Frequently Asked Questions

Umo is BC Transit’s digital fare payment system that allows you to pay for your fare with the payment method and fare product that best suits your lifestyle and travel habits.

A UMO card increases your access to transit by removing the need to continually visit an in-person retail vendor to purchase a fare product. A UMO card is reloadable and designed for continued use.  You can register your UMO card online at: https://ca.umopass.com

When you are ready to travel, tap your UMO card to the digital validator located beside the bus driver.

A benefit code is a one-time redeemable, unique alphabetical code for a semester worth of U-PASS.

Benefit code periods:
Fall U-PASS is valid between September 1 until December 31 (automatically assessed and will be sent out in a mailout);
Winter U-PASS is valid between January 1 until April 30 (automatically assessed and will be sent out in a mailout) and;
Summer U-PASS is valid between May 1 until August 31 (must be purchased separately at paper & supply co.)

Students’ Union Okanagan sends out the benefit codes is advance of the upcoming semester to the email address you registered on your UBC Workday account.

The U-PASS fee is automatically included in your UBC student fee and tuition for Fall/Winter semesters.

Due to the Transit Referendum held during March 2026 passing, the U-PASS rate will increase from students paying $63 per semester, beginning September 1st, 2026 to the new rate of $71 per semester.

For a list of Student fees, please check your UBC Workday transaction summary for a breakdown.

Kindly note that the U-PASS fee is never included in any Summer-time student fees, and is only available to students who wish to purchase it at paper and supply co. (UNC103) between last week of April and mid-July.

Please see the redemption steps on our website.

If you have any issues with redeeming your benefit code, please send us an email at u-pass@suo.ca, include your name and student id number and we will assist you.

Students’ Union Okanagan (SUO) will send out benefit codes in advance of the upcoming Fall/Winter semester to the email address you have registered with your UBC Workday account.  Please double check which email address you have registered.

If you did not receive one, or do not see the email, please send us an email to u-pass@suo.ca, include your name, student id number, and we will be able to assist you.

For physical UMO cards:

Please have your UMO card ready prior to stepping aboard the bus.  Upon boarding the bus, tap the barcode on the back of your UMO card within two inches of the green Tap Here sticker.  The display on the digital validator will confirm your successful fare payment with a checkmark and audible single beep notification.

For UMO app:

Have your app open to the QR code prior to stepping aboard the bus.  If you have any issues scanning, please check your phone screen brightness setting, or try turning off power saving mode, and try holding the phone back from the validator to display the entire QR code.

A yellow checkmark signals that your fare was accepted but your U-PASS pass is set to expire within the next 72 hours.

Check your email account listed on UBC Workday, to see if you have a new benefit code for the Fall/Winter semester.

Please call UMO customer service toll-free at 1-877-380-8181.

If your card was registered, you can pick up a new UMO card, free of charge from the Students’ Union main office. Please specify that it is a replacement card.

You will need to call the call centre to have your fare products transferred to the new UMO card. Once your products have been loaded to the new UMO card, your original card will be deactivated.

You can request an password reset, by going to: https://ca.umopass.com
You will need to enter in your email address used to initially create your UMO account.

If you have your UMO card, the Students’ Union Okanagan (SUO) office can assist you by scanning your card and sending you a password reset link.

You can also send u-pass@suo.ca an email address along with your name, student id number, and the 16-digit UMO card number on the back.

Periodically, you may need to re-sign into your UMO app account, due to an UMO update.
You may sign in using either an email address or your phone number.

If you are using your email address to sign into the UMO app, please follow the steps below:

1. Open your UMO app, and press the menu icon (three horizontal lines)
2. Press the “View My Account” option
3. Press the Sign Out button in the top left or right corner
4. Wait 10 seconds
5. Press the menu icon (three horizontal lines)
6. Press the “View My Account” option
7. Press the sign in option
8. Press the Using my email address, enter your personal email address
9. Enter verification code (if prompted)
10. Press the Back arrow button (<)
11. Press the Code button at the very bottom, and you should be all set to scan it on the bus

If you are using your phone number to sign into the UMO app, please follow the steps below:

1. Open your UMO app, and press the menu icon (three horizontal lines)
2. Press the “View My Account” option
3. Sign into your account
4. Press the “Using my mobile number” option
5. Enter in your cell phone number, and press the “Send code” button
6. Enter in the SMS code
7. Press then “Verify and Login” button
8. Press the Code button at the very bottom, and you should be all set to scan it on the bus

You should be signed into your UMO account and be able to view your wallet and display your U-PASS.

The app can be found in both Canadian Apple App and Google Play stores by searching “UMO Mobility”.

Please note that you must be connected to a Canadian app store to download the UMO Mobility app that will connect to BC Transit services.

Yes, you need to create an account with a unique username like an email address, or phone number to use the UMO app.

BC Transit recommends using an email address as your username to support account recovery in the event you forget your password.

No. As long as you have a fare product loaded to your UMO account, the bus’s digital validator will accept your fare product if you have cellular data turned off or in an area outside of cellular service.

The mobile app does not need to use data to validate your fare.

UMO payment methods can not be used interchangeably, and you must choose one.

To swap from a UMO card to the UMO App: After funding a UMO card you are able to download the UMO Mobility app and follow the app’s instructions to transfer your card’s balance to the app. Once the transfer has been completed the card will be void and unable to be used again.

To swap from the UMO app to a UMO card: To transfer your app’s loaded fare products to a UMO card, please pick up a UMO card from a BC Transit vendor and call UMO Customer Service at 1-877-380-8181.

Unless using cash, all riders are required to carry their own payment method. This includes individuals riding as a group.

No. Security features designed to prevent fraudulent use prohibit two payment methods to be used interchangeably.

UMO app device transfers are allowed and are intended to help in situations such as a lost, damaged, or replaced device. When moving your UMO app account to a new device, please ensure it is the device you plan to use going forward.

Accounts that exceed the monthly device‑transfer limit will be considered in breach of the UMO Terms and Conditions. If this occurs, the account will be frozen, and access to the account may be permanently removed.

No. Once a UMO card is deactivated, the lost or missing card becomes permanently void and will no longer work.

No. Please only tap your UMO card or scan your UMO app once upon boarding the bus.