Official State of Rhode Island website

State of Rhode Island Office of Employee Benefits

RIPTA Transit Passes

Overview 

You may elect a pre-tax payroll deduction from your biweekly earnings to purchase and pay for a Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) WAVE card (for your personal use only). 

WAVE is an account-based fare payment system that allows passengers to purchase and store RIPTA credits on a WAVE card or using the Wave mobile app. When passengers board a bus, they simply tap their WAVE card or app to pay the fare. RIPTA credits are stored on a permanent, reloadable smart card, or on a mobile app on their smart device. When riders board a bus, they simply tap their WAVE card to pay the fare. 

A Monthly Pass is $70.00 per month and can be deducted from your paycheck. The deduction will be split into $35.00 each biweekly pay cycle with no deductions during two “RIPTA pay holiday” pay periods each fiscal year.   

Purchase of RIPTA Passes 

To elect the payroll deduction for RIPTA passes please follow the below steps in the RI ERP system. 

  1. Login to RI ERP system
  2. Type “Voluntary Deductions” in the search bar at the top of the homepage or any page   
  3. Select “Add” and then choose the option for “RIPTA Bus Pass Amount Monthly Pass”
  4. Choose the desired start and end date. Please note the system will notify you of the effective payment date based on the next payroll cycle.
  5. Select “Ok” and “Done” to confirm this transaction
  6. Confirm the selection is displayed in the voluntary deductions page. You can edit or remove this election at any time by typing “voluntary deductions” in the search bar to revisit this page. 

Distribution of RIPTA WAVE Cards 

Once both of the biweekly deductions have occurred, your WAVE card will be loaded and you will be contacted by the Office of Accounts & Control to schedule a pick up date and time. 

If you already have a WAVE card/account, when you receive your new WAVE card based on your most recent State payroll deductions, you can combine the balances through your account at https://wave.ripta.com/. 

Please note that these passes are completely non-refundable - neither the State nor RIPTA will provide refunds after the passes have been purchased. 

Where to Go For Support 

  • For more information on how to navigate and use the RI ERP system to submit this request or other processes please visit the RI ERP Website 
  • Questions related to payroll deduction should be referred to agency’s HR/payroll office or directly to Central Payroll at Nelia.Benevides@doa.ri.gov. 
  • Questions related to the RIPTA Wave program should be referred to RIPTA customer service:
  • Phone: (401) 781-9400
  • Email: customerservice@ripta.com