Pay bus fare with your phone
The STA Connect app is packed full of features, including the ability to create a virtual eConnect card that allows you to use your mobile phone to pay the bus fare.
You can also manage your Connect account, check your balance, add value, set up autoload, and track your progress toward unlimited rides with fare capping.
Get started in five easy steps below.
Sign up for a Connect account
To use a virtual eConnect card in the app, you must create a Connect account.
If you have already created a Connect account, simply sign in. If you haven’t, you can create an account using the app.
Create an eConnect card
In the app you can create an eConnect card that allows you to scan your phone to pay the bus fare when you board.
eConnect cards are different than physical Connect cards you can get at STA Plaza and order online. eConnect cards are completely virtual and available to use only in your mobile phone, and have separate balances and fare capping totals from physical Connect cards.
Add value to your card
To start adding value to your eConnect card, simply add a credit or debit card to your Connect account, then add value to your cart and check out.
Connect accounts also offer autoload settings so that you don’t have to worry about running out of value on your card.
Scan & ride
With value added to your eConnect card, you are ready to ride!
When you board the bus, hold your phone approximately eight inches below the fare validator with the screen facing up. Adjust the distance to be closer or further away if the QR code does not scan on your first attempt.
When your eConnect card has been validated and fare collected, you’ll hear a beep and see a green check mark.
Managing physical Connect cards
In the STA Connect app, you also can add physical Connect cards to your Connect Account, allowing you to manage and add value to that card from the app.
You can use the app to manage multiple Connect cards. For example, you could check the balance and add value to a family member’s Connect card if you’ve also registered it in the app.
A physical Connect card and virtual eConnect card cannot be linked. If a rider uses both a physical Connect card and an eConnect card, the two cards will have separate balances and fare capping totals. They can be managed under the same account but have different card numbers and pins.
How-to videos
Common questions
If you are having difficulty getting your eConnect QR code to scan from the app on your phone, please try these tips in order to scan your QR code:
- Make sure your screen is at 100% brightness
- Turn off any blue light filters that may be on
- Keep a distance of 4 inches or more between scanner and phone. If the phone is too close, it moves out of the focus area of the scanner and the field of view gets too small for the entire barcode.
- Hold the phone at a slight angle (~10-30 degrees) instead of flat below the scanner. This avoids reflections of the barcode scanner’s illumination or other light sources overhead being projected at the scanner.
- (Slowly) move the phone while holding it under the scanner instead of holding it still. This will move reflections along the screen, and at some point clear of the area where the barcode is.
Paratransit customers can use the STA Connect app to manage their Connect account, add payment options, and set up autoload options for their physical Connect card. They can also view their fare capping progress. However, Paratransit customers cannot use an eConnect card in the app.
A physical Connect card and virtual eConnect card cannot be linked.
If a rider uses both a physical Connect card and an eConnect card, the two cards will have separate balances and fare capping totals. They can be managed under the same account but have different card numbers and pins.
Watch a video on how to create an eConnect card here.
The STA Connect App is available on iOS or Android phones at this time. The app is not available on tablets, watches and other devices.
An eConnect card can be created in the STA Connect App on iOS or Android. Once the app is installed and you are logged in, click the plus sign in the middle of the screen, then select “Create eConnect Card.”
If you already have a physical Connect card on your account, swipe left and click “Add Card,” and select “Create eConnect Card.”
Watch a video on how to create an eConnect card here.
Help & support
For immediate assistance, contact Customer Service at (509) 328-RIDE (7433), TTY 711.