Transportation Access Pass (TAP) CharlieCard

Before you begin the TAP application form, please read through the instructions below:

1. Download a TAP application in your preferred language (see below).
2. Fill it out and mail to:
   CharlieCard Store
   7 Chauncy Street
   Boston, MA 02111
3. You will receive a decision letter within 6 – 8 weeks.
4. Once you receive your approval letter, please visit the CharlieCard Store, located on the underground concourse at Downtown Crossing Station, between the Red and Orange lines, and:
   • Present a valid (non-expired), government-issued photo ID (e.g., driver's license, passport, state ID).
   • Have your photo taken.
   • Pick up a temporary TAP CharlieTicket, valid for use while you wait for your permanent TAP CharlieCard to arrive in the mail within 7 – 10 business days.

Download a TAP CharlieCard application

• English
• Español (Spanish)
• Português (Portuguese)
• Français (French)
• Kreyòl Ayisyen (Haitian Creole)
• Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)

If you need help with your TAP application please call customer support at 617-222-3200 or email us at CharlieCardStoreDept@MBTA.com

The CharlieCard Store is located at Downtown Crossing Station, on the underground concourse between the Red and Orange lines:

7 Chauncy Street
Boston, MA 02111

Here’s what you'll need to be prepared with when you arrive:

1. A completed TAP application in your preferred language (see below). You can download the application online and complete before you arrive or complete onsite.
2. A valid (non-expired), government-issued photo ID (e.g., driver’s license, passport, or state ID).
3. Your eligibility documentation or a completed, signed Health Care Professional Certification form (PART C of the TAP application).
4. You’ll need to have your photo taken.

If you're automatically eligible, you’ll receive a temporary TAP CharlieTicket, valid for use while you wait for your permanent TAP CharlieCard to arrive in the mail within 7 – 10 business days. All other applicants will receive a decision letter within 6 – 8 weeks.

Once you receive your approval letter, please visit the CharlieCard Store to pick up a temporary TAP CharlieTicket, valid for use while you wait for your permanent TAP CharlieCard to arrive in the mail within 7 – 10 business days.

View CharlieCard Store hours

Riders can also request a replacement TAP CharlieCard over the phone. For more information, please call Customer Support at 617-222-3200.

Schedule an Appointment

If you'd prefer, you can schedule your visit ahead of time. Appointments are available on Wednesdays and Fridays, 8:30 AM – 11:15 AM.

Book an appointment

Load cash value or monthly passes onto your TAP card at any fare vending machine, at the CharlieCard Store, at fare boxes on buses and onboard trolleys at street-level stops, or online via the MyCharlie website.

Please note: Discounted monthly passes are not available for Express Buses. You can purchase a one-way ticket for 50% of the standard cash fare at onboard fareboxes and fare vending machines.

Here’s how you can use your TAP CharlieCard on the Commuter Rail:

1. Show your TAP CharlieCard to MBTA staff at Commuter Rail ticket windows, to an onboard conductor, or tap it at a fare vending machine to pay 50% of the standard one-way fare or purchase a 10-ride ticket.
2. mTicket: Enter your TAP CharlieCard serial card 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.

You can also show a TAP card from a Massachusetts Regional Transit Authority (RTA) or Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) for reduced Commuter Rail fares.

Please note: Discounted monthly Commuter Rail passes are not available. 

Show your TAP card at ferry ticket booths to pay 50% of the standard one-way fare or purchase a 10-ride ticket.

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 and do not offer TAP card discounts.
• Discounted monthly passes are not available.

Learn more about where you can take a ferry