Ventra Cards…Changing it up

I finally figured out one way that Ventra Cards are better than the Chicago Cards!

I don’t know about anyone else, but I always end up with random loose change around the house.  I keep a change purse of quarters for guests to use if they have to park by metered parking, but that means I have lots of dimes and nickels and pennies I don’t know what to do with.

Today, I walked up the block to pick up my dry cleaning–right next to the El stop–and brought all my nickles and dimes with.  I made a quick stop inside the El station and loaded all those nickels and dimes onto my Ventra card.  A quick tap of my card on the machine, hit “add value” then started dropping in coins!  Unfortunately, when it hit $2.50 in add value, it forced me out.  But a another quick tap of my card allowed me to add the rest of my coins onto my card. I could never do this with my Chicago Card!

It will only come out to two rides on the El, but that is better than those coins just sitting in my house not being spent.

I DO NOT suggest doing this during rush hour, but instead only during those random off times when you know you will be near an El stop.