With Stored Value you can load a dollar value to your Compass Card to use whenever you need to purchase a fare. All one-way fares and most passes offered by the North County Transit District (NCTD) can be purchased with Stored Value.
Read below to find out how it works!
Adult cards can be purchased for $2 at any ticket machine, NCTD Customer Service Centers, or at participating retail outlets (such as Albertsons). All riders must have their own Compass Card. Be sure to get the right card if you are eligible for discounted fares:
Youth: 18 or younger
Senior/Disabled/Medicare: Seniors (65+), people with qualifying disabilities, and those who receive Medicare
The purchase of a Compass Card for reduced fares must also include the purchase of either a pass or Stored Value. At this time, Stored Value for reduced fares is only available at the NCTD Customer Service Centers or MTS Transit Store. You will be asked to show proof of eligibility when you purchase these cards and when you use the card to ride.
Stored Value can be loaded at all ticket machines, NCTD Customer Service Centers, Compass Card Call Center (619) 595-5636, MTS Transit Store, or online at 511sd.com or sdmts.com (value loaded online may not be available for 48 hours).
Amounts from $2.50 to $100 are available. Once your card is loaded, you can use it to purchase most fares. Note: Stored Value cannot be loaded on buses. Stored Value is not available at retail outlets such as Vons/Albertsons at this time.
NCTD SPRINTER
Tap your Compass Card on the station validator and the appropriate one-way fare will be deducted. Do not tap off at destination station.
NCTD BREEZE
Tap your Compass Card on the bus farebox and the appropriate one-way fare will be deducted. A new one-way fare will be deducted when transferring to another bus or rail route. Do not tap off when exiting vehicle.
NCTD COASTER
Tap your card on the station’s validator once before AND once after riding the COASTER. The appropriate one-way fare will be deducted depending on the number of zones you travel. If you do not tap after riding, a three-zone fare will automatically be deducted. No refunds will be issued. A transfer to NCTD BREEZE or SPRINTER is allowed within two hours of purchase. No transfer to MTS Bus, Rapid or Trolley is allowed.
Multiple Modes
Follow the directions above for each mode you ride to deduct one-way fares. When making several one-way trips you may want to purchase a Regional Day Pass, a Premium Regional Day Pass, or a COASTER Regional Day Pass to save money.
If you lose your card, call (619) 595-5636 and any remaining Stored Value balance at the time the card is deactivated will be transferred to a new card. If you lose an unregistered card, your balance will be lost. Be sure to purchase the correct fare when using Stored Value. There are no refunds.
Day passes are perfect for the person who rides several times a day and uses multiple types of public transit. Trips that include the COASTER require a COASTER Regional Day Pass (available at ticket vending machines and transit centers).
NCTD SPRINTER and COASTER
Day passes must be purchased at ticket machines. Before tapping, follow the Compass Card prompts on the right side of the screen to load a day pass on the machine and then pay with Stored Value. After pass is loaded, tap card on validator to activate pass for your trip. To include COASTER, select the COASTER Regional Day Pass.
NCTD BREEZE
Before tapping, tell the bus driver that you want to use Stored Value to buy a day pass. If you do not notify the bus driver, a one-way pass will automatically be deducted.
There are a number of ways to get more information on Stored Value.
Online: Visit 511sd.com
Compass Card Call Center:
(619) 595-5636
(a function of MTS)
NCTD Customer Information:
(760) 966-6500
With Stored Value (also referred to as Compass Cash) you can now load a dollar value to your Compass Card to use whenever you need to purchase a fare. All one-way fares and most passes offered by the North County Transit District (NCTD) can be purchased with Stored Value.
Stored Value is accepted on all COASTER, SPRINTER, FLEX and BREEZE trips. Stored Value is not accepted on LIFT trips.
Yes! You can also use Stored Value to purchase one-way fares and most passes offered by MTS.
Stored Value may be loaded only on a valid Compass Card. A card from another transit system cannot be used on NCTD services. Stored Value is not accepted or available for purchase on the mobile ticketing app, Compass Cloud.
Yes, if the Compass Card is registered. But remember, a lost card is just like cash. You will be responsible for any value that is used on your card before the card is deactivated (which can take up to three days after NCTD is notified).
Register your Compass Card online or at the NCTD Customer Service Center. If your Compass Card is registered, your first replacement card is free. Additional replacement cards in the same 12-month period will cost $5. In order to protect the Stored Value, the replacement card must be provided by the Compass Service Center or Oceanside Transit Center Customer Service.
Any balance on an unregistered Compass Card cannot be replaced. You must also purchase a new Compass Card for the $2 fee.
STEP ONE:
Visit Oceanside Transit Center Customer Service
(Monday-Friday, 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.)
STEP TWO:
Speak to an agent by calling the Compass Service Center at (619) 595-5636 or 511 (and say “Compass”)
STEP THREE:
Send an email to CompassCard@sdmts.com
STEP FOUR:
If registered, the value remaining at the time of deactivation may be restored onto a new card.
You can add Stored Value at:
Note: Stored Value is NOT sold at retail outlets (such as Albertsons/Vons)
The Stored Value would expire when the Compass Card expires. However, if your Compass Card is registered, you may visit a Customer Service Center to transfer the Stored Value onto your new Compass Card.
No. Stored Value does not recognize the number of one-way fares purchased and will not default to a day pass. If you are taking multiple one-way trips, a day pass may be the best value and should be purchased on the first trip (before tapping, the bus driver should be notified that you would like to purchase a day pass).
Yes, sign up for automatic reload online after registering your card by calling 511 and saying “Compass” to speak to an agent.
Find more information at 511sd.com
No. Retail outlets cannot deduct Stored Value from your Compass Card as payment for pass products.
Stored Value starts at $2.50 and goes up to $100 per transaction. The maximum amount a card will hold is $300.
No, there are no refunds.
No, there are no refunds.
No, there are no refunds.
No. Retail outlets currently do not have the ability to sell Stored Value. This is something that may be offered in the future.
On the COASTER, tapping on and off allows NCTD to determine how many zones you traveled and therefore calculate the appropriate fare. When you tap on, by default, the system deducts the three-zone fare. When you tap off, the system refunds the appropriate amount based on the length of your trip. Tapping off is also required to activate the free transfer to BREEZE and SPRINTER.
Be careful to only tap once before riding and to tap off only once at the end of your trip. Tapping more than once on the same trip before boarding the train will result in additional deductions.
On the bus and SPRINTER, Stored Value will not be deducted twice. When tapping on the bus, a pass back message is triggered alerting you and the bus driver that your card has already been tapped successfully. The stand-alone station validators will display the message “Already Touched” and the ticket vending machines will display the message “Valid Pass. Thank You.”
No. Every rider must have their own Compass Card. Only one day pass can be loaded onto the card at a time. Once a day pass is loaded, one-way fares will no longer be deducted for the remainder of the operational day.
Yes. However, if the Compass Card is for discounted fares, the person carrying the card must have proof of eligibility for the discount.
Yes! You may hear Stored Value also referred to as Compass Cash.
No. Stored Value allows you to load a dollar value directly to your Compass Card.
Compass Cloud is the mobile ticketing app that lets you purchase and store fares on your smart phone.
No. Stored Value cannot be used to purchase fares or transfer passes onto Compass Cloud.
No. Stored Value is only to purchase fares and passes offered by NCTD and MTS.
No. NCTD ticket vending machines (TVMs) cannot validate or activate passes. You must tap your card at stand-alone validators located on or near the station platforms.
No, the NCTD Senior day pass is not a fare product that can be purchased using Stored Value at this time. It is something we’re looking into for the future.
No. You cannot use two payment methods for a single transaction.
Bus
When you tap your Compass Card of the bus farebox, you will receive an insufficient value visual message, red light, and negative audible signal. You will have to purchase a one-way or day pass with cash.
Ticket Vending Machines (TVM)
When you tap your Compass Card on the ticket machine, a message will appear on the screen if you have insufficient funds. To purchase a fare, first add more Stored Value to your card.
Yes. If your Compass Card has insufficient funds, you may purchase a day pass with cash.