Middle and High School Student CharlieCards

M7 Card

During the school year (September 1 – June 30), your monthly pass is automatically loaded onto your card.

In July and August, you can load it with cash value at:

• Fare vending machines
• Onboard fare boxes on buses and trolleys at street-level stops
• MBTA retail sales locations
• The CharlieCard Store at Downtown Crossing

Or passes at:

• Fare vending machines
• The CharlieCard Store at Downtown Crossing

S-Card

Load cash value to your S-Card at:

• Fare vending machines
• Onboard fare boxes on buses and trolleys at street-level stops
• MBTA retail sales locations
• The CharlieCard Store at Downtown Crossing

Or passes at:

• Fare vending machines
• The CharlieCard Store at Downtown Crossing

Note: You cannot add value or passes to your Student CharlieCard online.

When You’re Ready to Board

At subway stations, tap your card at the fare gate to enter. To board buses or trolleys at street-level stops, tap your card at the onboard fare box.

Note: If your card gets lost or damaged, contact your school administrator for a replacement.

Discounted monthly passes are not available for the Commuter Rail, but students can use their M7 or S-Card to pay half the standard one-way fare or pay half the standard price for 10-ride tickets.

M7 Card

During the school year (September 1 – June 30), show your pass to the conductor to travel in Commuter Rail Zones 1A, 1, and 2.

In July and August, or to travel to other zones, tap your card at a fare vending machine or show it at a ticket booth to pay 50% the standard one-way fare. Or, show your card to the conductor to buy your Commuter Rail ticket onboard in cash. Students may also use the mTicket app to purchase half-price Commuter Rail tickets or buy single-ride and round trip tickets at retail sales locations.

S-Card

Year-round, tap your card at a fare vending machine or show it at a ticket booth to pay 50% of the standard one-way fare. Or, show your card to the conductor to buy your Commuter Rail ticket onboard in cash or use the mTicket app to purchase half-price tickets. Students can also buy single-ride and round trip Commuter Rail tickets at retail sales locations.

Valid middle or high school ID 

Show a valid middle or high school ID at a ticket booth or to the conductor to pay 50% of the standard one-way fare.

Note: if you purchase a ticket at a fare vending machine or ticket window, you may still be asked to show the conductor your M-7 Card, S-Card, or middle or high school ID on board.

M7 Cards and S-Cards

Discounted monthly passes are not available for the ferry, but students can show their M7 or S-Card at a ferry ticket booth to pay half the standard one-way fare or pay half the standard price for 10-ride tickets. Students may also use the mTicket app to purchase half-price tickets.

Valid middle or high school ID 

Show a valid middle or high school ID at a ticket booth to pay 50% of the standard one-way fare.

Ferry validity

The Charlestown Inner Harbor Ferry and Hingham/Hull Commuter Ferry offer discounts on all trips.

Please note: The Salem and Winthrop ferries are operated seasonally by their respective municipalities. Please contact them directly using the links above for pricing and discount options.

Learn more about where you can take a ferry
 

At fare vending machines, you can add cash value or monthly passes to your Student CharlieCard:

1. Tap your card on the target.
2. Select the value or monthly pass that you want to add.
3. Pay with cash/credit.
4. Tap the card again to finish.

Fare vending machines are located at all subway stations, and at the Lynn and Worcester/Union Commuter Rail stations.

Most machines accept cash, major credit/debit cards, and EBT cards. Some machines only accept credit/debit/EBT cards and are marked to indicate that they don’t accept cash.

At street-level trolley stops and on a bus, you can add up to $20 cash value to your Student CharlieCard using the onboard fare box located at the front of the bus or subway car:

1. Press the white button.
2. Tap your card on the target.
3. Insert cash or coins.
4. Press the white button again.
5. Tap the card again to finish.

At select stores throughout Greater Boston and Providence, you can load up to $30 cash value onto your CharlieCard and buy single-ride and round trip Commuter Rail tickets.

Cash and credit/debit cards are accepted. Some locations also accept EBT cards.

Enter your Student CharlieCard serial card number or valid Student ID number on the Reduced Fares page under the “My Account” section in your mTicket app. The reduced fare will then automatically appear when purchasing a ticket.

Only children 11 and under who are accompanied by a paying customer ride the MBTA for free. (Up to 2 children per adult are allowed.)

If you’re a middle or high school student—or the parent of a student—interested in discounted MBTA passes, check with your school to see if it participates in the Student Pass Program. If it does not, send officials to our Pass Programs page to get more information.

The cost of a Student Pass depends on the type of pass used.

S-Cards are free, and students or parents can load passes or value to them to ride at reduced prices, or purchase a $30.00 monthly pass for unlimited travel on the subway and Local or Express buses.

M7 Passes come preloaded with passes from September to June, and they provide unlimited travel on the subway, Local or Express buses, and Commuter Rail Zones 1A, 1, and 2.

Students with a Homeschool Approval Letter from their school district’s Superintendent’s Office are eligible for a Student CharlieCard and can place a request for either an M7 or S-Card.

Request a Student CharlieCard

Contact your school administrator, who can report your pass lost or stolen.

Yes, your S-Card or M7 Pass will still work and offer access to reduced fares. M7 Passes function as S-Cards in July and August.

Schools do not cover the costs for July and August—students or parents must add value.