What is a Compass Card, and how can I get one?

Compass Card is a rechargeable contactless transit card used on Metro Vancouver's public transportation system (Vancouver and surrounding areas). It allows you to quickly and conveniently pay for bus, SkyTrain, SeaBus, and other TransLink transportation services.

Key features of the Compass Card

  • Reloadable: You can load different types of fare products onto your card, including stored value, monthly passes, or day passes.
  • Balance protection: When you register your card, your balance is protected, and if your card is lost or stolen, you can recover your remaining balance.
  • Automatic top-up: registered users can set up automatic balance top-ups or automatic pass renewals.
  • Two card types: Adult and Concession — for students, seniors, people with disabilities, etc.
  • Convenience: simply tap your card on the validator when boarding a bus or entering/exiting a SkyTrain station, and the system will automatically deduct the appropriate amount or check the validity of your pass.

How to get a Compass Card in Calgary?

It should be noted that the Compass Card is a Metro Vancouver system and is not used in Calgary (a city in the province of Alberta). Calgary has its own public transportation system, Calgary Transit, which has other payment methods (tickets, mobile apps, passes), but not the Compass Card.

If you are looking for information about paying for transportation in Calgary

In Calgary, the following are used to pay for transportation:

  • My Fare mobile app for purchasing tickets and passes online.
  • Paper tickets and passes, which can be purchased from vending machines, ticket offices, and stores.
  • Calgary Transit electronic cards, which can be topped up and used for travel.
  • Contactless bank cards or mobile wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay) can be used to pay directly at ticket validators. For detailed information on purchasing tickets and passes in Calgary, please visit the official Calgary Transit website or relevant reference sources.

Summary

  • Compass Card is a convenient fare payment system in Metro Vancouver (Vancouver) that is not used in Calgary.
  • Calgary has its own fare payment system that is not linked to the Compass Card.
  • If you are planning a trip to Vancouver, you can order a Compass Card online, at points of sale, or through the official website compasscard.ca.
  • To use the Compass Card, you need to register the card, top it up, and simply tap it on the validator when traveling.

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