The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA, or "T" for short) operates Boston's subway train, city bus, Commuter Rail and some commuter boat systems.

Here's how to pay the fares on these systems.

Subway & Bus

Charlie Ticket & Charlie Card

The Charlie Ticket is a paper stored-value fare ticket with a magnetic strip, sold from ticket vending machines, that can be loaded and re-loaded at ticket vending machines with credit for fares. To use the ticket, you stick it into a slot in the fare gate, it pops up at the top of the fare gate, you retrieve it, and the gate opens so you can enter the system.

Passengers using Charlie Tickets pay normal MBTA subway and bus fares ($2 per ride) plus a 50¢ surcharge. Transfers between local buses are free. The Charlie Ticket is the simplest way to use the system for a few rides and/or for a limited time, but the Charlie Card is cheaper.

The Charlie Card is a plastic stored-value RFID fare card that can be loaded with credit at ticket vending machines, or online (if you link your Charlie Card to a credit or debit card).

You tap your Charlie Card to a sensor on the turnstile to access the trains.

With a Charlie Card, you pay less ($2, no surcharge), transfers between local buses are free, and transfers between bus and subway are discounted.

Charlie cards are not sold in all stations, only in MBTA sales locations. More...

The name "Charlie" comes from the popular song "Charlie on the MTA" about a man riding the Boston subways who paid the fare to get on the train, transferred to another line, then discovered there was an additional fare to be paid at his destination stop—and he had no more money.

He was obliged to stay on the train forever....

The extra fares collected at distant stations are a thing of the past, but the song was so popular that the name of its "hero" was adopted for the MBTA's digital fare cards.

Commuter Rail & Boats

Unfortunately, Charlie Tickets and Charlie Cards are not yet accepted on MBTA Commuter Rail trains, Inner Harbor Ferries, or Commuter Boats. You must buy separate tickets for each ride, or a special pass. The amount of your fare depends on how far you ride (in a zone system).

If possible, buy your Commuter Rail ticket from a ticket office or vendor (if there is one at or near the station) before boarding the train. If there is a ticket sales location open at the station where you board, and if you do not buy your ticket there, you will pay a surcharge when you buy your ticket on the train ($1 during off-peak hours, $2 during peak travel times).

If there is no ticket office at or near the station where you board, you will not have to pay the surcharge. More...

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