Commuter Card Benefits Program

Lower your parking and transit expenses by using pre-tax dollars through the UC Davis Campus Commuter Card Benefits Program! UC Davis employees on the Davis and satellite campuses can set aside their pre-tax dollars to pay for commute-related parking, as well as public transit on systems like Unitrans, Amtrak, Sacramento Regional Transit, Yolobus, and more. To benefit from this program, employees use a VISA debit card called the Commuter Card.

Important Things To Know Before You Get Started

The Commuter Card is a pre-tax benefit account with a reloadable VISA card used to pay for qualified parking — including parking on-campus and at transit hubs and public transit — including train, subway, bus, ferry, and eligible vanpool. The Commuter Card, administered through the HealthEquity family of companies, is a great way to reduce your commute costs.

The first thing you need to know about the Commuter Card is that you are not required to join the program right now. Employees can sign up, edit, or end their commuter benefits anytime. However, the deadline to receive a Commuter Card or make changes to an existing card by the following benefit month is the 10th of the current month. For example, to receive your Commuter Card to use starting in August, you will have to register and submit your elections by July 10th.

Second, the card itself is restricted and may only be used to pay for qualified parking, transit fare, and vanpool fees. Any use of the Commuter Card to pay for any other goods, services, or parking citation fines will result in your removal from the program.

Lastly, when you put funds on your Commuter Card, those funds will stay there until they're spent, or you leave the University.

How Does It Work?

Eligible employees include Davis and satellite campus employees with a minimum of 50% appointment and a UC Davis computing account (for SSO).

Request a Commuter Card and set the amount of transit and parking funds you want deposited onto the card (recurring or one-time). You must place your order by the 10th of the month to have access to deposited funds the following “benefit” month.
UC Davis will deduct that amount from your paycheck using pre-tax dollars.
HealthEquity will send you a VISA card loaded with the parking and or transit funds you requested.
Use the Commuter Card to pay for parking via AMP (AggiePark), your monthly LRPP, or transit fare like with Unitrans or Amtrak.
Pause or cancel payroll contributions to your account at any time. There’s no “use it or lose it” while you’re in the program.

Setting Up Your Commuter Card

Step 1: Visit https://ucdavis.luum.com/ and follow the prompts to set up your account.
Step 2: After setting up your account, click on “HealthEquity Accounts” on the left sidebar. You will then be redirected to your Member Homepage.
Step 3: Select “Transit” or “Parking” on the left sidebar and click on “Place Transit Order” or “Place Parking Order.
- Note: Parking funds and transit funds are stored separately on the card and are not interchangeable.
Step 4: Follow the steps and select “Commuter Card - Transit” or “Commuter Card – Parking.”
- Note: Only the Commuter Card is available to UC Davis employees. Selecting the Monthly Pass, Pay My Provider, or Pay Me Back could result in unclaimable funds that cannot be refunded.
- Note for transit orders: For the quickest experience, choose "Amtrak" to access the Commuter Card option. The card is system-agnostic and works across all transit systems.
- Note for parking orders: Don't worry about being exact when choosing your work and parking location as long as it's on the UC Davis campus.
Step 5: Enter the amount you want deposited on the card (recurring or one-time).
Step 6: Confirm your contact information.
Step 7: Confirm your order.
Step 8: Activate your card by calling the HealthEquity phone number listed on the sticker on the card.

Frequently Asked Questions

I’m a Health Campus employee, can I use this?
No. UCD Health's Parking and Transportation Services is working on its own payroll deduction solution and will announce when it is ready to launch. However, eligible Davis and satellite campus employees can use their Commuter Card to pay for parking on the Sacramento campus when visiting for an appointment or meeting.
I lost my card, what do I do?
Please call (877) 924-3967 to freeze your card and request a new one.
I don’t drive to campus every day and use Daily Parking to save money. How much money should I put on my Commuter Card to make sure there’s enough?
Look back at your last month of transactions, add up how much you spent, and use that as your starting amount. If you run out of parking funds on your Commuter Card before the end of the month, use your normal payment method (credit, debit, gift card, etc.) to finish out the month. During the next “election period” (1st-10th of each month), consider increasing your election. And if you don’t use the full amount on your Commuter Card, it will always rollover, so you can adjust the following month accordingly.
Are options besides the Commuter Card (Monthly Pass, Pay My Provider, and Pay Me Back) available?
No, only the Commuter Card is available to UC Davis employees. The Monthly Pass, Pay My Provider, and Pay Me Back options are not available at this time.
Can I pay for a citation using my Commuter Card?
No, the card itself is restricted and may only be used to pay for parking, transit fare, and vanpool fees. Any use of the Commuter Card to pay for any other goods, services, or parking citation fines will result in your removal from the program.
How does payroll deduction work if I’m paid bi-weekly vs. monthly?
It’s very simple if you’re paid monthly. If you elect for a deduction during November, the amount will be deducted from your November paycheck and the funds will be available for you to use by December 1. Bi-weekly paychecks are a little more unpredictable. Most of the time, your elected deduction will be deducted from your second paycheck of the month.
How does the “pre-tax” part of this work and why is it useful?
“Pre-tax” refers to the deduction of funds from your paycheck before income/payroll taxes are calculated. This results in savings for both the employee and the employer. The maximum amount that can be deducted is limited by the IRS and typically increases annually.
What are the monthly contribution maximums?
Limits are set by the IRS annually and are currently up to $300 pre-tax per month for eligible transit and vanpool, and up to $300 pre-tax per month for eligible parking.
Post-tax? When does that happen?
If you need to put more than the current IRS pre-tax limit on your Commuter Card for parking or transit, then every dollar exceeding that limit is taxed as regular income. No one’s paying enough in parking at UC Davis to require that kind of monthly deduction, but if you’re buying a monthly Amtrak pass to commute between UC Davis and Oakland, then you’re spending $462/month on your transit commute. In that situation, we suggest you put $462/month on your Commuter Card and the first $300 of that amount will be deposited pre-tax.
Who are these companies and why am I being sent over to another site after I log in?
HealthEquity is a family of companies (including Luum and WageWorks) that help facilitate benefits for employees. UC Davis has subscribed to their commuter benefits offerings. Your Commuter Card will be issued through HealthEquity/WageWorks. In the future, Lumm will help us provide UC Davis employees with resources for sustainable commuting.