SEPTA Key Partner Programs – Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority

To keep our region moving productively, SEPTA has developed a trio of cost-saving programs thoughtfully engineered for employers, colleges and universities, and social agencies. Each program offers unique benefits for both the organization and the rider. To learn more about the SEPTA Key Partner Programs, download our Partner Programs Guide (PDF).

Programs for Employers

This universal benefit program offers employers the ability to purchase deeply discounted All-Access Passes for employees. Passes are purchased electronically and loaded onto individuals’ SEPTA Key cards. The monthly retail value of this pass is $204. Through Key Advantage, participants receive a discount of over 80% off retail price.

Email gpristera@septa.org for the agreement and addendum. In the addendum, the total number of eligible employees will need to be recorded. All eligible employees must have the pass purchased for them whether they ride SEPTA or not. There are (2) exemptions: employees permanently working from home, and PA residents 65 and older. The criteria for eligibility are:
- Work Status – Employers may make Key Advantage available to all benefits-eligible employees, all full-time employees, or all employees regardless of status, provided the employer is able to isolate the defined group for program participation.
- Work Location – Employers with multiple work sites can select a work site OR multiple work sites. All employees at the selected work site(s) must be included in the eligible employee population, whether they ride SEPTA or not.
Complete the online Partner Portal application. The Partner Portal account is needed to place bulk Key card orders and process monthly payments.

Gabrielle Pristera
gpristera@septa.org | 215-580-3041

SEPTA Key Advantage FAQ

Key Advantage is a universal transit benefit program that provides employees of participating companies with an All-Access Monthly Pass at a discount of over 80% off retail price. Employers must cover all employees, like health care. Employers pay only for trips taken and calculated using the best price.

This is a universal benefit, meaning that all employees must be covered. The eligible employee criteria are by work status (part-time vs. full-time) or by work location. There are two exemptions: employees permanently working from home, and PA residents 65 and older (unless they ride CCT/Paratransit).

Visit www.septakey.org and click on the tab “Partner Program Application.”

The eligibility list can be updated monthly and employees can be added or removed prior to the ordering window opening on the 20^th preceding the valid period.

Jawnt is our third-party transit benefits provider who supports employee enrollment through their core service. Through an employee roster, Jawnt creates personalized portals for employees to set up the benefit, as well as offering real-time support, reducing administrator responsibilities significantly.

Eligible members receive an All-Access Pass, which is equivalent to our Monthly Anywhere TrailPass. This pass gives employees rides on all SEPTA modes, including Regional Rail to all zones. The pass is active every day of the month (including weekends).

Members that are eligible for CCT rides may use the Key Advantage All-Access pass to pay for their rides on these services. CCT riders will need to submit the Card Reference ID associated with their CCT IDs.
If a member is 65 years of age or older, they should continue participating in Key Advantage to receive the All-Access pass. The Senior Fare Card does not offer free transportation on CCT and Paratransit services.

Employees will be required to obtain a SEPTA Key card, and then register and create an account on septakey.org in order to access the details of their Key card needed to complete sign up; they will then enter these details on Jawnt in order to link their card to the program. Once that is done, then the employee will be enrolled in Key Advantage.
The last day to enroll for employees is the 25^th of the prior month.

Yes. For small businesses, we aggregate all populations together when calculating the usage-based pricing to limit the amount of fluctuation from contract period to contract period. The pricing adjusts every March and September. However, the minimum order amount is for 6 members.

The pass payment will be made via an ACH Direct Debit on the 25^th of the prior benefit month. For this to take place, SEPTA will need a letter from your organization’s bank listing the account and routing number and authorizing the direct debit.
Your organization is welcome to fully subsidize the pass, initiate a cost-share, or charge the full cost to members. If any cost sharing is implemented, it may be taken out pre-tax for employees. For students, the fee can be incorporated into their student fees. For residents, it can be incorporated into their rent or amenity fees.

Yes, SEPTA offers several other benefit programs, which are listed on this web page.

First, you need to have a SEPTA Key card. Cards can be purchased from any SEPTA Fare Kiosk or SEPTA Sales Office. The cost to purchase a Key Card is $4.95. Enrollment is a 2-step process:

If you have purchased a new card, you will need to register it at www.septakey.org to access your Card Reference ID. If you already have a registered card, you can skip this step.
You will receive an email from hello@jawntpass.com once your employer’s registration has been completed. Using your Card Reference ID, you will enroll in SEPTA Key Advantage. Your Card Reference ID can be found under ‘Card Options’ on your ‘My Account’ page.

No, if you already have a registered card, you can continue using your existing card. To participate, you will need your Card Reference ID, which can be found under ‘Card Options’ on your ‘My Account’ page on SEPTAKey.org.

Key cards can be purchased at any sales location listed on the Key Card Buy/Load Locator. The cost to purchase a card is $4.95. If you register your card within 30 days of purchase, the $4.95 fee will automatically be credited to your card’s Travel Wallet as value for use on SEPTA (limit 2 rebates per account). Travel Wallet value on registered cards never expires.

No, the SEPTA Key Advantage Program loads an All-Access Pass, which is valid for travel on all SEPTA services. This includes all Regional Rail , as well as travel on all Transit modes (Buses, Subways, Trolleys, and the Norristown High Speed Line). Like all SEPTA Monthly Passes, there is a 240-ride limit per month. Regional Rail riders are reminded to tap on and off when utilizing this benefit.

If you received an email from hello@jawntpass.com, then you are eligible for the benefit. For any further questions, please contact your administrator directly.

No, the card is intended to be used only by the eligible member. If you are enrolled in Key Advantage, you cannot let someone else use your card.

Senior citizens, age 65 and older, with a valid Senior Fare card, ride free at all times on all SEPTA Transit modes (Buses, Subways, Trolleys, and the Norristown High Speed Line) and on SEPTA Regional Rail within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Please apply for the Senior Fare card program rather than enrolling in the SEPTA Key Advantage program.
If you use SEPTA for travel to the states of Delaware or New Jersey, you should participate in the SEPTA Key Advantage program to avoid out of state travel fees. Additionally, if you are a CCT/Paratransit rider, you should enroll in Key Advantage.

Your current pass can be transferred onto a new card. Purchase a new card, log into your Key Card account, and select ‘Card Options’. Then select ‘Report Lost/Stolen (Hotlist)’ and follow the prompts to transfer the product onto your new card. Your new Card Reference ID will need to be updated immediately in your Jawnt account.

If you currently use PATCO and SEPTA to commute with a Freedom card, you will need to start using the Freedom card only for travel on PATCO and obtain a SEPTA Key card for travel on SEPTA. The SEPTA Key card will need to be registered under the SEPTA Key Advantage program as detailed above.

Fill out this form to learn more about Key Advantage.

Programs For Residents/Multifamily

Currently in its pilot phase, the Key Advantage Multifamily/Residential program offers deeply discounted All-Access SEPTA passes for tenants. This universal benefit program offers building owners and property managers a way to provide a unique cost-saving amenity to their tenants while exhibiting environmental stewardship. Passes can be distributed on a per-unit, per-bed or per-tenant basis, and the cost of passes can be charged as a monthly amenity fee or fully covered by the property manager. Proximity to public transportation is a hot commodity to tenants, whether they are environmentally conscious, looking to save money, or both. If you’re interested in more information or want to participate in our pilot, fill out this form.

SEPTA’s opt-in transit benefit program offers monthly fare products and Travel Wallet for employees. Fare products are purchased by employers electronically and are loaded onto participants’ SEPTA Key cards. The entire cost of the fare product is pretax through the 132 (f) transit benefit tax code. Employers can enter into an agreement with SEPTA to receive 5% off of monthly passes, provided they match the discount, passing on a 10% savings to their employees.

Submitting an application:
- Go to www.septakey.org > Partner Program > Partner Program Application
- Complete all fields including your preferred payment method and click “Next”. Note: The limit allowed on Credit Card transactions is $7500 per order. If you select ACH Transfer, you will receive additional instructions if your application is approved.
- The final step is to create your username and password. Follow the instructions for creating your password. You will need to choose a security question and answer.
Setting up a payment profile:
- After the application has been submitted, a SEPTA Key Call Center representative will call the number submitted on the application to set up the payment profile.
- After the payment profile has been set up, you can sign into the admin account and begin sending participants the directions for linking their Key cards. Note: If an ACH is being set up, there will be a $1.00 nonrefundable test charge to the account.

Zuleyka Valles-Rosa
zvallesrosa@septa.org | 215-580-3046

SEPTA Key Commuter FAQ

All SEPTA monthly passes and Travel Wallet loads can be purchased in bulk for participants.

No, participants of Key Commuter must have their products loaded onto their registered Key card.

For Web Portal Accounts: On your admin home, you will be able to review updates and members. On the left side of each participant is a small box that you can select to remove a participant. When the box is selected, you will then press ”Delete member” and confirm the selection. For Spreadsheet Upload Accounts: remove the member from the Excel file.

Companies make payments for orders placed on behalf of their clients. All pretax deductions are managed by the companies.

No, companies will not receive an invoice for their orders. Payments are made through the portal at the time orders are placed. When placing an order, companies can see the quantity of fare products and the total dollar amount.

Free to enroll: There is no charge to apply or to offer SEPTA Key Commuter to employees.
Environmentally friendly: Aside from transit being one of the greenest ways to travel, the program is completely electronic and paperless.
Pre-tax benefit: Employees can use up the $275 of pre-tax funds per month towards their commuter benefit (IRS Tax Code 132 F).

During the ordering window, companies using the web portal to manage their employee list can only place 1 order per month. Larger companies submitting Key card data via a spreadsheet can place up to 10 orders.

Companies have the option to print their receipt when an order is placed. All previous transactions can be printed and reviewed under ‘order history’.

The payment profile can be updated by calling the SEPTA Key Call Center: 855-567-3782, option #5. Orders less than $7,500 can be paid using a credit card while all other orders are placed using an ACH Direct Debit.

Once an order is placed, it cannot be changed or revised. Please make sure that participants have chosen the correct pass selection before placing an order. The employee would need to request a credit be placed on their Travel Wallet for the wrong pass, then use those funds to purchase the proper pass.

Riders can take up to 240 rides per month.

SEPTA Travel Wallet is a purse stored within a Key card that can be used to purchase trips on all modes of SEPTA transportation. Travel Wallet funds never expire and can be used to purchase SEPTA fare products online through a Key card account.

Registered Key cards offer balance protection if lost or stolen. You will need to purchase a new Key card. In the online Key card account, you will need to hotlist the old card, follow the prompts to register the new card, and perform a card-to-card transfer. Once the card-to-card transfer has been completed, the product will automatically transfer to the new card. If a card is damaged, the customer will purchase a new card and perform the same steps.

Your employer will provide information to you on how to identify your card. If your employer is managing its employee list through the web portal, your admin will provide you with a Partner ID to link your card to your employer account. If they are submitting a spreadsheet each month, you will need to log into your Key card account and under Card Options, copy and paste your Card Reference ID and send to your admin. If you get a new card for any reason, you need to notify your employer and relink your card following the above instructions.

Programs For College/Universities

SEPTA’s universal transit program offers colleges and universities the ability to purchase deeply discounted All-Access Passes for students. Passes are purchased electronically and loaded onto participants’ Key cards. The monthly retail value of this pass is $204. Through UPass, participants receive up to an 80% discount on their passes. This program is initiated by colleges and universities and is not purchased by individual students.

Email dkaufholdsepta.org for the agreement and addendum. In the addendum, the total number of eligible students will need to be recorded. All eligible students must have the pass purchased for them whether they ride SEPTA or not. There are (2) exemptions: students that are permanently remote/online only, and students that are taking part in an exchange or study abroad that will keep them off-campus for the entire semester. The criteria for eligibility are:
- Student Status – Schools may make UPass available to all part-time students, all full-time students, or all students regardless of status, provided that the institution is able to isolate the defined group for program participation.
- Degree/Credential Type – Schools may choose to make UPass available to students based on their degree type (undergraduate, graduate/professional, PhD, or some other certificate or credential).
- Campus Location – Colleges or universities with multiple locations can select a single campus OR multiple campuses. All students at the selected location(s) must be included in the eligible student population, whether they ride SEPTA or not. Campus locations outside of the SEPTA service area are automatically excluded.
- Class or Cohort – Schools may choose to take a phased approach, offering the program to first-year students and expanding to a new first-year student cohort each subsequent year.
Complete the online Partner Portal application. The Partner Portal account is needed to place bulk Key card orders and process monthly payments.

Dana Kaufhold
dkaufhold@septa.org | 215-580-7592

Fill out this form to learn more about Key Advantage.

SEPTA’s Key Semester Pass is an opt-in transit benefit program which offers discounted semester fare products to colleges and universities to load onto their students’ Key cards.

Submitting an application:
- Go to www.septakey.org > Partner Program > Partner Program Application. Complete all fields.
- Complete the ‘discount agreement’ PDF. The original will need to be mailed to your SEPTA Sales Specialist.
- Create your username and password. Follow the instructions for creating your password. You will need to choose a security question and answer.
Setting up a payment profile:
- After the application has been submitted, a SEPTA Key Call Center representative will call the number submitted on the application to set up the payment profile.
- After the payment profile has been set up, you can sign into the admin account and begin sending students the directions for linking their Key cards. ACH is the only accepted payment method for the Semester Pass Program. As part of setup, there will be a $1.00 nonrefundable test charge to the account.

Dana Kaufhold
dkaufhold@septa.org | 215-580-7592

Programs For Social Agencies/Special Events

Partner Passes are nonreloadable Key cards for clients of social agencies and non-profits. Partner Passes are not for resale. There are a variety of product options to choose from and can be purchased in bulk online and shipped directly to you.

We also offer solutions for travel involving large groups without Key cards. Contact us to find out more and schedule a trip today by emailing grouptravel@septa.org or ddumas@septa.org.

Catalog of Passes (PDF)

Submitting an application:
- Go to www.septakey.org > Partner Program > Partner Program Application
- Complete all fields including your preferred payment method and click “Next”. Note: The limit allowed on Credit Card transactions is $7500 per order. If you select ACH Transfer, you will receive additional instructions if your application is approved.
- The final step is to create your username and password. Follow the instructions for creating your password. You will need to choose a security question and answer.
Setting up a payment profile:
- After the application has been submitted, a SEPTA Key Call Center representative will call the number submitted on the application to set up the payment profile.
- After the payment profile has been set up, you can sign into the admin account and begin placing orders for Partner Passes. Note: If an ACH is being set up, there will be a $1.00 nonrefundable test charge to the account.

Deborah Dumas, Group Travel Options
ddumas@septa.org | 215-580-8161

SEPTA Key Partner Pass FAQ

Call the Key Call Center at 855-567-3782, option 5; the hours are Monday to Friday 9 am – 5 pm.

Yes, you must order at least 50 units of a product.

Yes. Do not bend, puncture, staple, rubber band or keep your pass next to your phone to avoid damaging the embedded antenna inside the pass.

You can write on the pass with a marker or a Sharpie (do not use a pen) to indicate the date of the first tap. This will help to keep track of the date the pass expires or if trips are available.

Partner Passes will be delivered in 3-5 business days after you receive an email confirmation of your order. Orders will be delivered by UPS or for orders over $2,500, by SEPTA delivery crews.

Contact the Key Call Center at 855-567-3782, option 5. Have your order number ready before calling.

Since the Partner Passes do not expire, you can take one trip today and the next trip at a later date.

A transfer must be used within 2 hours of the initial tap.

Partner Passes do not expire.

No. Partner Passes are sold at the Travel Wallet rate and include a free transfer not otherwise available. 1 day, 7-day and 30-day passes are sold at tariff rates.

Partner Passes are non-reloadable disposable paper Key cards. Once the trip/trips are taken, please dispose of the pass so you don’t confuse it with passes that haven’t been used.

Admins need to have the mode of transportation, time, date, and type of pass prior to sending an email to your SEPTA representative regarding any pass issues. Replacements are only issued for malfunctioning Partner Passes. Passes that are damaged will not be replaced. Be sure your clients are not accidentally reusing a previously used pass.