What does a CharlieCard cost?
I'm planning a business trip to Boston, Massachusetts, during which I'll have a day or two free to play railfan and tour its public transport system.
From my research at the MBTA website, it looks like there are two main ways to pay for transit rides there: either a contactless plastic card called CharlieCard or magnetic-strip paper tickets called CharlieTicket. Both operate on a stored-value principle, but the fares are lower with CharlieCard than with CharlieTicket.
Since I only have a few days, my instinct is that the paper CharlieTicket will be cheaper for me -- but on the other hand, during that time, I'm going to ride a lot more than the typical local, or even the typical tourist. So there's a possibility that the CharlieCard will break even for me.
However, I can't for the life of me find anywhere on the MBTA website where it says what the price of a CharlieCard is. Without knowing that in advance it is hard to figure out where the break-even point is.
Does anyone here happen to know?
(The card price may be disguised as a minimum non-refundable balance or something similar, like some other contractless transit payment card systems do, but I can't find anything about that either).
Bonus question: If I determine the card is advantageous for me, is there somewhere at Logan airport I can buy one at around 7pm on a Sunday? The MBTA's list of points-of-sale requires me to select a particular neighborhood of Boston from a textual list before it will show me anything, and I don't know which of them contains the airport.
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Can you use your phone as a CharlieCard?
Monthly pass holders will be able to link a plastic CharlieCard, the MBTA's rechargeable ticket system, allowing them to tap their phones for rail access on subway and bus systems. All mobile tickets will have bar codes so they can be validated, which will help combat fare evasion.What is the difference between a CharlieCard and a Charlie ticket?
Another distinguishing factor, a Charlie Card it plastic and can have money added to it. A Charlie ticket is paper and can be used to buy a new ticket (if you have less than $2 on it) but not 're-charged'. And the Charlie Cards themselves are free. Ask a T person in a station for one.How long do Charlie cards last?
Stored value CharlieTickets expire 18 months from the purchase date. Stored value CharlieTickets expire 18 months from the purchase date. Can I pay for more than 1 person using the same CharlieCard or CharlieTicket? Yes, if you use stored value (pay as you go) on a CharlieCard.How much does a CharlieCard cost in Boston?
TRAVEL PASSES AND CHARLIE CARDS There is a daily pass for $12.75 a day and a monthly pass cost $90 a month. The best deal is the weekly even if you are only staying for two or three days because after using it for 5 round trips, every other trip is free.How to buy a Charlie-Card from a MACHINE | Yoshi’s Guide - [MBTA]
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Images: Ann H, Karolina Grabowska, Karolina Grabowska, Jim Fawns