Bus riders in Camarillo and Moorpark can tap a phone or bank card to pay their fare, skip buying a monthly pass, and still get the same discount.
The Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) announced Friday, Sept. 11 that its Tap2Ride contactless payment system is live on all seven public bus systems in Ventura County. The system launched Tuesday, Sept. 8. Camarillo Area Transit, Moorpark City Transit, Gold Coast Transit District, Simi Valley Transit, Thousand Oaks Transit, Valley Express and VCTC Intercity fixed-route buses all accept the tap-to-pay option.
Riders tap a contactless debit or credit card, mobile wallet or smartwatch on the yellow reader at the front of the bus when they board. The screen flashes green to confirm payment. Riders do not need an app, exact change or a paper pass.
Fare capping replaces the monthly pass
The biggest change for regular riders is automatic fare capping. The system tracks what each card spends over a rolling 31-day window. Once a rider hits the cap, every additional ride during that period is free.
The regionwide cap is $50, the same price as the VCTC regional pass, according to a VCTC staff memo presented to the Citizens Transportation Advisory Committee on Sept. 8. Individual agencies may set their own daily and monthly caps as well. Simi Valley Transit, for example, offers a $5 daily cap and a $50 monthly cap.
Riders no longer need to pay $50 up front. The system applies the savings automatically as they ride.
Free transfers across all seven systems
Tap2Ride also gives riders free transfers. A passenger who taps onto one bus can board any other participating bus within two hours at no extra charge. The transfer is tied to the card used for the first fare, so no paper transfer slip is needed.
Reduced fares for seniors, veterans and Medicare cardholders
People 65 and older, U.S. military veterans and Medicare cardholders can register a debit or credit card at benefits.calitp.org to receive reduced fares on any bus in the county. The registration uses the California Integrated Travel Project (Cal-ITP) verification system. Once a card is verified with one transit operator, the reduced fare applies across all seven systems.
VCTC Executive Director Martin Erickson said the system is meant to lower the barrier for new and occasional riders. "Tap2Ride provides passengers a way to pay fares that is simple and consistent, regardless of which bus they are riding," Erickson said in the Sept. 11 announcement.
Options for riders without a bank card
Riders who do not have a contactless bank card or a bank account can connect with the Bank On platform, a national program led by the nonprofit Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund. Bank On has partnered with more than 100 bank branches across Ventura County. A list of partner banks is available at goventura.org/affordable-banking-options.
Cash and the existing VCbuspass card remain accepted on all routes.
VCTC first launched Tap2Ride on its Intercity buses in June 2025. The system ran in a pilot phase before expanding countywide. Funding for the expansion came from the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) through the Regional Early Action Planning (REAP) 2.0 program. Ventura County's rollout is the largest regional deployment of open-loop payments and Cal-ITP transit benefit enrollment in California, according to VCTC. Riders can find route and fare details at goventura.org/pay.
