Apple Pay With Express Transit Mode Now Available in Chicago

The Chicago Transit Authority today announced that Ventra now supports Apple Pay with Express Transit mode, allowing the fare card to be added to the Wallet app on a compatible iPhone or Apple Watch for tap-and-go payment at train stations and on buses.

chicago ventra apple pay
Express Transit mode allows users to pay for rides without having to wake or unlock their iPhone or Apple Watch, or open the Ventra app. The mode also bypasses the need to authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode. Users simply need to hold their iPhone or Apple Watch near the contactless payment reader until a checkmark appears on the display.

With your Ventra Card on iPhone and Apple Watch it's easier than ever to get around on CTA and Pace. Just tap your iPhone or Apple Watch to pay for rides using transit value or passes. No fumbling to grab a separate transit card, open apps or even wake your device — it's that easy!

And get the same features of a Ventra Card on your iPhone and Apple Watch, including the ability to load and manage transit value and CTA and Pace passes, autoload, pre-tax transit benefits from your employer, account management features in the Ventra app and more!

How to add a Ventra card to the Wallet app:

  • Open the Ventra app on your iPhone and tap the "Cards" tab
  • Select the Ventra card you want to add
  • Press the "Add to Apple Wallet" button and follow the on-screen instructions

Special fare program cards, such as RTA Reduced Fare, Student Ventra cards, or U-Pass cards, cannot be added to the Wallet app at this time. It is also not possible to add a Ventra card to the Wallet app on more than one device at a time, according to the CTA, which says to add the card only to the iPhone or Apple Watch you wish to use when you ride.

After adding an existing Ventra card to the Wallet app, the plastic version will no longer be functional and cannot be reloaded.

Apple Pay with Express Transit mode went live in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. earlier this year, with other supported U.S. cities including New York and Portland.

(Thanks, Anthony!)

Related Roundup: Apple Pay

Popular Stories

apple store down feature

Here's Why the Apple Store is Going Down

Thursday November 27, 2025 1:01 pm PST by
Apple's online store is going down for a few hours on a rolling country-by-country basis right now, but do not get your hopes up for new products. Apple takes its online store down for a few hours ahead of Black Friday every year to tease/prepare for its annual gift card offer with the purchase of select products. The store already went down and came back online in Australia and New Zealand, ...
iPhone Pocket Short

iPhone Pocket is Now Completely Sold Out Worldwide

Tuesday November 25, 2025 7:16 am PST by
Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone. However, it is now completely sold out in all countries where it was released. iPhone Pocket became available to order on Apple's online store starting Friday, November 14, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, ...
streaming black friday 2025

Best Black Friday Streaming Deals - Save Big on Apple TV, Disney+, Hulu, and More

Thursday November 27, 2025 1:14 pm PST by
We've been focusing on deals on physical products over the past few weeks, but Black Friday is also a great time of year to purchase a streaming membership. Some of the biggest services have great discounts for new and select returning members this week, including Apple TV, Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When...
New Intel Logo

Apple and Intel Rumored to Partner on Mac Chips Again in a New Way

Friday November 28, 2025 7:33 am PST by
While all Macs are now powered by Apple's custom-designed chips, a new rumor claims that Apple may rekindle its partnership with Intel, albeit in a new and limited way. Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today said Intel is expected to begin shipping Apple's lowest-end M-series chip as early as mid-2027. Kuo said Apple plans to utilize Intel's 18A process, which is the "earliest...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Foldable iPhone to Debut These Three Breakthrough Features

Tuesday November 25, 2025 7:09 am PST by
Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in fall 2026, and it's shaping up to include three standout features that could set it apart from the competition. The book-style foldable will reportedly feature an industry-first 24-megapixel under-display camera built into the inner display, according to a recent JP Morgan equity research report. That...
iphone air camera

iPhone Air Flop Sparks Industry Retreat From Ultra-Thin Phones

Thursday November 27, 2025 3:14 am PST by
Apple's disappointing iPhone Air sales are causing major Chinese mobile vendors to scrap or freeze their own ultra-thin phone projects, according to reports coming out of Asia. Since the ‌iPhone Air‌ launched in September, there have been reports of poor sales and manufacturing cuts, while Apple's supply chain has scaled back shipments and production. Apple supplier Foxconn has...
streaming black friday 2025

Black Friday Streaming Deals Include Big Savings on Disney+, Hulu, Apple TV, and More

Monday November 24, 2025 8:03 am PST by
We've been focusing on deals on physical products over the past few weeks, but Black Friday is also a great time of year to purchase a streaming membership. Some of the biggest services have great discounts for new and select returning members this week, including Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a...
General Apps Messages Redux

Singapore Orders Changes to iMessage by December

Tuesday November 25, 2025 6:39 am PST by
Singapore has ordered Apple to block or filter messages on iMessage that impersonate government agencies, requiring the company to implement new anti-spoofing protections by December as part of efforts to curb rising online scams, the Straits Times reports. Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said that it had issued an Implementation Directive to Apple under the Online Criminal Harms...

Top Rated Comments

Attirex Avatar
67 months ago
Mac related articles about transit = always good times spent reading comments from locals grousing and complaining about their particular system. :-)
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DangerousDan Avatar
67 months ago
About damn time!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
coffeemadmanUK Avatar
67 months ago
It's super useful on the London transport network!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iShater Avatar
67 months ago
What an excellent time to release it when most of us are not using it.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tmiw Avatar
67 months ago

Why didn't Apple do this for any of the Bayarea public transportation like Caltrain or BART or AC Transit?
It's up to the individual transit agency to support it, not Apple. And in the case of the Bay Area, the readers currently don't support anything other than the physical Clipper card (and no indication that it'll be supported any time soon).
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JCoe13 Avatar
67 months ago
Finally after 2 years... This is a welcomed addition. I'll likely be waiting another ~year before I even get to try this out due to this dang pandemic.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)