UPass Frequently Asked Questions

The UPass must be activated before riding on transit and can be activated on or any time of the semester it is valid for (ie., you can activate a Fall UPass any time from Sept. 1 to Dec. 31). UPass is automatically available for all full-time undergraduate students.

Grad students must initialize registration through the student portal.

No. The UPass will be issued each semester, and will only be valid between the following months:

• Fall (September – December).
• Winter (January – April).
• Spring/Summer (May – August).

The decreased UPass rate for students was agreed upon with the City of Calgary on an “All In” model. All full-time undergraduate students, thesis-based graduate students, and course-based graduate students with a minimum of one in-person class are assessed the UPass fee and are eligible for the UPass.

Only Calgary Transit employees and/or students who have a valid Calgary Transit Access pass can opt-out of UPass (they can do so by contacting upass@ucalgary.ca).

No. However, as a full-time student you have been assessed the fees (non-refundable) for the UPass program. You may find the UPass helpful if you need to use transit at other times.

Anyone with a full-time term load for the current term who doesn’t already have the UPass added to their student account can opt-in to the UPass up to the opt-in deadline.The opt-in link is available under “My Financials” in your Student Centre (my.ucalgary.ca).   

Note: the UPass has a flat fee that’s based on when you opt in. The fee is non-refundable as long as you maintain the full-time status in the term (not including withdrawals).

Graduate studies students can initialize registration through the student portal, or visit this website for instructions.

You MUST activate your ticket or pass prior to boarding a Calgary Transit vehicle or prior to entering a fare restricted area. Be ready to scan your UPass at the onboard validator when boarding a vehicle or show to a Calgary Transit official upon request. Your UPass can be found in your Ticket Wallet on the main screen of the My Fare application. Please have your UCalgary Unicard available as a verification tool.

A valid UPass on My Fare will display your UPass QR code. On a bus, scan the QR code on the lower screen of the onboard validator.  If asked, you can present the ticket to a Calgary Transit bus driver or peace officer for visual validation. While CTrains do not have onboard validators, ensure your UPass is valid to ride the CTrain.

Open your UPass on your mobile device. Use the onboard validator to scan the QR code on your UPass. An audible beep and a colored screen will identify the UPass as valid for use.

Yes. A valid UPass must be activated for each trip.

Yes. You can use the same UPass to transfer to other fixed routes.

Mobile passes are validated through the fixed on-board validators on vehicles.

They can also be validated by using visual inspection.

Hand-held inspection devices may be used by Peace Officers to digitally scan a ticket using the QR code functionality.

Carry your Unicard with you for additional verification if needed.

Each UPass includes a visual validation bar as well as a unique QR code that will occasionally be scanned by Transit officials as part of an inspection process. Please present your mobile UPass for inspection, if requested.

If you are carrying your UPass sticker on your Unicard, please present your Unicard to the driver.

You are responsible for having a mobile phone in good working order prior to boarding and throughout the duration of your trip. If your mobile phone is inoperable, it is expected that you would use an alternate payment method for your trip.

You can transfer any valid, nonexpired UPass to a new device. After downloading My Fare, log in to your myID account from your new device, and your active UPass will be displayed. Please note that passes on your old device will become invalid. My Fare users are allowed three device switches over a six-month period. Pass transfer is not possible if you do not have a City of Calgary myID account.

UPass is only valid for one semester at a time, based on your full-time enrolment status.

Passes beyond the validity period will appear as EXPIRED and will no longer be accepted for travel nor will they be valid for refund.

If you haven’t maintained full-time status at the end of the class drop date, the UPass charge will be reversed from your account and your UPass will no longer be valid. The UPass will show as expired in your ticket wallet once cancelled by Calgary Transit (updates may not be completed in real-time). If you picked up a UPass sticker, you’ll need to return it to the Campus Service Center for removal. 

Note: If you drop to part-time status in spring, but are full-time in summer (and UPass isn’t showing on your student account), then you can opt-in to the UPass for the summer term.
 

The mobile UPass is only compatible with Android or iOS devices. For students unable to download their UPass, please visit the Campus Service Centre or UPass centre to receive your UPass sticker for the semester. For more information, please contact upass@ucalgary.ca.

No. The pass is strictly non-transferable.

Undergraduate students in courses with 100% online course delivery will not be charged the UPass. You can verify term charges in your online student portal under My Financials, Account Inquiry. Graduate students would be charged the UPass according to the Academic Calendar.

No, the UPass opt-in is non-refundable. Once you opt in, UPass will remain on you student account unless there you drop from full-time status (this doesn’t include withdrawals). 

No. First-year PGME trainees (residents and fellows), can opt-in to the fall UPass only in mid-August. A continuing PGME trainee/fellow can opt-in to the next year spring/summer UPass if they are full-time in the preceding winter term.

No. The spring/summer UPass covers Calgary transit from May to August.  If you’re full-time in both terms, only select one term to opt-in.

My Fare is a mobile ticketing app hosted by the City of Calgary and Calgary Transit that allows the purchasing and use of fare products, such as regular monthly and day passes, airport boarding passes, single-ride tickets and UPass directly from a mobile device.

The app is free to download from Google Play (Android) or the App Store (iOS).

After downloading My Fare:

1. Create a City of Calgary myID account using your @ucalgary.ca email address.
2. Select UPass. 

The product will be electronically delivered to your My Fare ticket wallet within 48 – 72 hours. 

For more information on myID, visit: https://www.calgary.ca/cfod/it/myid-registration-instructions.html or call 311.

Yes. Create an account for My Fare using your myID account with your @ucalgary.ca email address. Please note that you will be asked to enter your account information every 30 days.

For more information on myID, visit: https://www.calgary.ca/cfod/it/myid-registration-instructions.html or call 311

Edit your profile by going into myID. Once signed in to myID, go to account –> edit profile –> change your email and enter the correct information.

For more information on myID, visit: https://www.calgary.ca/cfod/it/myid-registration-instructions.html

My Fare is available on the majority of iOS or Android devices installed with the current or previous major version operating system. The application is not supported in non-Android or non-iOS devices. Older versions of software may not be supported.

Students unable to download the mobile UPass must visit the Campus Service Center or UPass office to collect the UPass sticker for the UCID card.  This will need to be done for each semester as a full-time student.