Umo Digital Fares Live in the West Kootenays
By Contributor
BC Transit’s Umo (pronounced “you-mo”) electronic fare system is now live in the West Kootenay Regional Transit System. Umo introduces contactless payment methods and new fare products that improve the transit experience by allowing riders to pick the best options for their lifestyle and travel habits.
New Payment Methods
New payment methods include the Umo Mobility app and a reloadable Umo card. The Umo Mobility app is free in the Apple App and Google Play stores. Once downloaded, riders create an account to purchase their fare products.
When ready to travel, riders open their app to display a dynamic QR code that serves as their fare product. As riders board the bus, they present their app’s QR code to a new onboard validator. The Umo app also provides riders with additional tools to help them plan their trip.
Alternatively, riders have the choice of using a reloadable Umo card. A Umo card can be picked up for free from a BC Transit Umo vendor and is designed for repeated use. Cards can be continually topped up with fare products through a vendor, online at ca.umopass.com, or through Umo’s customer service call centre at 877-380-8181.
When boarding, riders tap their card at the new onboard validator. Riders are recommended to register their card by creating a Umo account online or through the Umo customer service call centre using the unique number on the back of their card.
Registering a Umo card will safeguard fare products in the event a card is misplaced. A list of BC Transit Umo fare vendors is available at bctransit.com/west-kootenay/fares/where-to-buy/.
New and Improved Fare Products
Umo introduces improvements and changes to some of the fare products riders use in the West Kootenay Regional Transit System.
- Riders now benefit from a universal fare price across regular, paratransit, and Health Connections routes.
- Cash Balance, an alternative to cash or a Single Ride fare, is a pre-paid dollar amount loaded to a Umo card or app. A Cash Balance value is drawn from by $2.25.
- A digital transfer, removing the need to collect and retain paper transfer slips, is automatically applied to a Umo app or card at onboard validation. Riders then simply scan or tap their Umo payment method on their second bus within a 90-minute transfer window to continue to travel without incurring an additional charge.
- Digital 10 Rides, eventually replacing paper tickets, is available via Umo at the same discounted price.
- New 30-Day Passes, eventually replacing existing Monthly Passes, can be activated on any day of the month and provides riders with unlimited travel during a continuous 30-day period.
The final date for Monthly Pass and paper ticket fare product sales is still to be confirmed but BC Transit plans to provide riders several months to transition to a new Umo payment method.
While it is expected most riders will find one of Umo’s new payment methods a more convenient option, cash will continue to be accepted for riders who prefer it.
BC Transit’s Umo customer service call centre is live for support. Riders can call 877-380-8181 toll-free from 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Monday – Friday and 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday to receive support. Riders are invited to visit bctransit.com/umo for more information about Umo.
At a future date, BC Transit plans to provincially enable onboard payments with debit and credit cards.
