Mobile Ticketing
Sioux Area Metro has partnered with Token Transit to offer a new way to purchase and use bus passes on your smartphone!
Token Transit offers an alternative to using cash by using your smartphone as a digital bus pass. Customers can use an online payment to purchase SAM single ride and monthly passes from anywhere! Passes can be purchased for immediate use, or if you're planning ahead, they can be stored on Token Transit for future trips on SAM.
How It Works
Here's how to pay for your SAM pass with a mobile device, in just 4 easy steps:
1. Download the app
2. Enter your cell phone number to create an account
3. Choose Sioux Area Metro (SAM)
4. Select the fare option you wish to purchase
5. Add your credit/debit card information
6. When you are ready to board the bus, activate your ticket
7. Show the ticket confirmation to the bus driver
Frequently Asked Questions
- Download Token Transit on your smartphone
- Enter your cell phone number to create an account
- Select Sioux Area Metro (SAM)
- Select the ticket/pass option you want
- Add credit/debit card information
- When you’re ready to board the bus, activate ticket/pass
- Show confirmation on phone to bus driver
Fare capping will be available via the Token Transit app only. Fare capping limits how much riders pay for their trips in a day, week, or 30-day period. Once pass purchases and activations in a day, week or 30-day period add up to the value of a higher-value pass, riders will automatically be provided the higher-value pass to use for the remaining time period. Not available on multi-day or ride tickets (7-day or 10-ride). Passes must be activated to be considered for fare capping.
Example: I ride the bus four times in a day. I normally would purchase and activate four ride passes at $1.50 per ride, which would equal $6. When I go to activate my third ride on the Token Transit app, I would automatically be upgraded to the day pass, which is only $3. I would be refunded the $1.50 that I paid for the third ride.
Token Transit only accepts credit or debit cards for payment. You can purchase ticket(s)/pass(es) with cash or check at the SAM Depot or Office and have the ticket(s)/pass(es) added to your phone. Lewis Drug only offers physical tickets at this time and will not load tickets/passes purchased there onto your phone.
Bus fare is available to purchase at the following Lewis Drug locations:
- 1 Ride: Valid for one regular ride. Ticket will display for 10 minutes after activation.
- 1 Day: 1-Day passes are valid for unlimited use until midnight on the day of activation.
- 7 Day: 7-Day passes are valid for 7 consecutive days after first activation until midnight on the 7th day.
- 10 Ride: Pack of ten 1-ride passes. Each pass is valid for 10 minutes after activation.
- 30 Day: Passes are valid for 30 consecutive days after first activation until midnight on the 30th day.
Individuals eligible for discounted fares, including seniors (65+), persons with disabilities, Medicare cardholders, and individuals using paratransit, can also purchase tickets/passes using Token Transit. Show your eligibility card/ID with your mobile confirmation when boarding the bus.
Individuals do not need to reapply for an eligibility card to use Token Transit.
Yes. Multiple people can board using a single phone with the Token Transit app. To board with multiple people:
- Activate your first ticket. Show to driver for visual validation.
- Close the current ticket and return to your passes screen.
- Activate a second ticket and show to driver for visual validation.
- Repeat steps 2 and 3 as necessary for each additional pass.
Token Transit passes are locked to an account for security purposes. You cannot move or transfer a purchase from one account to another.
Instead, Token Transit allows you to buy passes on behalf of another account at the time of purchase. To start, go to https://tokentransit.com/send. From there, you can select SAM and then purchase any pass for any phone number you like. You can even use it to send passes to yourself online.