Mastercard Expands $2.50 Public Transit Credit to More U.S. Cities

Updated: October 13, 2025, 4:38am CDT

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Table of Contents

Mastercard Public Transit Benefit
What Qualifies as Public Transportation?‎
Final Thoughts

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If you commute via public transit to work or enjoy saving on transportation when exploring a new city, you may have just scored a few free rides through the end of the year.

Mastercard just expanded its Public Transit Benefit to 2 new cities, New York and Washington, D.C., bringing the total to 7 major cities where cardholders can get a $2.50 statment credit each month on eligible purchases.

No registration is needed, but this offer expires soon, so let’s take a look at the details.

Mastercard Public Transit Benefit

The Mastercard Public Transit Benefit is available to U.S. Mastercard credit and debit cardholders and a few select prepaid cardholders. After spending $10 or more at the point of entry within a participating public transit system, cardholders can receive a $2.50 statement credit each calendar month through December 31, 2025.

Participating public transit systems currently include:

New York/New Jersey: Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) and New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJ Transit) — NEW
Washington, D.C.: Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) — NEW
Boston, Massachusetts: Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA)
Chicago, Illinois: Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) and Pace Suburban Bus
Dallas, Texas: Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART)
Miami-Dade County, Florida: Miami-Dade County Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTPW)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA)

Payments must be made using contactless payment via a digital wallet or by tapping the physical card. Statement credits will appear as a refund line item within 60 days of purchase.

Since many of our favorite travel cards carry the Mastercard logo, this is a great way to save on public transportation through the end of the year — especially for families with multiple cards.

Hot Tip:

Add your cards to Apple Pay or Google Pay so you can easily rotate them after you hit the $10 minimum.

What Qualifies as Public Transportation?‎

Depending on which city you are visiting, not all forms of public transportation will qualify for the statement credit.

Here is the list for each market:

Boston: Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority bus or subway
Chicago: Chicago Transit Authority bus, rail, train, and Pace Suburban Bus
Dallas: Dallas Area Rapid Transit bus, rail, train
Miami-Dade County: Miami-Dade County Department of Transportation and Public Works bus, subway, or metrorail
New York/New Jersey: rail system for PATH; bus and light rail system for NJTransit
Philadelphia: Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority bus, subway, or metro
Washington, D.C.: WMATA bus and subway

Final Thoughts

If you use public transit to get to work, your commute just got more affordable. The Mastercard Public Transit Benefit just added 2 new major cities to its lineup; now, commuters and travelers in New York and Washington, D.C. can save on rides through the end of the year.

Just be sure to tap your card or digital wallet for atleast $10 per month to trigger the $2.50 statement credit.