Bus

​CATS-Pass FAQs

​On the home screen, click on the Wallet button to view your tickets. All active tickets will also be displayed directly on the home screen.

​If you register a credit/debit card in setup or CATS-Pass Wallet of the app, Payeezy will post and immediately reverse a small charge (usually 10 cents or $1.00) against the account as a test. Depending on your credit card company or bank, this charge may or may not show up on your statement as pending. The fee will not be charged against your card. Payeezy is a credit card processing vendor for electronic payments.

​Yes, only if that person is traveling with you. Passes cannot be sent electronically to another person's phone. Be sure to activate all tickets for all persons in your group before boarding the bus or train.

​You are responsible for keeping your smartphone charged while riding the bus or train, just as customers must keep track of their paper ticket or transit pass card. If your phone dies, you must purchase a new ticket from a ticket vending machine (TVM) or bus farebox for your trip.

​You will need to download the CATS-Pass app to the new device. If you register in the app with the same phone number, your previously purchased tickets and passes will load into the Wallet section.

​Please call CATS Customer Service for assistance at 704.336.7433 (RIDE).

​Yes, you can buy tickets in advance of your travel date. Non-activated tickets are stored in your Wallet. Do not activate your ticket(s) until shortly before you board the bus or train. For CATS you must use your tickets within 60 days of the purchase date, otherwise the tickets will expire.

​No, you do not need to print a ticket. Go to the 'Wallet' option and activate the ticket before boarding. Show the ticket on your smartphone to the bus operator or fare enforcement officer when required.

You can view the Wallet section offline, including active tickets, non-active tickets, and expired tickets. You also can activate tickets while your phone is offline, but the ticket(s) will only be available for 60 minutes. After that hour, your phone must reconnect to the Internet to view the ticket again. The other features of the CATS-Pass app, like the trip planner, can only be used when online.

First, make sure you are in an area with good cell service where you can receive SMS text messages to your phone. You may need to contact your service provider to make sure your phone is set up to receive SMS text messages from 5-digit short codes. In some cases, service providers may have message blocking active.

You can purchase One Way, One Day, Weekly, Monthly, Senior/Disabled One Way and Youth One Way passes. You can also purchase Express and Express Plus: One Way, Senior/Disabled/Youth One Way and Monthly passes via the app.

For more information on fares visit the CATS website at www.ridetransit.org or call 704.336.7433 (RIDE)

​No, you must activate your ticket(s) before boarding the bus or train and show the ticket on your smartphone to the bus operator or fare enforcement officer when required. Non-activated tickets do not qualify as fare payment.

​You can set home and work locations in your profile. You also can select your Favorite Stop/Stations to quickly view the next vehicle arrival. Before you go, choose a Bus/Train/Rail icon to show the next arrival time or plan a 'Take Me There' option.

​No, once you purchase a ticket, you will not be able to make any changes.

Your information stored in the CATS-Pass app may be vulnerable if you have not taken precautions to protect your mobile device, such as locking the screen, activating remote features, and configuring two-step authentication for all apps.

​Yes, but the app will need the device's phone number to communicate with your device and screen displays are optimized for smaller devices.

​Go to the Google Play store for Android phones or the Apple App Store for iPhones and search for "CATS-Pass" to see if an update is available. You should run updates on the CATS-Pass app as they are available to ensure that your phone receives any fixes or new features.

For CATS Customer Service please call 704.336.7433 (RIDE) or email us at telltransit@charlottenc.gov.

Contact your mobile service provider for data connectivity issues.

Mobile service providers have different coverage within the Charlotte area; you need good cell service and an Internet connection to purchase a ticket.

No, ticket purchase history will be available in the 'Wallet' section.

​No, the cost of a ticket purchased using the CATS-Pass app is the same as tickets purchased from a Ticket Vending Machine (TVM), or other pass sale location.

​Using the Trip Planner tool, you can create personalized journeys using CATS buses and trains. Results are shown in your choice of a text or map view.

​When you launch CATS-Pass the new app will prompt you to enter your first name, last name, and ZIP code. The next screen will ask you to enter your phone number. Press "NEXT." You will receive a one-time passcode via SMS text message. Enter the verification code in the app and press "NEXT." You also can register from "Your Profile," under "More" in the app which follows the same steps. This is a one-time registration process.

In general, Reduced fares are available to customers who are eligible and belong to one of the associated groups: "Child," "Senior," "Disabled," "Kindergarten through High School", You also must show the separate, applicable valid ID when asked to present your ticket or pass.

For more information on fares and reduced fares visit:

www.ridetransit.org or contact CATS Customer Service at 704.336.7433 (RIDE)

​Choose "History" in the CATS-Pass Wallet section. Select the purchase order. Use the export icon in the upper right corner to email a receipt for each transaction.

You need to give the app these permissions for all CATS-Pass app functions to work properly:

  • iPhone: Location information

  • Android: Network Communication (full internet access), Your Location (both fine (GPS) location and coarse (network-based) location), Phone Calls (read phone status and ID), and Storage (modify or delete SD card contents)

​Yes, for the Charlotte and surrounding cities, where we currently offer service you can buy and store tickets for up to 60 days.

​There are no refunds for unused tickets. Please review the "Terms and Conditions" document ("Changes, refunds and ticket expiration" paragraph) for more information about refunds. In the app, navigate to menu "Settings" and select the "Terms & Conditions" option.

​All refunds will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and refunded at the discretion of management. Please contact CATS Customer Service at 704.336.7433 (RIDE) or via email at telltransit@charlottenc.gov.

​Yes, the new version of CATS-Pass has a cash-to-mobile feature that allows you to add value to your CATS-Pass Wallet fare payment account with cash at participating retail locations. Go to the "Wallet" and select "Add Funds Using Cash" to find a location near you.

​Try exiting, closing, and relaunching the app, or restart your mobile device. You may have to delete and reinstall the application or download the latest CATS-Pass app update from the Google Play Store (for Android) or Apple App Store (for iPhone).

​The CATS-Pass app is FREE to download from the Google Play store or the Apple App Store.

​You can buy tickets CATS (Charlotte Area Transit System) to be used on both bus and LYNX services.

​When pressing the Plan Journey button ("Home" screen), in the tab-bar, you will be taken to a map view of your area with stop/stations.

​To activate the ticket, slide the button on the bottom of the ticket to activate.

Running an update will not delete your tickets or pass or change your profile. Your tickets and profile are linked to your phone number, not to the app or your phone.

​We accept American Express, Discover, MasterCard and Visa, as well as most bank debit cards.

You can add, change, or remove credit card information stored on the app at any time. You will need to register the card by providing your name, phone number and ZIP code.

To store a new credit card:

  • Create a PIN

  • Select "Add New Card"

  • Enter your credit card details

By default, the app will store your card by the card brand, such as "Visa" or "MasterCard." To set a default credit/debit card, click on the star next to the card name.

​You do not need to scan the ticket on the bus or train. Instead, you must activate your ticket prior to boarding the bus or train. Show the ticket on your smartphone to the bus operator or fare enforcement officer when required.

Currently the app is only available for these phone operating systems: Android version 5.0 (Lollipop) iPhone iOS10 and higher.

To see which operating system your phone is using:

  • Android: Go to Settings – About Phone to view the Android version number.

  • iPhone: Go to Settings – General – About to view the iOS number.

​Enter where you want to go to receive detailed trip information. My location is the default starting point, but that can be configured once the destination is set.

In the CATS-Pass "Wallet", select "Add Funds" in the upper right corner and select "Add Funds Using Cash." Next, choose a payment location by the ZIP code and select a retail center from the list. From there, follow the onscreen instructions for adding value.

​Download the CATS-Pass app again from the Google Play store or Apple App Store. Register your name and phone number again. Once you register the same phone number, the app will load your Wallet with your tickets and purchase history and restore your profile.

​Customers can securely report safety concerns in the CATS-Pass app by clicking the "More" option and selecting Transit Security.

For diagnostics, the CATS-Pass app stores your name, phone number, build stage, app version, device model and platform and version. You can view this information in "Your Profile."

Your credit/debit card information is protected by your PIN and stored securely with Payeezy, a leading provider of credit card processing for electronic payments. Payment information is neither stored in the app nor collected or stored by the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS).

You can update your PIN at any time in the app, but this will require your existing PIN first.

​CATS will not share your profile information. Your information also is exempt from open records requests.

​Yes. During registration, the app will ask you to create a PIN to protect your profile and credit/debit cards on file. You also have the option to enable Touch/Face ID if your device has that feature.

​Once a network connection is available, confirm that you purchased the ticket by checking in the Wallet section of the app. If not, you will need to redo the ticket purchase.

​Non-activated tickets will expire 60 days from the purchase date. A notification will be sent to your phone prior to expiration.

​There are no free rides. You must activate your ticket before boarding and show the ticket on your smartphone to the bus operator or fare enforcement officer when required. Failure to produce a valid (Active) ticket is punishable by arrest or criminal citation. Criminal citation can result in a $50 fine.