Buy and use mobile tickets with Ventra App

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    Go mobile with the Ventra app

    The Ventra app is a safe and convenient way to buy and display Metra tickets on your smartphone with a credit or debit card or a Ventra account. Download the app for free from the Apple App Store or Google Play. Then use it to buy any kind of Metra ticket on the go, anytime, anywhere. You can skip the ticket window and show your mobile ticket to the conductor whenever you ride Metra. It’s like having a Metra ticket vending machine in your pocket.

    The app has a simplified user interface and dashboard for train or bus tracking and account management. For Metra customers, the other highlights include:

    • You can easily summon your Metra pass from the home screen.
    • If you need a new pass or ticket, you can quickly choose to reorder based on your most recent purchases.
    • If you upgrade to a new device, you can move your tickets to the new device yourself, rather than having to go through Ventra customer service.
    • The app has fare products exclusive to the app – the Day Pass 5-Pack, which provides five Day Passes that can be used on any five days within 90 days of pruchase, and the $10 Weekend Pass, which allows for unlimited travel on all lines on both Saturday and Sunday of the weekend.
    • The app also gives you quick access to an integrated trip-planning tool to help you find your way across the Chicago area on Metra, the CTA or Pace. Click here for a video on how to use that feature.
    • If you want to rent a bike, you can see how many bikes are available at the nearest Divvy station.

     

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    Using the Ventra app is easy

    Download the free app from either the Apple App Store or Google Play.

    To buy and use a Metra mobile ticket directly from your smartphone, you must first create an account in the app. Then:

    1. Select “Purchase a Metra ticket” from the home screen.
    2. Select your line, departure station, destination station and type of ticket.
    3. Select "Go to checkout" and verify your purchase and payment method, then select "Purchase."
    4. Your mobile ticket appears under “Metra Tickets on this device" on the home screen and on the "Tickets" screen.
    5. Board your train and activate your ticket by selecting "Use."

    Show the mobile ticket on your smartphone to the conductor when they come around, and tap the screen.

    Tips for using Metra mobile tickets

    Buy your ticket before you head to the train 

    This way, you can be sure you’ve got a ticket to use when you get to the train and are ready when the train crew checks your ticket – even if you’re boarding in a place where your mobile carrier doesn’t offer a good signal.

    Activate your ticket after you board

    Purchased tickets appear in the "Metra Tickets" section of the home screen. Activate the ticket there by selecting "Use." It’s immediately active and will be valid only for the length of your ride, so don’t do this before you get on the train. The crew will ask you to show them the activated ticket on your phone's screen and then tap the screen; when you do, a pattern will appear over the ticket that will verify that the ticket is valid. If you navigate away from the ticket or the app, you can quickly show it again by tapping "Show" in the "Metra Tickets" section of the home screen.

    Make sure your device is charged

    You’ll need to be able to show your ticket when asked by a train crew member at any point during your ride. 

    Additional Resources

    Other ways to buy Metra tickets

    Click here to learn about other places to buy Metra tickets. Tickets are not sold on this website.