Token Transit only charges your payment card when your confirm a pass purchase in the app.
Why Your Purchase May Not Show Up Right Away
When you buy a bus pass on our app, the money is instantly reserved from your account, but it doesn't leave your bank right away. This is because banks and credit card companies have a two-step process:
- Pending Hold: We immediately tell your bank to set aside the money for your purchase. This makes your bus pass active right away. This is like a "tab" being opened.
- Final Transfer: We send all of our daily sales information to our bank at the end of the day. It then takes 1-3 business days for your bank to fully process that information and officially transfer the money.
This is why you might see a "pending" charge for a a few days before the final transaction appears on your statement, or why you don't see the charge until a few days after you made the purchase. It's just how the banking system works, similar to how many gas stations and restaurants handle payments.
Pro-Tip: Your receipt will show you when the final charge is expected to show up on your bank statement. The date on your statement may not be the same as the day you made the purchase.
For example:
This transaction will appear on your bank statement as TT* METROTRANS AUG28. It will be finalized on Aug 31, 2025 and will appear on your bank statement shortly thereafter.
Why Your Bank Statement Says "Recurring"
You might see the word "recurring" on your bank statement for a single bus pass purchase. This is a common quirk in how some online payment systems, like our payment processor Stripe, communicate with banks.
- This does not mean you have a subscription or a recurring charge.
- You are only charged when you actively buy a new pass in the app.
- There are no hidden subscriptions or automatic payments with Token Transit.
It's just a labeling issue on the bank's end that sometimes happens with online transactions.