What is Umo?
Bloomington Transit implemented a new fare collection system called Umo (pronounced “YOU-mo”) starting November 18, 2024. Riders can pay their fare on fixed route buses and BLink service vehicles with the Umo mobile app, a reloadable fare card or one-way tickets.
Fare amounts have not changed: $1 for regular fare, 50¢ for reduced fare, $2 for BLink (BTaccess and microtransit) services. If the Umo mobile app or card is not your preferred way to pay fares, riders will still have the option to pay cash (in the exact amount).
How do I get set up?
Going forward, Bloomington Transit riders will have these options when paying fares:
App users
- Download the “Umo Mobility” app on the App Store or Google Play.
- Sign up for an account using your email address or mobile phone number.
- Select “Bloomington Transit”/“Monroe County, Indiana” as your preferred agency/location.
- Add funds to your Umo Wallet by clicking “Buy” and then “Add Money.”
- Select an amount and add a payment method. Discover, MasterCard and Visa credit/debit cards are accepted in the mobile app.
- You can also add money to your wallet by going to the Bloomington Transit offices, the Downtown Transit Center or select local retailers and having them scan the “Account Code” before providing payment. Cash may also be accepted at these locations.
- In order to make your mobile app account eligible for Reduced Fare, you must call the Bloomington Transit customer service line (812-336-7433) and provide your name and phone number/email. If you are eligible, our team will manually make that change on our end.
Card users
- If you typically purchase monthly passes or any kind of physical tickets, you will need an Umo card. November 2024 was the final month that Bloomington Transit riders could purchase monthly passes. All existing passes and tickets will still be honored.
- Visit the Bloomington Transit offices or Downtown Transit Center to get your first Umo card. Your initial card is FREE and replacement cards are $3.
- Tell the Bloomington Transit assistant how much you would like to add to your account and provide payment. Discover, MasterCard and Visa credit/debit cards are accepted, as well as cash.
- You can re-load your card by going to the Bloomington Transit offices, the Downtown Transit Center or select local retailers.
Register your card
If you register your Umo card, you will be able to load funds onto it at any time on www.UmoPass.com. Also, if you lose a fare card that you registered, you can transfer your remaining funds to a new fare card.
- Go to the Umo Passenger Portal (www.UmoPass.com).
- On the “Sign In” page, click Create Account.
- On the “Let’s Get You Going” page, click Register a Card.
- On the “Register Your Card” page, enter your Umo card number in the Card Number field and click Next.
- On the “Create Your Account” page. enter a unique username and password.
- Enter and email address or mobile phone number. This is helpful in the event of account recovery).
- Read the Terms and Conditions, select the check box and click Save.
- Once your account is created, you can load funds or a pass to your account and start riding!
Cash users
- Cash (in the exact amount) will still be accepted on all Bloomington Transit services.
- With the implementation of Umo, transfer tickets will NOT be available for cash users going forward.
How do I use Umo?
Prepare to board at a designated bus stop or shelter and have your Umo payment method (Card, App or One-Way Ticket) in hand, ready to scan.
Enter at the front of the bus and place your Umo QR code face down on the Umo fare validator machine. Card users need only to tap the validator machine, face up or face down.
- If the screen turns Green, your fare has been accepted.
- If the screen turns Yellow, you may need to present a supplemental identification for reduced fare. A yellow screen may also serve as a warning for low funds in your Umo Wallet or account.
- If the screen turns Red, your fare was not accepted. This may be due to no funds in your Umo Wallet or account or an expired ticket.
IU students, faculty and staff
Indiana University students, faculty and staff – as well as City of Bloomington government, qualified Monroe County Public Library and IU Health employees – will still be able to ride Bloomington Transit fixed bus routes fare-free.
These riders can continue to present their valid identification cards to the Bloomington Transit drivers as they board the bus.
Fare capping
A primary benefit of Umo will be “Fare Capping”
As long as regular fare riders scan Umo to pay for their trips, they will never pay more than $30 per month or $3 per day. For reduced fare riders, “Fare Capping” is $15 per month or $1.50 per day.
Advantages of “Fare Capping” include not having to pay a large sum up front for a bus pass each month and allowing riders to potentially save money by only paying for what they use in a month.
“Fare Capping” applies to fixed bus routes and BLink (microtransit only) trips.
Transfers
One transfer is included in your trip every time you scan Umo (Card, App or One-Way Ticket) to pay.
The transfer window is 60 minutes. The “clock” begins at the time you board your first bus. From that point, you will have 60 minutes to scan Umo to board the bus that you choose for your transfer.
For example, let’s say you wish to travel from College Mall to Walmart. If you board the 3E bus at 7:30 a.m., you will have until 8:30 a.m. to board the 4W bus at the Downtown Transit Center. You do not have to complete your entire trip in 60 minutes.
As of December 1, 2024, Bloomington Transit no longer issues paper transfers on buses.
Frequently asked questions
Q: If I use the Token Transit mobile app, do I still need that?
A: No. The Umo mobile app will effectively replace Token Transit going forward. If you still have funds or tickets on Token Transit, those will not disappear and you can use them as long as they are valid. However, you will not be able to add new funds or buy new tickets on Token Transit starting in December 2024.
Q: Can I use the Umo mobile app to track my bus?
A: No. Bloomington Transit riders will need to continue using ETA Spot to access real-time location statuses, route updates and trip planning capabilities.
Q: Do I need to get both the Umo app and card?
A: No, you only need to choose one to be your preferred method. In fact, the Umo app and card operate separately and cannot be combined to the same account.
Please comment below if you have any further questions about Umo not already covered on this page!
I take BLink and currently mail in a check to get a punch pass. In the information I was sent it said that I would be sent a fare card and then I could continue to mail in a check to have funds loaded onto the card. I haven’t yet received a fare card. What should I do?
Hello Antonia, we are only sending out fare cards to people who mail in checks. So the next time you mail in a check, we will send you back a fare card with the amount loaded onto it that the check is for.
Hope that answers your question! If you have any other concerns, please let us know or give us a call at our customer service number: 812-336-7433.
So buses are now scanning crimson cards, my crimson card is valid up to date and active but the bus reader can’t read it what can i do.because it is embarrassing when i worked so hard to get appointed at IU just to always have an issue with this card
Hello Nick, just sent you a direct email in response.
Hi
My crimson card is valid until 2027 August
But I get invalid error whenever I scan,
Can you please help me with it
Hello Pree, just sent you a direct email in response.
I have a problem when scanning my card even though it is valid till 2027 can somebody help please
Hello Mukund, just sent you a direct email in response.
How do I get the reduced senior rate? I have the original ID showing I qualify.
Hello Mary, please give us a call at our customer service number (812-336-7433) and we should be able to help you out with this.
Thanks Bryan
Hello,
Previously, the BT monthly pass would be valid from the first date of the month to the last date of the month.
For the new UMO pass, a woman at the bus station told me that it would be from the date of the purchase to the same date of the next month.
I feel that it is reasonable. If one buys the pass in the middle or near the end of the month, it will be reasonable for the UMO pass to be valid for a month.
I bought the new UMO pass on Jan. 2, 2025. The woman at the bus station stated that it would be valid until Feb. 2, 2025.
I found that the UMO pass could not be used yesterday when was Feb. 1, 2025.
Could you please provide some explanation for this issue?
Thanks.
Y. W.
Hello Y.W.,
We are sorry for the miscommunication about the active period of monthly fare cap passes. Under the new Umo system, fare caps will happen during a calendar month, so you will never pay more than $30 ($15 for reduced fare) from the first of the month to the end of that month. This is more similar to our old system, but passengers have the benefit of being able to carry unused funds over from one month to the next. We apologize and are working to inform our customer service staff of this. If you have been financially inconvenienced, please give us a call at our customer service number (812-336-7433) and we should be able to help you out.
I bought the card but I haven’t used or registered the card. Can I return and get the money back?
Hello AL, all sales/purchases are final.
Hello,
If one purchases a monthly BT pass during the last week of the month, will BT offer prorated fare since there are not many days left?
If not, will BT only charge the monthly fare minus the remaining credit from the previous month for the next month?
For the UMO fare charging device, it will keep on charging fares until the pass reaches the monthly fare capacity. The pass will still be valid for the remaining of the month.
For a semiannual BT pass, will it be charged fares until it reaches the semiannual fare capacity, or will it still be charged fares month by month?
Thanks.
Y. W.
Hello Y.W.,
We no longer offer a monthly pass option. When a fixed-route bus rider begins using their Umo account, they will be charged normally until they reach $30 ($15 for reduced fare) in that month. If they do not reach the monthly fare cap, any funds in their account will carry over to the next month. There was never a pro-rated monthly option using our old payment system, either.
For the semi-annual pass, the period begins the day it is used after first purchase. Since this is our only “pass” option, there are no “funds” added to the Umo account, but the pass is valid for 183 days beginning at the date of first use after purchase. For instance, if someone purchased and began using a semi-annual pass on February 10th it would be valid until August 12th.
hey, my crimson card is valid until 2029, but it doesn’t work when I scan.
Hello Irah, just sent you a direct email in response.
Are logins at umopass.com down? I’ve previously registered my card. This afternoon my login wasn’t recognized, and so I clicked “Forgot Password” to get e-mailed a link for resetting…and after that attempt, my (new?) login was still not recognized. So, I redid the procedure, thinking maybe I’d made a typo…and I was refused again. And again…
Hello Erik, I was able to access your account in the Umo system and sent you another password reset email. If your login does not work after this attempt, please give us a call at our customer service (812-336-7433) and hopefully we can work through it.
Hello,
When will be a good day to buy the monthly fare for the next month?
Should I just buy the monthly pass on the last day of the month for the next month? Should I buy the monthly pass on the first day of the month?
If I buy the monthly pass a few days before the last day of the month, will the UMO charging device start to charge fees already before the first day of the next month?
Or will it not start to charge fees until the first day of the next month?
Thanks.
Y. W.
I recently saw today (3/13/2025) that there’s no longer bus passes on the Umo app. What is going on?
Hello Precious,
Ever since we instituted Umo in November 2024, there has not been a monthly pass option. There is a semi-annual pass option ($150 regular fare, $75 reduced fare) that is valid for 183 days beginning at the date of first use after purchase. If you have any further questions, please give us a call at our customer service number (812-336-7433) and we should be able to help you out with this.
You literally removed anyone from being able to buy a daily pass. So you either carry cash or have to come up with almost 200 dollars. How in God’s name do you think this benefits anyone let alone one’s with low income?
Hello Dj,
If you pay with Umo, your account will be “fare capped” at a maximum of $3 per day for regular fare rides ($1.50 per day for reduced fare) on fixed-route buses and microtransit trips . You are not “officially” purchasing a day pass, but effectively a “day pass” is $3 (or $1.50) when paying with Umo. If you need any further clarification, please give us a call at our customer service number (812-336-7433) and we should be able to help you out with this.
Do you need cell phone data in order to scan with the mobile app when you get on the bus? For people without data service, should they use the Umo card exclusively instead?
Hello Hannah, as long as the phone has data when it is loaded (i.e. wifi at home), passengers can pull up and scan their QR code without an internet connection.