Employer FAQ

How is my Commuter Check Office order delivered to me?

Commuter Checks are routinely shipped via UPS and arrive within 2-7 working days of shipment. Expedited delivery is available for an additional fee.

How is my Commuter Check Direct order delivered?

Commuter Checks are shipped via USPS first class mail and are delivered to the employees home.

How do my employees use Commuter Check?

Employees redeem Commuter Check products for transit tickets, tokens or passes from participating transit operators, commercial parking vendors, and vanpool providers. They are conveniently redeemed at staffed sales offices and retail sales outlets for any type of prepaid fare, just like cash payments. However, these products cannot be exchanged for cash or used for any purchase other than those specified above.

Do I need to keep detailed records?

No complex record keeping is required. Like any company expenditure, copies of order forms and canceled checks should be retained. But no special IRS reporting, such as W-2 or 1099 statements, is required. (If an employer wants to report pre-tax deductions on W-2s, box 14 can be used.)

How long does implementation take for the Commuter Check Direct solution?

Your account will be set up and ready for processing within 8 business days of receipt of a complete implementation package from your sales agent. On average, the set up process is complete within four business days.

What is Commuter Check?

Commuter Check is a tax-free Commuter Benefits solution for all businesses that allows employees to save on qualified commuting expenses. Commuter Check products are used to pay for public transit, vanpooling, parking and bicycling. Available in any dollar denomination (including cents), they are redeemable across the country.

How can I update the company roster?

As often as you like and at least once a month to capture new hires and terminations.

Who can participate? Are any employers too large or too small for the program?

No organization is too large or too small. All types of employers from single person offices to large businesses with multiple locations, from any industry in the private, public and non-profit sectors can participate in Commuter Check. It allows any size company to add to the benefits package without adding cost.

Is there a testing environment available for the Commuter Check Direct solution?

Yes, during the implementation process you can request that your account be established in our staging environment for testing. Implementation is easy however, and we find that 80% of our clients are able to implement on their own upon receipt of materials. We offer a regular calendar of online training events designed specifically for new clients entering the implementation process and for training of additional or new staff.

For the Commuter Check Direct solution, when will I be contacted by the implementation team?

All new clients will be contacted within three days of the implementation deadline for any benefit month. The deadline is always the 5th of the month, two months prior to the Benefit Month. For example, January 5th is the deadline for March benefits.

What are commuter benefits?

Section 132 (f) of federal tax law allows employees to reduce their commuting costs by up to 40%, while helping employers save 10% or more on payroll taxes. Employees use tax-free dollars (subject to monthly limits) to pay for their commuting expenses, while you can provide this benefit to your employees as a substitute for taxable salary, as a supplemental benefit, or as a combination of the two. The maximum tax-free discount that can be provided to each employee for transit is $245 per month, and $245 per month for parking.

Can my employees get Commuter Checks in any denomination?

Yes. Commuter Checks are available from $10 up to $245 for transit and from $5 to $245 for parking (including cents), per month.

Commuter Check