BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — The MBTA confirms riders who have already been issued rail travel passes for April will not be able to claim a refund. Instead, accounts can be credited toward the cost of future monthly passes.
Ridership numbers have fallen drastically in the past week since most commuters have been ordered to stay home amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, many regular travelers pre-order their passes each month through a work program, so their April pass has already been purchased whether or not they intend to use it, and the MBTA does not typically allow refunds.
How you obtain the credit will depend on how you first ordered your pass.
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If you order your pass directly from the MBTA using the online auto-pay feature, you have until March 21 to cancel April's order. Riders who use the online CharlieCard store have until March 24, according to the MBTA's website.
If you get a monthly MBTA pass through a work benefit program like Perq, you should be able to mail the card back and get a credit that will offset your payroll deductions for the time the pass was not usable.
If your employer uses the third-party company WageWorks, the details for returns and credits are still being worked out. If your pass came from Edenred, you can get a credit by returning it, and the letter it came with, by April 1.
Both companies say riders with electronic LinkPasses for the bus and subway can hang onto their cards and not use them for the entire month of April. If a card goes a whole month without being used, it will automatically transfer to become available throughout the following month.
For students who get passes through their schools and universities, the MBTA said it is "working with colleges and universities to provide a credit for the unused April and May months. Check with your school administrator to see if any refunds can be provided by the school."
You can check out the MBTA's website for more information by clicking here.
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