How bus transfers work
See when your bus or train is coming.
Shift shows live arrivals at the stops near you. Take more trips by transit and you can unlock gift cards from local shops. Free.
If your trip involves more than one bus or train, you're probably paying less than you think.
The basic rule: When you pay with a Charlie Card or phone tap, your first transfer within two hours is free. Bus to bus, bus to subway, subway to bus — all free. That two-hour window starts from your first tap.
What counts: The transfer has to be between different routes. Riding the same bus back doesn't count. And the free transfer only covers the base fare — if you're transferring to an express bus or commuter rail, you pay the difference.
What doesn't work: Cash on the bus doesn't get you a free transfer. Neither do single-ride tickets from the machines. If you're going to ride transit more than once, a Charlie Card (or just your phone) pays for itself immediately.
Shift finds the calmest way to wherever you're headed, by bike, on foot or on transit, and gives you credit for every trip you shift.
Not ready for the app? Plan a route on the Nearby page in your browser.
Tap if you ride now and then. A monthly pass if you ride almost every workday. Transfers, Commuter Rail and reduced fares in plain language.
Bus, subway, Green Line — three modes, one fare. What to expect the first time you ride each.