Ventra App: The Basics
Welcome to the Ventra App!
Riding on CTA, Pace and Metra has never been easier. The Ventra app features a totally new trip planning tool, real time arrival information, improved Metra mobile tickets, low balance alerts, easier CTA and Pace account management and a user-friendly design made with Chicagoland riders in mind. It even shows Divvy bike availability. And you can now add your Ventra Card to Google Pay or to your iPhone or Apple Watch through the app!
The Home screen
The Ventra app features a brand-new home screen that lets customers see the Ventra Card balances, available Metra mobile tickets, transit times for favorite stops, nearby transit and more—right when opening the app.
Ventra Cards
In the app, you can register Ventra Cards for use when riding CTA and Pace and manage your Ventra transit account, and add a Ventra Card to Google Pay or your iPhone or Apple Watch. You can also check your balance, see your transit history, add transit value and passes, get account notifications and more.
If you don't have a Ventra Card, you can add one through the app for Apple devices or buy online, at any Ventra Vending Machine or over the counter at more than 1,000 local Ventra retail locations.
> Learn more about managing a Ventra Card transit account in the app
Metra mobile tickets
Metra mobile tickets are available to buy and use with the Ventra app. Simply purchase a ticket, activate it when you board a Metra train and show it to the conductor!
There’s no need to visit a ticket window and no on-board fees when you use mobile tickets.
If you’re signed in, your tickets are protected in the event you lose your phone.
> Learn more about buying & using Metra mobile tickets
Don’t' see your tickets? You can import tickets from the old app or other devices with the new one.
Ways to pay
Credit or debit cards, including employee transit benefit debit cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay can be used to add Ventra transit value, buy passes or Metra mobile tickets in the app.
And transit value in your registered Ventra Card’s transit account can be used to pay for Metra mobile tickets or load passes in the app.
You can also split a payment between two funding sources with ease.
> Learn more about paying in the app
Trip Tools
The app provides arrival and departure information for CTA, Metra and Pace and Divvy station information.
It also lets you plan your trip, door-to-door, on transit!
> Learn more about how to use Trip Tools
Account, notifications & other settings
The Ventra app enables you to get alerts for important actions in your account, such as when your balance is low, when autoload occurs (if you’ve enabled it), when a pass is loaded, or when a Metra mobile ticket is expiring.
And updating your info has never been easier. Whether it’s your Ventra user account information and mailing address, or controlling how the app asks you for authentication when making a purchase.
> Learn more about alerts & how to configure certain app settings