Compass fares
Fare1 h 30 min
Compass fares are what TransLink charges on Metro Vancouver transit, and most visitors can tap a contactless credit card or phone and pay the 2026 adult single fare of $3.50 for one zone. A Compass Card loaded with Stored Value brings that down to $2.85 for a $6 refundable deposit. Buses always cost one zone, and zones only come into play on SkyTrain and the SeaBus on weekdays before 6:30 pm.
Photo TransLink · Wikimedia Commons · Public domain and others, credited in the gallery
Services
| Service | Time | How often | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fare zonesTransLink | – | – | Every bus trip is a 1-zone fare at all times. SkyTrain needs one, two or three zones and the SeaBus one or two, by the boundaries crossed. Every trip that starts after 6:30 pm on a weekday, and every trip at weekends and on statutory holidays, is a 1-zone fare. |
| TransfersTransLink | 90 min | – | One fare covers 90 minutes of travel across buses, SkyTrain, SeaBus and HandyDART within the zones paid for. A cash fare paid on a bus earns a paper transfer that works on buses only. |
Fares
- Adult single, 1 zone, contactless card or Compass TicketFrom 1 July 2026. The same price applies to a tap of a contactless credit or debit card, a phone wallet or a cash Compass Ticket.$3.50 (2026)
- Adult single, 2 zones, contactless card or Compass TicketFrom 1 July 2026. Applies to the SeaBus and to SkyTrain trips across one zone boundary on weekdays before 6:30 pm.$5.10 (2026)
- Adult single, 3 zones, contactless card or Compass TicketFrom 1 July 2026.$6.70 (2026)
- Adult single, 1 zone, Compass Card Stored ValueFrom 1 July 2026.$2.85 (2026)
- Adult single, 2 zones, Compass Card Stored ValueFrom 1 July 2026.$4.20 (2026)
- Adult single, 3 zones, Compass Card Stored ValueFrom 1 July 2026.$5.40 (2026)
- Concession single, 1 zoneSeniors 65 and over, youth 13 to 18 and HandyCard holders, with photo ID. Same price as cash or Stored Value.$2.30 (2026)
- Concession single, 2 zonesSame price as cash or Stored Value.$3.40 (2026)
- Concession single, 3 zonesSame price as cash or Stored Value.$4.60 (2026)
- Adult DayPass, all zonesUnlimited bus, SkyTrain, SeaBus and HandyDART travel from the first service of the day until 4 am the next day. Not valid on West Coast Express. A DayPass bought at a vending machine works only on the day it is bought.$12.55 (2026)
- Concession DayPass, all zonesSame rules as the adult DayPass.$9.75 (2026)
- Adult Monthly Pass, 1 zonePer calendar month on a Compass Card. Covers all zones at weekends, on statutory holidays and after 6:30 pm on weekdays.$117.20 (2026)
- Adult Monthly Pass, 2 zonesPer calendar month on a Compass Card.$156.70 (2026)
- Adult Monthly Pass, 3 zonesPer calendar month on a Compass Card.$211.65 (2026)
- Concession Monthly Pass, all zonesPer calendar month on a Concession Compass Card.$66.95 (2026)
- Adult AddFare, 1 zone to 2 zonesUpgrade for a Compass Ticket or Monthly Pass that travels into an extra zone. Stored Value and tap cards upgrade automatically.$1.60 (2026)
- Compass Card depositRefundable with any remaining balance at the TransLink Customer Service Centre in Waterfront Station.$6 (2026)
- Children 12 and underFree on bus, SkyTrain, SeaBus and West Coast Express, with or without an adult.Free
Metro Vancouver has three fare zones. The City of Vancouver is zone 1, and North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Richmond and Burnaby all sit in zone 2. Every bus trip costs one zone whatever boundary it crosses, so the R2 from Park Royal over the Second Narrows to Metrotown costs the same as a hop up Lonsdale Avenue. On SkyTrain and the SeaBus the zones count on weekdays until 6:30 pm. After that, and all day at weekends and on statutory holidays, the whole region is one zone.
Tap the same card or phone at the gate on the way into a SkyTrain station or SeaBus terminal and again on the way out. On a bus you tap once as you board. TransLink holds a 3-zone fare at tap-in and settles the real price at tap-out, which is why the second tap matters. Each rider needs a separate card, and a phone counts as a different card from the plastic one it copies, so stick with one for the whole journey.
An adult DayPass costs $12.55 in 2026 and covers every zone from the first bus of the day until 4 am the next morning. Four 1-zone taps cost $14.00, so on a day with four or more rides the DayPass comes out ahead. Monthly Passes start at $117.20 for one zone and open every zone at weekends and in the evening, which suits a long stay in North Van with weekday trips into the city.
Children 12 and under ride free, with no ticket and no adult needed. Seniors 65 and over and youth 13 to 18 pay concession fares on an orange Concession Compass Card, which they buy with photo ID at the Waterfront Station customer service centre, a Compass retailer, compasscard.ca or by phone at 604-398-2042. A tap of a credit card always charges the adult fare.
Transit Police and Transit Security check fares on board and inside the gates, and riding without a valid tap can bring a $173 fine. TransLink takes no fares by QR code, so leave any QR sticker on a reader unscanned and tell a transit employee about it. Trips that start at YVR's three Sea Island stations carry an extra charge, and the Canada Line page sets it out.
Worth knowing
- Return your Compass Card at the TransLink Customer Service Centre in Waterfront Station before you fly home, and TransLink refunds the $6 deposit with whatever balance is left.
- If you tap in by mistake, tap out at the same station within 21 minutes and the charge reverses. On a bus, ask the driver to reverse it.
- Pay the bus up to Grouse Mountain or Lynn Canyon by tap or Compass Card. Cash on a bus buys a paper transfer that the SeaBus and SkyTrain gates won't take.
- Pull the card out of your wallet before tapping, because the reader can charge another card sitting beside it.
Quick answers about Compass fares
Can you pay for Vancouver transit with a credit card?
Yes. TransLink's readers take contactless Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Interac Debit cards, plus Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay. A tap charges the adult single fare, which is $3.50 for one zone in 2026.
Do kids ride free on TransLink?
Yes. Children 12 and under ride TransLink buses, SkyTrain, SeaBus and West Coast Express free, and they do not need an adult with them.
How much is a DayPass in Vancouver?
An adult TransLink DayPass costs $12.55 in 2026 and a concession DayPass costs $9.75. Both cover every zone on buses, SkyTrain and SeaBus until 4 am the next day.
Is every bus in Metro Vancouver a 1-zone fare?
Yes. Every TransLink bus trip is a 1-zone fare at all times, including the R2 from North Vancouver to Burnaby.
When do Vancouver transit fares drop to one zone?
TransLink charges a 1-zone fare on every trip that starts after 6:30 pm on a weekday and on every trip at weekends and on statutory holidays.
In the journal and guides
Read more about Compass fares
Guide · 8 min read
How do you get from YVR to North Vancouver?
Ride the Canada Line to Waterfront and the SeaBus to Lonsdale Quay for $11.60 on a weekday or $10.00 after 6:30 pm and at weekends. Take a taxi after the last Sunday boat or when the skis come too.
Practical guide · 13 min read
Should you stay in North Vancouver or downtown Vancouver?
Lower Lonsdale wins when your days point north to Grouse and the canyons, and the SeaBus that links it to downtown costs an adult $5.10 at most in 2026.
Practical guide · 13 min read
What can you do on a rainy day in North Vancouver and Vancouver?
Ride the SeaBus to Lonsdale Quay and a wet morning at the Polygon Gallery and MONOVA costs an adult $15 and a donation, with the Food Hall open until 9 pm.