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 once again 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 between the 1st and 10th day of every month. If you're not sure you want to sign up now, there is no rush.

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.

Monthly Contribution Maximums

Contributions cannot be transferred between accounts and limits are set by the IRS.

Transit (eligible transit and vanpool): Up to $300 pre-tax per month.
Parking (eligible parking): Up to $300 pre-tax per month.
If you exceed the pre-tax limit for parking or transit, there is an option to add up to $200 post-tax to your Commuter Card. We would expect this for those who purchase the Amtrak monthly pass for commuting to and from the Bay Area.

Setting Up Your Commuter Card

Follow these steps to set 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.”

IMPORTANT: If you plan to have both parking and transit funds on your Commuter Card, you will need to place both transit and parking orders. You will receive a single card to use for both types of transactions You will not be able to purchase a transit pass without sufficient transit funds or a parking permit without sufficient parking funds.

Step 4: Follow the steps and select “Commuter Card - Transit” or “Commuter Card – Parking.”

IMPORTANT FOR TRANSIT ORDERS:

When choosing a transit operator, select the agency you anticipate using the most. This selection will not prevent you from purchasing a transit pass with other eligible operators in the area.

IMPORTANT FOR PARKING ORDERS:

In step 1 choosing your work location, drop the pin, or enter an address anywhere on the UC Davis campus where you work (i.e., 150 Mrak Hall Dr, Davis, CA, 95616). Do the same thing for step 2 choosing your parking location (i.e., Quad Structure, 6 Howard Way, Davis, CA, 95616).

IMPORTANT:

Only the Commuter Card is available to UC Davis employees. The Monthly Pass, Pay My Provider, and Pay Me Back options are not currently available.

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.

After step 2, we recommend following the guided tour (at right) when making your first transaction. The process for placing a parking order is very similar to placing a transit order, and the guided tour will help familiarize you with the platform.

Guided Tour - Transit — Click to view guided tour

FAQs

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.
How do I log into my account?
Visit https://ucdavis.luum.com and log in with your Kerberos ID. Click “HealthEquity Accounts” on the left side bar. This will take you directly to your HealthEquity account.
I lost my card, what do I do?
Please call (877) 924-3967 to freeze your card and request a new one.
Do I need to do anything in UCPath?
No. This doesn’t affect anything in your UCPath profile. You do not need to take any action in UCPath whether you’ve signed up for direct deposit or receive a paper paycheck.
What’s the history of pre-tax payroll deduction?
Pre-pandemic, the UC Davis campus offered a monthly pre-tax parking and transit program. This was discontinued when UC Davis introduced daily parking through ParkMobile (now AggiePark via the AMP Park app). We’re pleased to re-introduce tax-advantaged benefits with the Commuter Card!
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.
One card for both parking and transit funds, how does that work?
The Commuter Card is one card that can hold both transit and parking funds, however, if you plan to have both parking and transit funds on your Commuter Card, you will need to place both transit and parking orders. Transit versus parking transactions are recognized by merchant category codes. You will not be able to purchase a transit pass without transit funds or a parking permit without parking funds.
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 practice of deducting 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 increases typically annually. Although an atypical situation, HealthEquity and UC Davis automatically ensure that you maximize your allowed pre-tax deduction before deducting funds post-tax.
Post-tax? When does that happen?
If you need to put more than the current IRS pre-tax limit on your Commuter Card ($300/month in 2023) for either 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.
If I’m being sent over to another site, why have me log in here?
HealthEquity is a family of companies that includes Luum and WageWorks. Each does their part to facilitate different parts of the Commuter Benefits program. In time, after we get everyone comfortable with the Commuter Card, we’ll launch the features for which this portal by Luum is best known: helping encourage sustainable commutes.
Who are these companies?
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.
Can I use this with Spin?
No, not right now. Micromobility, including electric bikes and scooters, is not considered a pre-tax benefit by the IRS and can only be offered post-tax.
I still have questions, where do I go?
Email us at transportationservices@ucdavis.edu and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.
I want to be sure I'm activating the right card, what does it look like?