Ventra

• Free

Last verified 28 Jul 2026

1.8 3274 ratings · App Store

1. 2/5Needs serious accessibility work

   You can do only some of the things you need to, and will run into limitations. Ones I have hit: 1) went through the reset password process, except that it never sent me an email. This must be a backend issue. I talked with Support on the phone who said they would send me an email, but it never came through. Then I tried again a few few days later and it magically appeared. 2) while attempting to purchase tickets on the app (something you think they would want to make as easy as possible) the purchase button is tiny and in position directly under the iPhone’s bottom bar. Attempting to click the purchase button an iPhone will interpret it as a click on the bottom bar of your phone making it essentially impossible to click purchase. I thought I would just purchase a ticket online instead, but that is not possible; you can only get it on the app, at a station, or on the train. This has got to be losing Ventra money!!

   645645645 · 28 Jul 2026

2. 1/5No surprise after NOT using it for 8 years

   the last time I used this awful app was in 2016. It was buggy, slow and just an awful user experience. Thankfully I no longer needed to use it for almost a decade until I moved and got rid of my car, walking to most places or Ubering. However, on the rare occasion where I need to go to the suburbs the Metra is the best option. So I resurrected the app on my phone thinking the bugs have to be ironed out after 8 years right? After updating it I chose a ticket for my route, got to the cart…and the ‘Purchase’ button was so low on my phones screen that it interfered with the slide out drawer of my iPhone. The developers placed their only means to purchase their product below another form of UI interaction. The FOCUS of the app completely rendered useless. Clicking on the button does absolutely nothing. For all I know it could be because it’s just broken in general and maybe not because it was implemented and designed in an awful spot. Metra must be receiving kickbacks for riders purchasing physical tickets at the booths. The Metra must be thinking “Let’s make the app completely irrelevant our passengers can thank us 8 years from now.”

   fujithebun · 28 Jul 2026

3. 3/5Can't use card after connecting to Apple Pay...

   This app has always worked fairly well for me (the bus/train times are usually far more accurate than google maps). However, I recently decided to add my ventra card to my apple wallet, just in case I ever forgot my physical card. Lo and behold, as soon as the card was added my physical card quit working. I even tried disconnecting the card from my wallet, and the physical card still didn't work. This has made my attempt at convenience very inconvenient (it takes more time to open your phone then just pull put a card). It seems like if linking to Apple wallet is going to have such an effect that ventra should at least warn you before you do it (how hard is it to program a pop up?). The fact that they essentially just made my card useless without my knowing such a thing would happen is shady as well as inconvenient (and totally unnecessary). Hopefully they fix this, but if you haven't yet connected your card to your apple wallet, be forewarned!

   ruffianbandwidth · 28 Jul 2026

4. 2/5It works (limited)

   Technically, the app works. Functionally, it feels like it was built by people who don’t use transit or iPhones. I only use the Ventra app to add money to my Ventra card, and that’s it. Routing, arrival times… usability is terrible. Just trying to set ApplePay as a preferred payment method is weird because there’s a Save button that’s a bar across the very bottom of the screen?? Who looks for a Save button down there? When your account gets low, Ventra sends you an email, which is great. But it’s teensy tiny text that’s impossible to read on a phone screen, hard-line-wrapped on what looks like a letter-sized piece of paper, like they think you’re going to print it?! All they have to do is less. Let the text be normal size for a phone and soft wrap. Let your emails be useful, Ventra. Again, designed by old executives who don’t read their own email and don’t use transit. Or iPhones.

   FM_M · 28 Jul 2026

5. 1/5App failed to load a 3-day CTA pass and Ventra refuses to refund.

   Downloaded the VENTRA app and should have noticed the 2 stars that the app had. Great concept if it worked. Poor execution as they charged me for the CTA pass but didn’t load it onto the Ventra account. The pass is shown in the app as “In Queue” and has remained in this state for almost a week! I was forced to purchase a paper CTA pass to travel during my stay in Chicago. Called Ventra Customer Service twice and was looped into the endless phone loop. Finally got a person to answer the phone and was told they will NOT refund the pass fare and would only transfer it to a physical Ventra card. I explained that I did not live in Chicago and would have no need for a Ventra Card. She told me that they WILL NOT issue refunds to NON-ILLINOIS residents. What?! When I told her that the CTA agent told me to purchase and paper pass and ask for a refund from Ventra, she replied “Don’t ever listen to a CTA agent.” She refused to escalate the call and basically did nothing to help even though the problem was with the Ventra App. Beware.

   Buckeye D · 28 Jul 2026

Privacy

Accessibility

No accessibility labels collected yet.