Maryland Transit Administration modernizes fare collection system with upgraded bus fareboxes

    May 15, 2025
    The MTA will phase out the CharmCard as it transitions riders to the CharmPass mobile app.
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    New, modernized fareboxes are coming to all 825 buses on the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) operating on local bus routes. Installation of the new fareboxes will begin this summer, with 200 buses upgraded per month. MTA says the full transition to the new payment systems will be complete by the end of 2025. To support the new farebox integration, CharmCard®, the agency’s 15-year-old tap-and-go fare payment option, will be retired. MTA is now encouraging riders to transition to the CharmPass mobile app. 

    “These new fareboxes are another way we are working to improve the rider experience and create a modern, more efficient transit system,” said MTA Administrator Holly Arnold. “The CharmPass app is a convenient, secure way to pay for transit fares and has been a favorite option of riders for years.” 

    The new fareboxes have a larger, color display that is easier to read. MTA notes they are also more durable devices with fewer moving parts, making for less maintenance and repairs. The agency notes the legacy fare collection equipment has been in place for more than 20 years and can be difficult and time-consuming to repair due to its age. 

    With CharmPass, customers can purchase the fare option for any MTA service that best meets their travel needs and then pay the fare directly from their smartphone. A one-way fare for local bus, metro subway and light rail on the CharmPass app is automatically valid for 90 minutes, allowing customers free transfers across all of the agency’s core services.  Available only through the CharmPass app, CharmFlex three-day and 10-day pass options let customers purchase fares for about 15 percent less than the cost of three or 10 individual day-passes respectively.  

    Riders without a smartphone can pay for their transit fare at the new farebox as they board a bus or purchase a one-way, day pass, weekly or monthly pass at a ticket vending machine and at the Transit Store. 

    Between Aug. 11 and Nov. 30, riders boarding buses with the new fareboxes will be unable to use a CharmCard to pay their fare. The CharmCard® will be fully retired on all modes, effective Dec. 31, 2025.