How exactly can I buy a local bus ticket (TransMilenio) in Bogotá, Colombia

I am planning to spend several days in Bogotá, and want to use the public transport within the city (not across the country).
Note that his question is not about if this is a good idea or not, or what alternatives are available - consider this a given.

After extensive research, there is a lot of contradicting and seemingly obsolete information on the web, most from 2008 - 2015, but I couldn't find anything relevant / useful from this year (2019, that is), or even from 2018. Here is my current understanding from what I found:

after arrival at the BOG airport, I must take a green connector bus, which is free. There is no option to buy a TransMilenio card at the airport.
using the connector, I will come to a normal bus station
most larger bus stations are in the middle of the street, as many buses have dedicated lanes
in most bus stations, I can buy a blank/new TransMilenio card for around 5000 COP
TransMilenio cards come in blue, green, and red, and depending on the color, have limited validities [according to some sources, this seems obsolete?]
I can load the TransMilenio card with money, and then use it to ride buses
two people can ride together with one TransMilenio card
the waiting lines to buy or load the cards are always 1 - 2 hours at minimum

My question is a) is this all correct, and b) can I pay with credit card, or do I need to have COP cash? What identifies the counter I need to line up on (maybe it's obvious, but I'm rather prepared)? In other words, what is the exact process to get a valid and loaded TransMilenio card?

I would prefer an answer that is reasonably up-to-date and first-hand, so it would be perfect if you were in Bogotá in 2019, or live there - or can cite an official and recent source.

Pictures about "How exactly can I buy a local bus ticket (TransMilenio) in Bogotá, Colombia"

How exactly can I buy a local bus ticket (TransMilenio) in Bogotá, Colombia - Person Giving Fruit to Another

How exactly can I buy a local bus ticket (TransMilenio) in Bogotá, Colombia - Assorted spices at counter in street market

How exactly can I buy a local bus ticket (TransMilenio) in Bogotá, Colombia - Woman Standing in Front of Assorted Fruits Displayed

How much does TransMilenio cost?

Fares and ticketsYearRush hour COP2020$25002019$24002018$23002017$220020 more rows

Where can I buy a TuLlave card?

TuLlave Card \u2013 You can purchase a TuLlave card at any TransMilenio station. A TuLlave card will cost $6,000 COP and then you must recharge with a minimum of $50,000 COP.

How does the TransMilenio work?

What? Transmilenio is the world's largest bus rapid transport system, a network of buses that mostly run in their own lanes (a few \u201cfeeder\u201d Transmilenio buses mingle with other traffic, on Avenida Septima for example) You normally reach Transmilenio by walking over a footbridge to the station.

Where can I buy bus tickets in Bogota?

If you are looking to escape to some of the towns around Bogota, your best bet is to head to the bus station (Terminal de Transporte). Here, you can book a bus to practically anywhere in the country, including towns close to Bogota like Zipaquira, Chia, Cajica, and Facatativa, among others.

Mi Primera Vez Usando el Transmilenio | Transporte Público de Bogotá Colombia (Joel Seoane)

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Pixabay, Erik Scheel, Julia Volk, Clem Onojeghuo