Commuter benefits 

The IRS sets monthly limits for pretax contributions.  

2025 limits: 

• Up to $325 per month for qualified transit expenses 
• Up to $325 per month for qualified parking 

Use your commuter benefit plan to buy a variety of qualified products or services: 

• Public transit fares for buses, ferries and commuter rail 
• Vanpool fares 
• Parking expenses 
• Bicycle commuting expenses, if offered  

See your employer’s plan for details regarding qualified products and services. 

The online ordering model lets you decide how and where to spend your commuting dollars on a monthly basis.   

For ongoing commuter-related expenses, you can set up a recurring order that will automatically generate your transit order or pay your contracted parking vendor. If your commuting needs change, you can adjust or discontinue your order anytime. After you place your order, funds will be automatically deducted from your paycheck before taxes.   

To place an order online: 

• Go to optumbank.com and log in as an account holder. 
• Select the transportation services link. 
• Choose the transit or parking services you want. 
• Place your order. 
• Set up an automatic order to make the same purchase every month. 
• Receive your order at home by mail. 

The employer election model lets you use your Optum payment card to access funds for qualified transportation costs. Here’s how it works:  

1. Choose how much you want to contribute on a monthly basis within limits set by the IRS.  
2. Your employer deducts that amount from your paycheck before taxes, meaning you don’t pay federal, state* or payroll taxes on those contributions. 
3. Use your Optum payment card to access those funds for qualified commuter expenses throughout the year. 
4. Save money as you lower your income taxes. 

 Monthly pretax contribution limits are set by the IRS and reviewed and adjusted occasionally with other cost-of-living adjustments. Separate limits are set for parking and transit, but these  limits are typically the same. Effective January 1, 2025, employees can contribute up to $325 pretax in each account.  

*Some states tax these contributions. 

Yes, your Optum payment card maintains separate accounts or “purses” of pre- (and post-) tax money for parking and transit. It directs the card transaction to the appropriate purse based on the Merchant Category Code (MCC) at point of sale. 

 If you already have an Optum payment card for other accounts, such as an FSA or HSA, the commuter benefits account(s) can be stacked on the same card. The Optum payment card cannot be used at alternative outlets, such as restaurants and grocery stores. 

 The amount of available funds on the Optum payment card must cover the entire mass transit or parking expense or the transaction will be declined. The participant may split the cost by swiping their card for the exact available amount and then pay for the remaining amount with an alternate form of payment. 

Yes. When you use the Optum payment card for parking expenses, there’s no paying cash up front, no claim forms to fill out and no waiting for reimbursements.  

 The Optum payment card helps with Qualified Transportation Account (QTA) expenses, such as parking expenses for any type of vehicle at or near the participant’s work location or at or near a location from which the participant commutes using mass transit.

Yes. The Optum payment card can be used for mass transit passes, tokens or fare cards purchased at a valid transit fare terminal. 

In general, there is no “use it or lose it” rule for commuter benefits. Funds usually roll over from month to month and year to year. However, even if your funds roll over, there is still a monthly spending limit set by the IRS. For 2025, the limit is $325 per month each for transit and parking expenses.  

 If you leave your job, you will lose access to your contributions after a specified time period — typically 90 days after your termination date. See your employer’s plan for details.