Arc is easy to use:
That’s it! You’re all ready to ride.
Always Tap On and Tap Off
Tapping off every single time is essential to ensuring you are charged the correct flat rate fare.
You can create an Arc account by:
To set up your Arc account online you will need an Arc card and an email address. If you do not have an email address, please contact the Arc call centre and a representative will be able to create your account without an email address.
To create your Arc account online
IMPORTANT: Be sure to note the email address and the password you are using for your account set up. You will need these to log into your account online in the future.
You must register your Arc card before you apply for your concession fare.
There are many ways to load money to your Arc account. You can load money:
Payment Options
Online: You can pay with Visa, Visa Debit, Mastercard, Mastercard Debit, debit card or American Express.At Arc fare vending machines or at regional in-person service centres you can pay with credit card, Visa/Mastercard debit or cash.
To load money online
When the bus doors are open, you can tap your card or ticket on the validator when you see this screen. You will also see this screen on validators in LRT stations and stops.
When you tap your Arc card or ticket on the validator, one of the following screens will appear:
This means your card or ticket was accepted and you can board the bus. If you tap a ticket, it will expire after 90 minutes. There is no limit to the number of times that a ticket can be tapped during the 90 minute window.
This means you have fewer than $4 in your Arc account. If you have a pass, such as a U-Pass, loaded to your card, it will expire in less than five days. You can still board, but make sure to top up your account before your next trip or load a new pass to your account before it expires. If you have reached a cap and have less than $4, you will continue to see this message until you add money or the next month starts. If you are using Arc tickets, this means your 90-minute ticket or 24-hour ticket will soon expire. For the 90-minute ticket you'll see this message 15 minutes prior to its expiration and for the 24-hour ticket, you'll see this message one hour prior to its expiration. Please purchase a new ticket before your next trip if you require one.
This means you have fewer than $0.99 in your account and have not reached a cap, the pass (e.g. U-Pass) loaded to your card has expired or your Arc ticket has expired. Top up your account, load a new pass to your card or buy a new Arc ticket. You may also pay cash fare to board the bus.
Your Arc card or ticket may be damaged, or you are using a card that is not accepted by the system. Try tapping your card or ticket again and ensure you are using a valid Arc card or ticket. If you continue to experience issues, please call the Arc call centre or submit a request. This can also happen when there is “card clash” when tapping with your wallet that holds other cards in addition to your Arc card such as credit cards. Always tap your Arc card by itself to avoid this.
This means you recently tapped your Arc card or ticket. To protect you and other riders from fraud, cards and tickets cannot be tapped again on the same validator for one minute. If you boarded the wrong bus, tap off the bus using one of the validators at the back of the bus so you are not charged a Missing Tap fare.
Occasionally, a validator will not be working. Please show your card to the operator when you see this screen. To avoid a Missing Tap fare (occurs when you only tap once), please do not attempt to tap off the bus if the validator starts working again. When the validators on a bus are not functioning, no fare will be collected for this trip. If you are using the LRT and see this screen at a validator, please use a nearby alternate validator.
Each tap helps Arc determine what fare you will be charged. The system will check:
Once the system determines your card or ticket is valid, it will collect the following information to calculate your fare:
If you have a valid pass, this information will be captured, but no fare will be charged.
If you have money loaded to your account, the system will deduct your fare based on where you tapped on and tapped off.
If you do not tap off, you will be charged a Missing Tap fare because the system doesn't know where you got off the bus or LRT and therefore can't calculate the correct fare. Missing Tap fares will contribute to your caps, but they may be more expensive than the flat rate fare.
At any time, you can check your transaction history to see all your purchases and trip information. Click here to see your transaction history or you can call the Arc Call Centre, visit an Arc Fare Vending Machine or In-Person Service Centre.
The system allows for discounted transfers between transit agencies and service types, such as transferring between ETS and St. Albert or Strathcona County buses or between two ETS buses, within 90 minutes of the first tap. Learn more about transfer discounts between agencies and service types.
If you are transferring between buses or LRT, and are only using the local service in one municipality, you will not be charged an additional fare if you are tapping within 90 minutes of your first tap. When you are transferring, it is essential to tap off your first bus/LRT so you are not charged a Missing Tap fare.
For example: if you didn't tap off your first ETS trip and then tapped on a second ETS bus within 90 min of your first tap, you would not be charged the $2.75 again.
Each bus stop or LRT station is located within a zone. These zones are used to calculate the flat rate fares. When you tap on and off within one zone, a local flat rate fare is charged. When you tap on and off in different zones, you could be charged a commuter flat rate fare.
The available zones are:
The participating transit agencies provide a combination of local and commuter service. Local service refers to service offered in one municipality only, and commuter service refers to service that connects riders between municipalities.
Your “Arc Purse” is where the money you load to your account is stored. When you tap on/off the bus or LRT and your fare is calculated, it will be deducted from your account.