Can I change my contribution amount mid-year for my Commuter Benefits plan?

Yes. Unlike FSAs, Commuter Benefit elections can be changed or stopped anytime, effective the first of the following month (subject to payroll cutoffs).

What are the claim(s) filing limits?

Federal Regulations require claims to be filed and substantiated within 180 days of incurring the expense. All claims filed after the 180 day window will be denied and funds will be forfeited.

What are the annual limits for Commuter Benefits?

Annual limits are set by the IRS. The following limits are currently in effect for 2026 (indexed annually): 

• Parking deduction is limited to $340 per month; and 
• Transit passes & vanpooling, whether separately or combined, deduction is limited to $340 per month.

Any monthly costs above these limits cannot be exempt from taxes and cannot be carried over to future months. Although these are the limits set by the IRS, your employer may choose to offer lesser amounts.

What expenses are not eligible?

The following is a partial list of Commuter Benefits expenses that are not eligible:

• Tolls 
• Traffic tickets
• Fuel
• Mileage or other costs you incur in operating a vehicle
• Taxis
• Payments to a fellow participant in a carpool or to a friend who drives you to work
• Parking at your personal residence
• Parking at your spouse or someone else’s place of work
• Parking at a mall or similar location where you stop on your drive to or from your place of work
• Costs that have been or will be paid by your employer, such as for a business trip
• Parking at an airport for taking an airplane to work

I pay for parking at a park-and-ride lot, but pay for a bus pass separately. How do I use my Commuter Benefits account to pay for parking and transit separately?

You can use your account for parking and for transit by electing each Commuter Benefit separately. The bus fare would count toward the monthly transit limit; the parking fee would count toward the parking limit. Your Surency Benefits Card can still be used and will pull money from the correct purse.

How does my Benefits Card work?

You will receive it in the mail. It is essentially a limited use debit card. The funds are added to the Surency Benefits Card electronically on each pay date during the month following the enrollment deadline.

How do I get reimbursed for my Commuter expenses?

Surency offers three ways to get reimbursed.

1. The easiest option is to use the Surency mobile app. Choose “File a Claim,” enter the requested information and snap a photo from your phone of your receipt. The claim request and receipt will be automatically sent to Surency for processing.  
2. Log in to your Member Account. Choose “File a New Claim,” upload your receipt and enter the requested information. The claim request and receipt will be sent to Surency for processing.

You can also download a paper form at Surency.com/Forms. Remember, if you paid for the transit or parking expenses with your Benefits Card, you will not need to file a claim.  

How does the Commuter Benefits plan work?

You authorize your employer to deduct a pre-tax amount for parking or van-pooling/transit from each paycheck, up to the IRS (monthly) limits. Pay for expenses with your Surency Benefits Card and the expense is automatically deducted from your Commuter Benefits Account. If your transit or parking authority does not accept your Surency Benefits Card for payment, you may file a claim for reimbursement.

What is a Commuter Benefits Plan?

A Commuter Benefits plan is a qualified transportation benefit program authorized by the IRS and provided by your employer. For Pre-Tax Benefit programs administered by Surency, qualified expenses are dictated by the IRS and Surency uses those guidelines in reviewing your claims. Under a Commuter Benefits plan, you may have a transit account, parking account, or both depending on what your employer chooses to offer. Check with your benefits administrator for your specific plan details.

• Qualified Transit expenses cover public transportation and vanpools carrying six or more adult passengers (excluding the driver). Any type of transit service, publicly or privately owned or operated, including bus, rail, subway, ferry, shuttle bus, and commuter highway vehicles under contract, which provides to the public and/or employees, general or special service on a regular and continuing basis is eligible.
• Qualified Parking expenses cover parking at or near work, or at or near a place where you take public transportation to work.