Support for LAist comes from
Audience-funded nonprofit news
Stay Connected
Audience-funded nonprofit news
Listen

Share This

This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.

This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.

News

Did You Know? Your Metro TAP Card Expires!

tapcard-expire.jpg
Photo by ˜db˜ via the LAist Featured Photos pool
()

With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today . 

Sometimes reading the fine print does prevent misunderstandings down the line, but this one just seems kind of sneaky: Metro's TAP fare cards actually expire 3 years after they are activated. Transit blogger (for Metro!) Fred Camino learned this the hard way, as he explains on The Source.

According section 9 of the TAP Cardholder Agreement (which you agree to upon first use of the card):
9. CARD EXPIRATION
Each Card will expire approximately three (3) years after its date of issuance, except for Personalized Cards which will expire based on Cardholder’s period of verified eligibility.

Plus, if you've left any money on the expired card, not only can you not get it, but Metro takes a buck of it every month as an "administrative fee."

If you have an old card, there's really no way to make it new again--you'll just have to buy yourself a new one, for $2.

Support for LAist comes from

If you catch your current card before it expires, you can put a call into 1.866.TAPTOGO to have the cash or passes transferred to your new one. The Source explains how to figure out when your TAP card expires:

You can register your card at taptogo.net (watch this tutorial on how to do just that) and you can find the expiration date of your card in the “My Cards” section of the website. Alternatively you can check the expiration date at a Ticket Vending Machine (“View TAP status”) or by calling 1.866.TAPTOGO.

In case you're feeling abusive, here's a reminder of all the different tortures you can put your card through and still have it work. Well, unless it expires.

At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.

But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.

We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.

Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.

Chip in now to fund your local journalism
A row of graphics payment types: Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay and PayPal, and  below a lock with Secure Payment text to the right
(
LAist
)

Trending on LAist