MST fares
Contents
Cash, GoPasses, and GoCards
| Single ride (2 hours) | Daily GoPass (expires 2:00 AM) | Weekly GoPass (7 days) | Monthly GoPass (31 days) | Summer Youth GoPass | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular | $2.00 | $6.00 | $20.00 | $70.00 | -- |
| Discount | $1.00 | $3.00 | $10.00 | $35.00 | $38.00 |
Discount fares are available for:
- Youth (18 years and under)
- Seniors (65 years and older)
- Individuals with disabilities
- Medicare cardholders
- Veterans and their spouses/caregivers
- MST RIDES paratransit eligibility cardholders
- Special humanitarian parole
Proof of age, an MST (or other transit system) Courtesy Card, or Medicare card is required upon boarding. Courtesy Cards are available at no charge to people with disabilities, but require an application (with a physician's written verification) processed at an MST customer service location.
Seniors and MST Courtesy Cardholders are also eligible for discount fares when using contactless payment.
Paying with cash
Insert cash into the farebox. MST fareboxes do not give change, but instead issue a "fare credit" card for use on future trips. To use the card, insert it into the slot on the top-left of the farebox, with the front of the card facing you. An updated balance will be printed on the card each time.
If you'll need to transfer to another bus, ask the driver for a 2-hour pass when boarding your first bus.
GoCards
GoCards are reloadable, "stored-value" cards to use instead of cash. They can be purchased and reloaded at MST customer service centers, and purchased (but not reloaded) at mst.org. Cards must be (re)loaded in $10 increments and come with a 10% bonus (that is, for every $10 you pay, your card is loaded with $11). They do not expire but are non-refundable.
To use a GoCard, tap it on the farebox just below the screen.
If you'll need to transfer to another bus, ask the driver for a 2-hour pass when boarding your first bus.
GoPasses
GoPasses are MST's daily, weekly, monthly passes and must be purchased in advance from pass outlets.
The first time you use a GoPass, insert it into the slot on the top-left of the farebox, with the front of the pass facing you. This activates the pass and prints the expiration date and time on the back. On future trips, you can either insert the pass again or swipe it through the slot on the top-right of the farebox.
Summer Youth passes are available only to youth age 18 and under, and are valid for one summer, June 1 through August 31.
Group discounts are available for orders of at least five passes.
Contactless Payment
MST accepts Visa and Mastercard contactless cards as well as the mobile wallets Apple Pay, Fitbit Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay.
| Single ride (2 hours) | Daily Cap | Weekly Cap | Monthly Cap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular | $2.00 | $6.00 | $20.00 | $70.00 |
| Discount | $1.00 | $3.00 | $10.00 | $35.00 |
Discount contactless fares are available on Visa or Mastercard by registering in advance with Cal-ITP Benefits. Eligibility is currently limited to:
- Seniors (65 years and older)
- MST Courtesy Cardholders
Using contactless payment
There is a black-and-yellow contactless payment reader at the front door of each bus. When you get on, tap your card or device to the contactless symbol below the screen. Wait for the green "Go!" and checkmark on the screen.
You can't use the same card or device for more than one person at a time.
Fare capping
Fare capping limits how much you can be charged per 2-hour trip, day, week, or month — automatically handling transfers and effectively giving you an upgrade to a 1-, 7-, or 31-day pass once you have met its cost. (This amount is tracked per card or device, so make sure not to switch between cards/devices.)
Inter-agency fare arrangements
Santa Cruz METRO
- MST and METRO both issue free transfers upon request for riders who are connecting at Watsonville Transit Center or Santa Cruz METRO Center.
- Ask the driver for a transfer when you board the first bus. Transfers are not issued when getting off.
- MST-to-METRO transfers are valid for one ride on any METRO line except the Highway 17 Express.
- METRO-to-MST transfers are valid for one ride on MST line 28 or 29.
- Neither MST nor METRO honor each other's passes or stored-value cards.
