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Corporate RideSponsor Program

If you're an employer looking to improve employee satisfaction and reduce stress, this program is ideal. With no initial investment required, you can subsidize a tax-free transit benefit for employees who commute to work using public transit or METRO Star Vanpool. Employees who choose to use public transit receive a METRO Q® Fare Card.

You can provide this benefit as a substitute for taxable salary, a supplemental benefit or a combination. Benefits are exempt from payroll taxes, so everybody saves money.

METRO Park and Ride picks up passengers

Program Overview

The Corporate RideSponsor Program provides terrific benefits for your employees. Watch this video to learn more.

How It Works


No capital investment is required to become a METRO Corporate RideSponsor. You choose your benefit allocation, and the subscription process is automated. A METRO representative will train your company administrator and will always be available to assist and answer questions.

Both employer-paid and employee-paid benefits are exempt from payroll taxes. So, everyone can save on payroll taxes.

Employers can offer employees the option of exchanging up to $315 per month in taxable salary for a tax-free transit or vanpool benefit.

Employers can allocate up to $315 per month for employees to commute using public transit or vanpool. This is a tax-free transit benefit for employees.

Corporate RideSponsor

 Become a RideSponsor

To learn more about becoming a Corporate RideSponsor, call 713-739-4015, email Client.Services@RideMETRO.org or fill out this short form:

Common Questions

How it Works

Companies are invoiced for all activity during the first week of every month. Invoices are payable in full within 30 days from the date of the invoice.

  • Private employers
  • Nonprofits
  • Public agencies
  • Federal government agencies
  • Educational institutions

You can manage your employees’ METRO Q Fare Cards online. You have the option of setting up a monthly automatic reload called a subscription, or you can opt to do periodic manual reloads to the fare cards.

Fare Cards

It functions like a debit card for riding METRO. Money is automatically deducted each time the user pays their fare. The card can be used on any of the following services:

  • Local bus
  • Park & Ride commuter express bus
  • METRORail
  • METRORapid
  • METRO curb2curb

For all services except Park & Ride bus service, the regular fare to board is $1.25 and the discounted fare is 60 cents. For Park & Ride bus service, the regular fare to board ranges from $2-8 depending on your location. The discounted fare is half price.

Cards are provided free of charge to Corporate RideSponsors, for distribution to employees. We encourage employees to register their card. This protects its account balance if the card gets lost. To register a card for free, employees can visit any METRO RideStore location or contact Customer Service at 713-635-4000.

Businesses like yours can offer no-cost transit benefits to employees through our Distributor program. Providing on-site access to METRO Q® Fare Cards is completely free and requires minimal effort. You provide the METRO fare cards and your employees can load funds onto them when ready to ride.

Registering Cards

Both options are possible. You can request that all cards initially be registered to the company, or you can choose to have each employee register their own card and allow them to add money to a second wallet belonging to the employee. This option would allow two wallets on one card; the employer and employee.

Yes. Corporate RideSponsor-issued cards are automatically registered to the company, unless the Corporate RideSponsor elects to have the cards registered to their employees.

Managing Cards

All registered cards can have the value transferred to a replacement card by METRO at the 1900 Main Street location.

Yes. You can make it a policy that all cards are company property, which means that employees would need to procure a second card strictly for personal use.

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