transit services. 

Yes, you need to create an account with a unique username like an email address or phone number to use the app. BC Transit recommends using an email address as your username to support account recovery in the event you forget your password.

No. As long as you have a fare product loaded to your Umo account, the bus’s digital validator will accept your fare product if you have cellular data turned off or in an area outside of cellular service. The mobile app does not need to use data to validate your fare.

Umo Card

A Umo Card increases your access to transit by removing the need to continually visit an in-person retail vendor to purchase a fare product. A Umo card is reloadable and designed for continued use. Cards can be topped up at a retail vendor, online at ca.umopass.com, and through Umo’s customer service number at 877-380-8181. When you are ready to travel, tap your card to the digital validator located beside the bus driver.

Nothing. Umo cards are free for all riders and do not require a deposit. Please help BC Transit to be able to continue to offer these cards for free by reloading and using your card again and again.

Yes. Umo cards have been designed to act as your long-term payment method and should be used again and again.

Reloadable Umo cards can be picked up for free from any vendor who chooses to sell BC Transit Umo fare products. Please visit your transit system’s Fares page and look under Where to Buy for a list of vendors.

There are several options to purchase a pass for use via a Umo card. You may buy a pass in-person through a retail vendor, online at ca.umopass.com, or over the phone through Umo’s Customer Service line at 877-380-8181.

If you are buying a pass for your Umo card online, you will need to create a Umo account with a unique username such as an email address or phone number. BC Transit recommends using an email address as your username.

No, to manage your card account online, you’ll need to visit ca.umopass.com.

Please call Umo customer service toll-free at 877-380-8181. If your card was registered, you can pick up a new card from a Umo vendor and call the call centre to have your fare products transferred to the new Umo card. Once your products have been loaded to the new Umo card, your original card will be deactivated.

No. Once a Umo card is deactivated, the lost or missing card becomes permanently void and will no longer work.

No. Orange and blue Compass cards are TransLink fare products are not accepted on BC Transit services.

BC Bus Passes are still accepted on BC Transit services. Please continue to flash your pass to the transit operator upon boarding the bus.

Onboard Experience

Please have your payment ready prior to boarding the bus. If using the Umo app, select Code to display your account’s dynamic QR code. Aboard the bus, present your QR code to the centre of the digital validator below the green Scan Below sticker. The display on the validator will confirm your successful fare payment with a checkmark and audible single beep notification.

Don’t worry, it can take a few times validating your app’s QR code before you get the hang of it. Transit Drivers are aware of this, so please don’t stress. Three suggestions to speed up your app validation are:

  1. Have your app open to the QR code prior to setting aboard the bus.
  2. Turn up your phone’s screen brightness or turn off power save mode if your phone model does not don’t automatically brighten your screen when you click on the QR code.
  3. Hold your phone back from the onboard validator to display the entire QR code.

Please have your payment ready prior to stepping aboard the bus. Upon boarding the bus, tap your card within two inches of the green Tap Here sticker.  The display on the digital validator will confirm your successful fare payment with a checkmark and audible single beep notification.

The Umo validator will display a checkmark on the response screen and produce a single audible beep informing you that your fare has been accepted.

A yellow checkmark signals that your fare was accepted but your remaining cash balance has dipped below $2.50 or your pass is set to expire within 72 hours.

No. Please only tap your Umo card or scan your Umo app once upon boarding the bus.

Fare Products

Both pass and Cash Balance fare products can be loaded to a reloadable Umo card or the Umo app. If you have both loaded, Umo will apply your fare to a pass first, saving your Cash Balance funds for future use.

Yes but in most transit systems, these routes require a dedicated route specific fare product to be purchased. Cash Balance can also be on these routes.

There are two ways to set your Cash Balance or 30-Day Pass to automatically reload for your Umo app or Umo card.

Online:

  1. Log into ca.umopass.com with your Umo account credentials
  2. Select your desired fare product select Autoload
  3. Complete your payment

Call Centre:

  1. Call 877-380-8181 toll-free to speak to a Umo customer service agent

With the exception of handyDART services, Monthly Pass fare products have been removed from circulation in favour of the convenient 30-Day Pass available through the Umo app or reloadable Umo card.

U-PASS

All BC Transit U-Pass institutions offer their students the choice of using the Umo app or a reloadable card. U-Pass riders, just like standard riders, must choose one payment method and cannot interchangeably use the mobile app and card at the same time.

Prior to the start of your school term, your school will provide you with information about your school’s unique process that involves redeeming a Umo benefit code to a Umo account. Once redeemed, you will be able to use your choice of payment method – mobile app or reloadable card, to validate your fare each time you ride the bus.

General

Umo alerts are automated messages that you can opt-in and out of to support your transit experience. Alerts can be set to notify you of a low Cash Balance or if your fare product is set to expire plus several other useful functions.

Yes, riders can link accounts with other riders to buy them fare products. To link an account:

  1. Log into the Umo Passenger Portal at ca.umopass.com.
  2. On the My Wallet tab, under Linked Accounts, click Link an Account. 
  3. In the Link an account window, enter the Umo card number that you want to link to. 
  4. (Optional) Create a nickname for the link-to account, so you can easily refer to it. 
  5. Once you’ve entered the link-to card number, click Link an Account. 

The linked account now appears under Accounts You Can Purchase For on the My Wallet tab. You can make fare product purchases on their behalf that can be used immediately.

Umo will continue to work even if you or the bus you are boarding outside of cellular service. Both Umo cards and apps will continue to validate while the onboard validator temporarily stores your Umo card or app’s linked account and processes your validation as soon as the bus returns to service.

Yes, our transit drivers will continue to prioritize people over payments.

No, BC Transit and our fare vendors will not pass along payment processing fees.

No. The current project to implement Umo is only targeting conventional transit services.

Contact Us

Umo Customer Service can be reached at 877-380-8181 from:

7:00 am to 7:00 pm Monday – Friday

8:00 am to 4:00 pm Saturday and Sunday