Transit Benefits

The Moody Bible Institute Transit Benefit is a program whereby you may set aside dollars from your paycheck to pay for your public transportation expenses (i.e. bus, subway and train). Under the MBI Transit Benefit you will continue to pay for your own commuting expenses, but the program makes it possible for you to increase your take-home pay by reducing your federal and state income taxes and your Social Security (FICA) taxes. Up to the IRS limit per may be deducted from your paycheck on a pre-tax basis.

How does the program work?
If you commute on public transportation, you make an election to set aside a portion of your salary to be applied toward your transportation expenses. This money is deducted from your paycheck, with up to the IRS limit of the deduction being taken out on a pre-tax basis. This money may be applied in one of three ways:

1. RTA Prepaid MasterCard
   You will receive a card that will be electronically reloaded each month on the 20th with the dollar amount that you select. This prepaid card may be used to purchase Metra, South Shore, CTA, and Pace transit passes. This may be done at transit stations, by Metra through their website, at any currency exchange locations, and at most grocery stores. The cards can carry a positive balance, so if all the money is not used up in a given month, it will not be lost.
2. Ventra
   If you have a Ventra account with the CTA, you may sign up to have money deducted from your paycheck and directly deposited in your Ventra account each month. In order to do this, you must provide your 12 digit Ventra Transit ID Number. If you do not have a Ventra account, you may sign up for one directly with the CTA on the Ventra web site . When the CTA has finished processing your request and given you your account number, you may then sign for Moody's transit benefit program.
3. Pace Vanpool
   If you are riding in a Pace Vanpool, you may sign up to have your monthly premium deposited directly into your Vanpool account. To sign up, you must provide your 4-5 digit Pace Vanpool account number. If the amount you choose does not directly match your monthly bill amount from Pace, they will either mail you a bill for the remainder or credit your account with a positive balance. For more information about vanpools, review the information on the  Pace web site .

Making Changes
Changes (including new enrollments, drops, or skipping a month) may be made to your transit benefit throughout the year. Submissions are due by the 5th of the month in which you wish to make the change. Submissions received after the 5th will be processed the following month. Please submit the transit request on UKG Pro to make a change or enroll in the program and upload the Transit Benefit Election Form with your submission. Click here to view UKG Pro submnission steps.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: I don’t always use public transportation; sometimes I work remotely or drive. Is this benefit still useful?

A: Yes! For both Metra and Ventra, if you choose a specific funding amount, it can be used at your discretion and will not expire. For Metra, you might consider purchasing a 10-ride pass if you won’t fully utilize a monthly pass. For Ventra, you can simply carry a balance on your card and pay for the train or bus as needed. Pace Vanpool costs are based on the number of riders, so these work best for consistent commutes.

 

Q: I will not need my normal transit amount. Can I stop or change it this month?

A: Yes! To make changes submit the change in UKG Pro. If you suspend the benefit, the payroll deduction will be paused and the funds/pass will not be sent to your account or mastercard at the end of the month.

 

Q: I suspended my transit benefit for this month. Will it automatically resume next month?

A: No. If you wish to restart or begin a transit election, you must submit in UKG Pro by the 5^th of the month in which you need the funds to be sent.  

Q: I need to purchase a ticket that costs more than my transit election or fund balance. Can I add funds during the month?

A: For Ventra riders, you can add personal funds to your Ventra card/account at any time. Please note: your Ventra account will always utilize any available passes before paying for a ride through account funds.

A: For Metra riders, you cannot add personal funds to the RTA Mastercard. If you need to purchase a ticket greater than your Mastercard balance, you will need to supply this through your own funds by using a different payment method.

A: For Pace Vanpool riders, if your monthly bill is greater than the transit amount you have elected, you will be billed for the difference and must pay that from personal funds.

 

Q: How do I view my transit funds balance?

A: For Ventra riders, you can view your current funds, passes, and commuting history by logging into your Ventra app or account at www.ventrachicago.com.

A: For Metra riders, you can call RTA using the number on your Mastercard, or you can log into mytransitbenefit.com to view your balance and commuting history.

A: For Pace riders, you can view your account via the monthly statement provided by Pace.

 

Q: Do my transit funds ever expire?

A: Unused funds in your Ventra account, RTA Mastercard, or Pace Vanpool account never expire. 30-day passes do expire and will have an expiration date listed. Check your Ventra app or RTA account to see if you’ve purchased a pass with an expiration date.

 

For additional information, contact Kris Akut.