Maximize savings with Commuter Check
For maximum value, take the full $110 per month deduction and have your employer give you one $50 and one $60 Commuter Check. Then, use the $110 in Commuter Checks to buy High Value Tickets. Depending on the total cost of your commute, there are various ways to save. See the chart below for examples, multiple combinations are possible.

For a list of stores selling discounted BART High Value Tickets, get a "Tickets To Go" brochure at any BART station, or visit www.bart.gov/tickets/sales/RetailSales.asp. BART High Value Tickets sell at $45 ($48) and $60 ($64).

BART Parking
Riders using the following BART parking lots: Daly City, Colma, South San Francisco, San Bruno and Milbrae now have three parking options available to them: Daily, Monthly Unreserved and Monthly Reserved. Daily parking costs $2 per day and can be paid with your BART ticket. For Monthly Parking, click here for more information. Please note, Reserved Parking is available at most stations at a cost of $63 per month.

Employees can now take, on a pre-tax basis, an additional $42, $63 or $84 (depending on boarding station) to pay for BART parking. They will save 40% off the monthly cost (up to $300 annually!). The IRS has a separate maximum monthly amount for parking at transit facilities, and it can be given in addition to the current monthly transit benefit of $105. To make this process easy to administer, $21 and $63 Commuter Check denominations are now available.

TIPS FOR CALTRAIN RIDERS
Caltrain riders using station parking lots can now take an additional $15 on a pre-tax basis to pay for station parking. The IRS has a separate maximum monthly amount for parking at transit facilities, and it can be given in addition to the current monthly transit benefit of $110.

For example, Caltrain riders who receive the maximum $110 monthly transit benefit should ask their employers to deduct an additional $15 as a parking benefit. In return, the rider should receive two $60 Commuter Checks, (total $120) to be used to purchase their Caltrain ticket. (Click here for Caltrain fare information.)

Commuter Checks can be used to purchase tickets at staffed stations, at Caltrain headquarters, 1250 San Carlos Ave., San Carlos and through Ticket-By-Mail.

TransLink®
TransLink® allows you to pay transit fares on Bay Area transit systems with one reloadable smart card. The TransLink card's computer chip keeps track of its value and automatically deducts the correct fare (including discounts and transfers) for your trip. You can add value online, on the phone or at transit stations, and you can have value added automatically with Autoload. If you ever lose your card, your balance is protected as long as your card is registered with the TransLink Customer Service Center.

TransLink is also set up to work with your Commuter Check benefits:

Commuter Check Paper Vouchers: Take your vouchers to a participating retail outlet or transit agency ticket offices to add value or load a transit pass or stored rides to your TransLink card.

Commuter Check Direct
Through Commuter Check Direct, you can have your benefits added to your card automatically. Visit www.commutercheckdirect.com for more information.

ParkChek for Commercial Parking
If you enjoy the convenience of offering Commuter Checks to your employees who pay for transit, ParkChek offers the same type of convenience to those employees who pay for work-site parking.

ParkChek is a guaranteed bank check that employees use to pay for parking services. The current IRS tax-free parking benefit is $215 per month. Depending on an employee's tax bracket and other withholdings, participants can save up to 40% off of their parking costs. That translates into an annual savings of almost $1,000 for employees and over $200 per participating employee in employer savings. ParkChek can be also used in addition to Commuter Checks for those who Park and Ride to save even more money!

ParkCheks can be ordered in any whole dollar denomination. Please see the San Francisco Bay Area order form for more detail or call (510) 704-0859 if you have questions on how this new program works.

For further assistance Our Bay Area office provides enrollment support services. Our West Coast Representative, can answer questions, schedule on-site presentations, help develop implementation support materials and more. Feel free to call (800) 559-7909, fax at (510) 704-0694, or send an e-mail. In your fax or e-mail, please be sure to provide your name and title, your company name and location, your telephone and fax numbers, and the best time to call. For national questions or other specialized assistance, call the Commuter Check headquarters at (800) 727-9436, or e-mail us.