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FAQ for Employers

 

Hop overview for employers

How does Hop benefit my workplace?

Hop is a quick and convenient way to take transit for your organization — riders just tap their card on the electronic reader every time they board. Your company benefits, too. Here’s how:

  • Reloadable cards that only need to be distributed once
  • Lost-card protection
  • Easy online account management
  • Better record-keeping with automatically generated receipts and easy access to your order history

Where does Hop work?

Hop is a regional fare system, so it works on TriMet, C-TRAN and Portland Streetcar vehicles.

How much does a Hop card cost?

At this time, we’re not charging employers for Hop cards on Universal, Annual or Monthly pass programs, but will in the future. For the general public, new and replacement cards cost $3 each.

How much do replacement Hop cards cost?

For employers, replacement cards are free at this time, which also includes shipping. Because of the ongoing cost of manufacturing Hop cards, we’ll charge for replacements in the future.

Are paper tickets and passes going away?

In the future, we’ll stop mailing paper passes to employers, which is why we’re transitioning all employer pass programs to Hop in the next year. We’ll let employers know well in advance when this will occur. One key benefit is that Hop offers lost-card protection, which you don’t get with Universal, Annual or Monthly paper passes. If those stickers or passes are lost or stolen, there is no reimbursement.

How long does it take to get set up on Hop?

After you sign a contract, it typically takes 5 to 7 business days to receive administrative privileges on the Hop website, which allows you to order Hop cards, manage your account and upload employee participants. If on an Annual Program, we’ll provide you with an Excel file where you would submit your participant list to us. You also can review shipping information and order Hop cards for your employees, which can take 5 to 7 business days to arrive in the mail. TriMet provides free shipping of Hop cards to employers, although we’ll eventually charge for this service. Check out our Institutional Guide to Hop Fastpass to learn more.

What’s lost-card protection?

You can protect your passes if they are lost or stolen by registering your employee cards on the Hop Institutional website. If a card is lost or stolen, please contact your Transportation Options representative at TriMet.

If my employees have an Annual or Monthly pass, do they still have to tap on the Hop validators when they ride?

Yes, they have to tap every time they ride as it will be their proof of fare. Upon a successful tap, the Hop reader displays a green checkmark and how much longer their pass is valid. There is no need to tap when riders exit a transit vehicle.

Are Hop cards and Hop tickets recyclable?

Because Hop cards and Hop Single-Use tickets contain electronics, they unfortunately can’t be recycled. However, Hop cards are designed to last 10 years and reduce the number of paper passes in the system.

Which employer-pass plan is best for my company?

Call 503-962-7670 or email employerprograms@trimet.org and we’ll help you decide.

 

Managing your Hop account

Where do I log in to access my employer account?

Manage your employer account on the Hop Institutional website.

What do I do first to begin using Hop?

First, check your Hop employer account online to ensure your business mailing address is accurate. You can then order Hop cards directly on the Hop Institutional website. At this time, we’re not charging employers for Hop cards, but will in the future. Please wait for the cards to arrive and upload them before you assign the unique card numbers to each of your participants. Hop cards are activated for transit use only after fares are loaded onto them.

What happens after I receive the Hop cards?

Once you receive your Hop cards in the mail, you’ll be able to assign them to your participants and add transit passes onto the cards. For the Annual or Universal pass programs, Hop cards already will be assigned and personalized for participants. Hop cards are activated for transit use only after passes are added onto them. Monthly and Annual Passes can be used for the period in which they’re valid.

How much time do I have to spend managing Hop cards for employees?

Most of the work is done up front. After you receive your cards, it can take about 10-15 minutes to set up all of your employees on Hop as well as ensure your shipping and payment information is accurate. Once you set up your employees with passes, it’s designed to be an automated system. Although you’ll have to add products onto every participant’s account before the start of each month, or if on an Annual or Universal pass, every year. New hires or people leaving your organization will require minimal time to activate or deactivate.

In the past, Honored Citizens have been required to display an additional ID card that verifies they are qualified. Will they still be required to display an additional ID card for proof?

Yes, Honored Citizen transit riders still must carry an ID card if asked by an operator or fare inspector for proof of eligibility for a reduced fare.

Can an employee add a personal Hop card to an employer account?

Yes, an employee can ask an employer to link a personal Hop card for professional use as long as it’s not personalized, i.e., doesn’t include a name on the front.

Can someone add personal funds to an employer-issued Hop card?

Yes, personal funds can be loaded onto an employer-issued Hop card. When using Hop the current Annual, Universal or Monthly pass (and Day Pass or 2 ½-Hour) will take precedence over the personal funds on the account when someone taps a Hop validator.

How soon can I add Monthly or Day passes onto someone’s account?

Beginning on the 11th day of the month, you can add Monthly passes onto an employee’s account for the following month. You also can wait as late as the 10th of the current month to add a Monthly pass for the remainder of that month. Day passes can be added at any time and do not expire like Monthly passes.

Do I need to scratch off the security code on the back to register the cards?

You don’t need the security code to register an employer Hop card, however, if the card holder ever needs Hop customer service, they will need to provide this number for security purposes.

Do my employees need to register the card?

No. As a Hop administrator, once you order cards and upload them into the Hop Institutional website, they are considered registered in our employer system.

What do I do if an employee leaves my organization?

If an employee has a Universal or Annual pass, which has an employee’s name printed on it, the Hop card should be returned to the employer and reported “Lost or Stolen” and then removed from the employer’s account from the Hop Institutional website. For an employee with a Monthly Pass, to block that employee from continuing to use the card, you would also report the card as “Lost or Stolen” and remove it from the account. If the card is not blocked, the departed employee could then either add personal money onto the card or use the card with another employer on a Monthly Pass program. If a lost or stolen card is recovered, it can be unblocked and used again by your organization.

What if we have Honored Citizens or Youth on our staff?

If they qualify as an Honored Citizen (ages 65 and over/persons with a disability) or Youth (ages 7-17), you can order cards for these riders, and they would pay the discounted amount for a Monthly Pass). You could also order Single-Use Day Passes and 2½-Hour tickets directly from the Hop website that are priced accordingly for Youth, Honored Citizens or Adults. These also are known as Hop tickets.

Which web browser should I use?

Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox work best with the Hop Institutional website. At this time we advise not to use Internet Explorer or Microsoft Edge — we’re working to make these browsers more compatible with the Hop website.

How do I report a lost or stolen card?

Go to your profile and click on Manage Cards. Then select the lost or stolen card and click Change Status, then click Lost or Stolen. To replace the card, you then need to order a replacement card from the Hop website under Cards > Order Cards and inform your Transportation Options specialist at TriMet of the old card number. The TriMet Customer Support Center then will transfer the electronic passes onto a new Hop card and mail it to you.

How quickly is a lost or stolen card replaced?

It can take up to 5 business days to be issued a replacement Hop card. If the card is defective, contact your Transportation Options specialist and we’ll issue a new card in 1-2 business days.

How does Hop work on C-TRAN?

Hop validators are included on the C-TRAN system for regular bus and The Vine services. However, employers can’t add a C-TRAN Express pass onto a Hop card at this time, which has a higher cost. Either the rider could add stored value on the account, or the C-TRAN Express paper pass must be purchased separately through C-TRAN. In the future, you’ll be able to load a C-TRAN Express pass onto an employee’s Hop card.

 

Adding transit passes

Can I add passes before I receive the Hop cards?

No. You’ll have to wait for the cards to be shipped to you before you can assign the unique card numbers to each participant. Hop cards are activated for transit use only after passes are added onto them.

If I order Monthly Passes, do I have to add passes to every card each month?

No, after you set up your company’s participants, you can select which cards you add passes to on a monthly basis.

If I add a Monthly Pass to my employees’ Hop accounts a few days before the start of the month, will it be available for immediate use?

The account will show it has a Monthly Pass, but it won’t be active until the beginning of the following month. Passes are valid for a calendar month.

Do my Hop passes roll over if unused?

When you’re adding passes onto an employee’s Hop card, think of it as adding a transit pass product, just like the current Monthly or Annual paper passes. These passes expire at the end of the month, or if on an Annual Pass, the end of the yearly term.

Can someone roll funds from a personal Hop card to an employer card?

No, a person can’t roll over funds from their personal Hop card to an employer account. However, if they have an employer pass that works on all services except C-TRAN Express, the employee could choose to add personal money to the card, which would allow them to use C-TRAN Express service.

If we block an employee’s card, what happens if they are rehired and want to start the Hop program again?

You can unblock the Hop card, which would allow passes to be loaded back onto the card.

What if I have employees who telecommute several days a week and take transit less than the cost of a Monthly Pass?

The Hop Institutional website allows you to purchase electronic Day Passes and add them onto specific employees’ Hop cards each month. Another option is buying 2½-Hour or Day Passes, also called “Hop tickets,” on the Institutional website that we’ll ship to you. These Single-Use tickets include an electronic chip that can be tapped on a Hop reader like the card; however, they don’t offer lost-card protection and aren’t reloadable.

Some of our employees bike to work in the summer. Do I still have to purchase Monthly Passes for them?

If you’re on the Monthly Pass program and an employee chooses to take a different mode of transportation for the summer, you don’t need to add a pass to that person’s Hop card for those months. When they’re ready, you can add passes again, but should do so prior to the beginning of the month they plan to use them.

What if our employees use commuter debit cards or a pre-tax transit debit cards? Can I use it to load money on my Hop card?

Yes. As long as it has a Visa, Mastercard, Discover or Amex logo on it, your employee can use it as a payment method for Hop just like any other debit or credit card. However, the employee can’t use these forms of payment to buy a Hop card — or add money — at participating retailers such as Fred Meyer, New Seasons and Safeway.

Do Day Passes on an employee’s account expire at the end of the month?

No, there is no expiration of unused Day Passes.

Can I load a Day Pass and a 2 ½-Hour electronic fare onto one person’s Hop card?

It's possible, but we don’t recommend it. For example, if you add both passes onto an employee’s account, the Hop validator will take the 2 ½-Hour fare first before recognizing the Day Pass. If that person doesn’t have another 2 ½-Hour fare, it will then take the Day Pass the next time they ride that day — they would not get the most value out of Hop in this instance. We recommend you do one or the other — either load only Day Passes or 2 ½-Hour electronic fares for your participants.

 

Payments and refunds

How do I pay for Hop?

Employers can pay for Hop with electronic funds transfer (EFT) or business check. Please note TriMet doesn’t accept personal checks.

Can employees use the Hop mobile app to pay fares?

No. The Hop mobile app is designed for account management only for the general public. It’s not intended for participants in an employee program. The Hop app helps people load fares onto their Hop cards, manage their profile or plan their trip. At some point in the future, everyone will have the option to tap a smartphone on a Hop validator to pay a fare.

Can employees use Apple Pay, Samsung Pay or Google Wallet to pay their fare?

Open payments are designed for the general public and not for participants in the employee pass program. You could choose to reimburse the employee if they use a contactless bank card as their form of payment, but it falls outside of this program.

Can I order extra Hop cards and fund them, but if not used, return for credit like we now do with the paper passes?

We don’t offer refunds on Hop cards or the passes loaded onto them, so you should buy only the passes you need.

Where can I buy monthly paper passes?

Employers can still purchase monthly paper passes in person at the TriMet Customer Support Center and most ticket outlets. You also can buy 2½-Hour or Day Passes (“Hop tickets”) on the Institutional website. Hop tickets are mailed to you, but can’t be added onto an employee’s Hop account, don’t offer lost-card protection and are not reloadable.

Where can I use my transit debit card?

Transit debit cards can’t be used with Hop employer website; however an employee can add money with their transit debit card via the general public’s myhopcard.com website.

 

Help and support

Who should I call for help with my Hop card or account?

Contact a member of the Transportation Options team or email employerpograms@trimet.org. For general issues, call 1-844-MYHOPCARD (694-6722) or email help@myhopcard.com.

What if I have technical issues on the Hop Institutional website?

For technical issues on the website, please use our feedback form.

Where can I get customer service in person?

If you’d like to get in-person assistance, stop by one of our offices:

Our Hop customer service team also is available by phone at 1-844-MYHOPCARD (694-6722).