Transit Benefit
*Major changes are coming for WEX FSA and Transit participants.*
The transit benefit is an employer-sponsored program that allows full-time faculty and staff (working .80 FTE or greater) an opportunity to set aside money from their paycheck on a pre-tax basis, which they can use for eligible transit expenses. This transit program excludes park and ride and reimbursement for parking-related expenses. WEX administers Loyola's Health Care FSA, Limited FSA, Dependent Care FSA, and the Transit benefit program. Access the WEX portal at LoyolaExpress.com using your Loyola username and password.
- You can elect up to $315 for 2024 and $325 for 2025 (subject to change based on IRS regulations) per month.
- Changes in transit elections may take between six to eight weeks to apply to your account.
- Your transit election, by payroll deduction, is then added to your benefits debit MasterCard on a monthly basis.
- The debit card will allow you to purchase or fund your transit cards for the Chicago Transit Authority (Ventra), Pace, Metra, Chicago Water Taxi, and ride shares (uberPOOL, Lyft Line, and Via). Learn more about the Commuter Ride Share Options. The transit dollars CANNOT be used for parking decks or park and ride lots.
New Changes for 2025
WEX participants will have access to a new and improved portal, a streamlined reimbursement process, and new savings cards. More information will be provided in the coming weeks. This information will also include how to elect your transit for January 2025.
Timeline of Changes
- December 1- Access to the new WEX site will be available (link to be provided soon)
- December 1- Begin making your Transit Elections for January 2025
- December 10- Deadline for making your Transit Elections for January 2025
- December 11 through January 10- Elections made in this timeframe will be for February 2025
- December 26- New WEX cards will be arriving in the mail (can typically take 10-14 days after enrolling)
- December 31- Old WEX/BenefitExpress cards will no longer work
Benefits Debit Card
The benefits debit card will provide services for all of your reimbursement accounts: transit, Health Care FSA, and Dependent Care FSA. However, this card cannot be used for parking decks, as this benefit is not part of our transit program.
Your transit deductions are loaded to your WEX debit MasterCard at the end of each month so funding is ready for use the 1st of the following month. Faculty and Staff members must utilize their transit dollars by purchasing eligible transit directly with their Debit Card at Ventra, Metra or other valid transit options noted above. Faculty and Staff can also fund their Ventra Cards via the Ventra portal using the debit MasterCard provided by WEX. Current transit and FSA participants your card will expire on 12.31.2024
Until 12.31.2024, WEX can be reached during traditional business hours at 877.837.5017 or LoyolaExpress.com.
IRS Pre-Tax Payroll Deductions
Your unused transit dollars will continue to roll over from one IRS calendar year to the next unless you stop your transit via the Loyola Express portal. Due to the pre-tax deductions and IRS implications, refunds are not given for unused transit dollars. Please transfer any remaining transit to a Ventra Card or purchase transit with any remaining funding. It is advised that you keep track of your transit elections and make changes where needed to avoid carrying over a balance that will not be refunded. Your unused transit dollars cannot be switched over to any other type of savings account, this includes Health FSA, Dependent Care FSA, or HDHP HSA Accounts.
Updated: 11.20.2024
How the transit program works
Enroll in the transit benefit program online at WEX LoyolaExpress.com. Enrolling online is easy and safe. Our secure website is set up to automatically take you through easy enrollment steps with instructions online. After you log on, the website will prompt you to enter your University ID and password. Call WEX at 877.837.5017 if you have questions or enrollment problems.
- You may log on at any time to view or change your elections. To change your election(s) online, the cut-off date is the 14th of each month.
- Your new change will be effective with the following full month’s payroll deduction(s) taken from the subsequent month’s transit fare media. Funds will be available for use the 1st of the month following the change.
- A minimum of 6–8 weeks is required for all changes to take effect. This includes starting, changing, and ending participation in the program.
- All changes including cancellation need to be processed via LoyolaExpress.com.
- Employees are strongly encouraged to keep track of their transit payroll deductions via Employee Self-Service and report any payroll deduction errors to benefits@luc.edu as soon as possible. This includes errors in the deduction amount or if an employee has access to transit dollars but no payroll deductions.
- Make sure your transit deductions and available balances do not exceed your actual usage as there are no refunds given for unused transit dollars.
- Transit funding can be transferred to Ventra Card(s) or other transit can be purchased as needed.
WEX debit card
Transit account participants can purchase transit through the WEX Debit MasterCard. The card gives easy access to ALL reimbursement accounts combined into one card. Card details include:
- No debit card fee
- Easy access to all reimbursement accounts—health care FSA, dependent care FSA, and transit
- The card will be funded with monthly transit election contribution by the last week of every month, and these funds will be available to use by 1st of the following month
- Current debit cards expire 12.31.2024
- Can be used to fund the Ventra card or purchase single use Ventra passes or Metra tickets
- Debit card can be used as a form of payment for Ventra cards or to purchase transit at any Ventra or Metra transit outlets
- Any transit dollars not used will continue to roll over each month and never expire
- Outlets such as participating Jewel and Walgreens locations can use the debit card to add value to the Ventra card
Leaving the University
Employees leaving the University need to contact the Benefits Department at benefits@luc.edu as soon as possible so that adjustments can be made to their deductions. Employees should log into loyolaexpress.com and cancel their transit.
- The debit MasterCard will be shut off as of the employee’s termination date. It's advised that all remaining funding your WEX Debit MasterCard be transferred to a Ventra card(s) prior to your termination date. You also have the option of using your remaining transit dollars to purchase other eligible transit.
- If you have made valid transit purchases using a form of payment other than your Benefit Express debit MasterCard you can submit receipts to Benefit Express along with the Reimbursement form. All reimbursements should be for the most current calendar year up until your termination date.
- Due to the pre-tax deductions and IRS implications refunds are not given for unused transit dollars. Please transfer any remaining transit to a Ventra Card or purchase transit with any remaining funding prior to your termination date.
*Major changes are coming for WEX FSA and Transit participants.*
The transit benefit is an employer-sponsored program that allows full-time faculty and staff (working .80 FTE or greater) an opportunity to set aside money from their paycheck on a pre-tax basis, which they can use for eligible transit expenses. This transit program excludes park and ride and reimbursement for parking-related expenses. WEX administers Loyola's Health Care FSA, Limited FSA, Dependent Care FSA, and the Transit benefit program. Access the WEX portal at LoyolaExpress.com using your Loyola username and password.
- You can elect up to $315 for 2024 and $325 for 2025 (subject to change based on IRS regulations) per month.
- Changes in transit elections may take between six to eight weeks to apply to your account.
- Your transit election, by payroll deduction, is then added to your benefits debit MasterCard on a monthly basis.
- The debit card will allow you to purchase or fund your transit cards for the Chicago Transit Authority (Ventra), Pace, Metra, Chicago Water Taxi, and ride shares (uberPOOL, Lyft Line, and Via). Learn more about the Commuter Ride Share Options. The transit dollars CANNOT be used for parking decks or park and ride lots.
New Changes for 2025
WEX participants will have access to a new and improved portal, a streamlined reimbursement process, and new savings cards. More information will be provided in the coming weeks. This information will also include how to elect your transit for January 2025.
Timeline of Changes
- December 1- Access to the new WEX site will be available (link to be provided soon)
- December 1- Begin making your Transit Elections for January 2025
- December 10- Deadline for making your Transit Elections for January 2025
- December 11 through January 10- Elections made in this timeframe will be for February 2025
- December 26- New WEX cards will be arriving in the mail (can typically take 10-14 days after enrolling)
- December 31- Old WEX/BenefitExpress cards will no longer work
Benefits Debit Card
The benefits debit card will provide services for all of your reimbursement accounts: transit, Health Care FSA, and Dependent Care FSA. However, this card cannot be used for parking decks, as this benefit is not part of our transit program.
Your transit deductions are loaded to your WEX debit MasterCard at the end of each month so funding is ready for use the 1st of the following month. Faculty and Staff members must utilize their transit dollars by purchasing eligible transit directly with their Debit Card at Ventra, Metra or other valid transit options noted above. Faculty and Staff can also fund their Ventra Cards via the Ventra portal using the debit MasterCard provided by WEX. Current transit and FSA participants your card will expire on 12.31.2024
Until 12.31.2024, WEX can be reached during traditional business hours at 877.837.5017 or LoyolaExpress.com.
IRS Pre-Tax Payroll Deductions
Your unused transit dollars will continue to roll over from one IRS calendar year to the next unless you stop your transit via the Loyola Express portal. Due to the pre-tax deductions and IRS implications, refunds are not given for unused transit dollars. Please transfer any remaining transit to a Ventra Card or purchase transit with any remaining funding. It is advised that you keep track of your transit elections and make changes where needed to avoid carrying over a balance that will not be refunded. Your unused transit dollars cannot be switched over to any other type of savings account, this includes Health FSA, Dependent Care FSA, or HDHP HSA Accounts.
Updated: 11.20.2024