Have questions about your U-Pass BC or Compass Card? We have answers! Click on the sections below to expand.
The U-Pass BC is actually a program pass that is linked to an Adult Compass Card by eligible students. If you don't already have a Compass Card, you’ll need to get one from one of many convenient locations – see our Where to Buy page for more information.
When you’re not eligible for a U-Pass BC (e.g., in between terms or after graduation), you can continue to use your Adult Compass Card for travel on transit by loading Stored Value, DayPasses or Monthly Passes.
Your school determines your eligibility. If you have questions about your eligibility status, or how your school determines your eligibility, please contact your school administration.
You’re required to confirm your eligibility each month in order to load your U-Pass BC onto a Compass Card. As a discounted transit program, this safeguard reduces the chances for fraudulent misuse and helps ensure the continuation of the U-Pass BC Program.
While your U-Pass BC Program Pass expires each month, there is actually no expiry date on your Compass Card.
When you’re not in school and/or no longer eligible for a U-Pass BC, you can continue to use your Adult Compass Card to load regular fare products, like Stored Value, DayPasses or Monthly Passes. Use of your Adult Compass Card is subject to the Compass Card Terms and Conditions.
To get started, select your school and sign in using your student ID information. Once your eligibility is confirmed, you’ll need to enter the 20-digit number and the 3-digit CVN on the back of your Compass Card to link your Compass Card to your U-Pass BC. Once your card is linked, go ahead and request your U-Pass BC. The system will confirm your eligibility and load your pass, which can take up to 24 hours, so make sure you load your pass at least one day before you intend to travel. You can also sign up for notifications on the U-Pass BC Compass website.
You can request your next month's pass as early as the 16th of the current month.
No. Linking your Compass Card to your U-Pass BC doesn’t protect any Stored Value or other fare products you may have purchased. We recommend you also register your card on compasscard.ca to protect your Stored Value. If your card is lost or stolen, Compass Customer Service can transfer your Stored Value onto your new card for you.
You might be enrolled at two schools, but you’ll typically be eligible for U-Pass BC at only one of them, so log in to the U-Pass BC website using your credentials at the school where you’re eligible. If you’re eligible at both schools you’ll need to use one school for your U-Pass BC and request exemption from your other school. For questions about eligibility or exemption, contact your school administration. Please note, you must carry the student ID linked to your U-Pass BC account when travelling with your Compass Card.
Occasionally, unique circumstances can lead to the removal of a U-Pass BC from a Compass Card when a U-Pass BC is unlinked and relinked. It tends to happen in the following circumstances:
If your U-Pass BC gets unlinked from your Compass Card, please call the number on the back of your card (604.398.2042).
Your U-Pass BC can also be removed from your Compass Card when your eligibility changes. Please contact your school to inquire about eligibility.
Once you’ve linked your Compass Card, you’ll need to request your U-Pass BC each month. You can request your U-Pass BC for the current month anytime. You can request your U-Pass BC for next month starting on the 16th of the current month.
No. Your Compass Card is reloadable and can be used for years to come. There is no expiration date on your Compass Card, so hold onto it. You can continue using your Compass Card when you’re not attending classes or are no longer eligible for U-Pass BC. Simply load it with adult Compass products, like Stored Value, Monthly Pass or DayPass – visit compasscard.ca for more information.
It may take up to 24 hours for your U-Pass BC to be loaded once requested, so don’t wait until the last day of the month to request your pass.
A U- Pass BC may take up to 24 hours to process and load after it’s been requested. You can check the status of your request on the upassbc.translink.ca website. If you sign up for email or SMS text message notifications, you’ll receive a message when your pass has been processed. Important: Please note it may take up to 24 hours for your pass to be ready for use once requested.
You can sign up to receive email and/or SMS text message notifications to prompt you each month when it’s time to load your U-Pass BC. We’ll send you a reminder to request your pass, and also when the pass has been processed. You can unsubscribe from notifications at any time by simply clicking on "Unsubscribe".
Yes. You must carry, and display upon request, your valid student ID when using your U-Pass BC. Your U-Pass BC is non-transferrable and is only valid when presented with your valid student ID; without it, you might get a fine and/or your U-Pass BC could be confiscated. Repeated confiscation and fare infractions related to U-Pass BC compromise the Program's integrity and sustainability.
A Compass Card with a U-Pass BC is not transferable. Lending or selling your U-Pass BC to another person, or attempting to use another person's U-Pass BC, is an offence. Students must carry their valid student ID issued by their post-secondary institution to verify eligibility and to use of the U-Pass BC.
If you’re caught without a valid fare (i.e., your U-Pass BC and corresponding student ID), you may be fined $173 and your U-Pass BC may be confiscated.
If a person is caught using another student's U-Pass BC or using a U-Pass BC forgery, in addition to the above penalties, the U-Pass BC will be seized and the person may be charged with fraud and arrested.
Under the U-Pass BC Agreement; TransLink, the post-secondary institution and the student association each have the ability to restrict students from receiving a U-Pass BC for any period of time as a result of fraudulent or inappropriate use of a U-Pass BC.
In accordance with the Transit Tariff and the U-Pass BC Agreement with your post-secondary institution and student association, you must pay the applicable transit fare if you have forgotten your U-Pass BC and no refunds will be considered for the transit fare paid.
Check to make sure that you're eligible for this month. The U-Pass BC will not load onto your Compass Card until your eligibility is confirmed. If you're eligible, it can take up to 24 hours for your U-Pass BC to be loaded onto the Compass system after making the request.
If you receive a tap error when you enter a bus or SkyTrain station, please call the number on the back of your Compass Card, and staff from the Compass Customer Service line will help you troubleshoot the source of the problem.
While your U-Pass BC Program pass expires each month, there is no expiry date on your Compass Card.
When you’re not in school and/or no longer eligible for a U-Pass BC, you can continue to use your Adult Compass Card to load regular fare products, like Stored Value, DayPasses or Monthly Passes. Use of your Adult Compass Card is subject to the Compass Card Terms and Conditions.
You must tap in and out every time you enter and exit a SkyTrain, SeaBus or West Coast station, including when you transfer. You must tap in when boarding a bus or HandyDART, but you don’t have to tap out when exiting. Tapping is how the system validates your fare and how TransLink receives important data to support the sustainability of the U-Pass BC program and future system improvements.
If you lose your Compass Card, go to the ‘Unlink Compass Card’ page under the ‘My U-Pass BC’ tab after logging into your U-Pass BC account and follow the steps after hitting ‘Confirm’. Make sure you unlink your Compass Card right away to deactivate your card and prevent someone else from using it. You’ll need to purchase a new Adult Compass Card and pay the $6 refundable deposit. When you get your new Compass Card, complete the steps on upassbc.translink.ca to link your U-Pass BC to your new card.
Please note: if you report your card lost or stolen, it will be deactivated and you won’t be able to relink your U-Pass BC to that card; and linking your Compass Card to your U-Pass BC account doesn’t protect any stored value or other fare products on your Compass Card, which is available by registering your Compass Card on compasscard.ca.
Your U-Pass BC is not itself eligible for travel on WCE, but it does entitle you to a credit toward the purchase of an adult fare with Stored Value, or a WCE U-Pass BC Monthly Pass. To receive the credit or purchase the WCE U-Pass BC Monthly Pass, you must ensure that your current month’s U-Pass BC has already been loaded onto your Compass Card two hours prior to travel or purchase. Visit translink.ca for information on fare types and pricing.
If you’re an eligible HandyDART user, you’ll be able to use your U-Pass BC for your HandyDART trips. U-Pass BC is accepted on HandyDART with no extra charge.
Visit translink.ca/handydart for information on HandyDART eligibility, Compass for HandyDART, and more.
If you’re currently travelling with an attendant, please ensure that you continue to carry your HandyCard along with your U-Pass BC and valid student ID.
No personally identifiable information is transferred when you link a Compass Card to your U-Pass BC account, or when you request your U-Pass BC for the current or next month. Schools provide TransLink with anonymous data in the form of unique identifiers that indicate which student accounts are eligible for U-Pass BC each month. Schools also provide TransLink with a portion of your student number so fare inspectors can match your student ID to the U-Pass BC loaded onto a Compass Card. Your personal information isn't shared with TransLink unless you choose to provide it to us in limited circumstances described in our Compass Card Privacy Statement.
U-Pass BC students have the option of signing up for monthly U-Pass BC notifications, but it’s not mandatory. If a student requests notifications, the email address or phone number he/she submits will be used exclusively for U-Pass BC notifications—no commercial, newsletters or emails will be sent. Contact information (i.e., emails and phone numbers) for U-Pass BC and Compass are stored in separately-managed databases and are never linked. For more information about privacy as it relates to Compass, please review TransLink’s Compass Card Privacy Statement.