Use Your EBT Card on the MBTA

Massachusetts Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards loaded with cash value can be used at fare vending machines, at the Charlie Service Center, or at MBTA retail sales locations that accept EBT cards.

With an EBT card, you can:

• Load value onto a CharlieCard or CharlieTicket
• Load bus or subway passes onto a CharlieCard
• Load bus, subway, Commuter Rail, or ferry passes onto a CharlieTicket

Commuter Rail and ferry fares and passes cannot be purchased with EBT cards on the MBTA mTicket app, at a Keolis Ticket office, for Keolis onboard Commuter Rail sales, or at ferry ticket booths as they don’t accept PIN pad entries.

Commuter Rail and ferry fares and passes cannot be purchased with EBT cards at the following venues, as they don’t accept PIN pad entries:

• MBTA mTicket app
• Keolis Ticket office
• Keolis onboard Commuter Rail sales
• Ferry ticket booths

Learn how to tell where your card is accepted

Who is Eligible for EBT Card Fare Payment?

EBT cards are provided to those who qualify for food benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and/or economic assistance through Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC) or Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled, and Children (EAEDC).

You cannot use EBT cards to pay for reduced fares. However, if you're eligible for an EBT card, you may be eligible for certain reduced fare programs depending on other criteria.

Learn more about qualifying for an EBT card

How to Use Your EBT Card at Fare Vending Machines

You can use your EBT card just as you use debit cards to add value or passes to a CharlieCard or CharlieTicket. Transactions can be completed at fare vending machines, the Charlie Service Center, or at MBTA retail sales locations that accept EBT cards.

1. Select how you would like to pay your fare (CharlieCard or CharlieTicket)
2. Select your fare type (i.e. one-way, round trip, monthly LinkPass, etc.)
3. Select “debit card” as the form of payment
4. Swipe your EBT card and type in your PIN number

Payments cannot be split between an EBT card and a debit/credit card at fare vending machines, but you may do so at the Charlie Service Center. If your card has insufficient funds, it will be declined just as a debit card would. 

Note: EBT cards cannot be used to add value or passes to CharlieCards online or at onboard fare boxes as cards require the use of a PIN pad.