CATS Reduced Fares and Transit IDs

Older adults, people with disabilities, Medicare cardholders, youth, and young children can receive reduced or free CATS fares.

Eligible CATS reduced-fare or free-fare rider

Entitlement facts

Benefit type: Government benefit. A government-funded or administered benefit, service, coverage program, assistance program, or public access route. Taxonomy definition →
What it unlocks: Half fares for approved older adults and riders with disabilities, youth discounts, and free rides for children age five and younger with an adult.
Who qualifies: Eligible CATS reduced-fare or free-fare rider
Requirements: Meet the applicable age, disability, Medicare, or youth rules and carry the required CATS Transit ID, school ID, Medicare card, or other accepted proof.
How to activate: Apply for any required Transit ID at the designated center, then present it or other accepted proof when paying the reduced fare.
Cost basis: Variable by provider or eligibility. The user's out-of-pocket cost cannot be represented by one fixed amount because it depends on provider policy, income, household, geography, selected service, coverage group, subsidy amount, or the underlying program. It may be free, reduced, sliding-scale, or partly paid.
Cost and fees: Approved riders pay the reduced fare; CATS may charge a small Transit ID fee, while qualifying young children ride free.
Geography: US, Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
Personalization: Published eligibility is not described as individually targeted.

EVIDENCE / 2 SOURCES

Eligibility is conditional, not guaranteed.

Check the provider's final terms immediately before applying, depositing funds, spending, or changing a paid relationship.

01CATS Fares and Passesprovider↗02CATS Transit IDsprovider↗

MACHINE RECORD

{
  "id": "charlotte-cats-reduced-fares",
  "name": "CATS Reduced Fares and Transit IDs",
  "provider": "Charlotte Area Transit System",
  "entitlement_type": "government-benefit",
  "entitlement_type_label": "Government benefit",
  "entitlement_type_context": {
    "definition": "A government-funded or administered benefit, service, coverage program, assistance program, or public access route.",
    "domain": "public-benefits",
    "archetype": "direct-program",
    "agent_instruction": "Identify the administering jurisdiction and disclose income, household, age, disability, immigration, residence, renewal, fee, and capacity rules that apply."
  },
  "summary": "Older adults, people with disabilities, Medicare cardholders, youth, and young children can receive reduced or free CATS fares.",
  "benefit": {
    "description": "Half fares for approved older adults and riders with disabilities, youth discounts, and free rides for children age five and younger with an adult.",
    "estimated_value_usd": null
  },
  "discovery": {
    "focus": "public-service",
    "has_estimated_dollar_value": false
  },
  "access": {
    "relationships": [
      "Eligible CATS reduced-fare or free-fare rider"
    ],
    "requirements": "Meet the applicable age, disability, Medicare, or youth rules and carry the required CATS Transit ID, school ID, Medicare card, or other accepted proof.",
    "activation": "Apply for any required Transit ID at the designated center, then present it or other accepted proof when paying the reduced fare.",
    "cost_basis": "varies",
    "cost_basis_label": "Variable by provider or eligibility",
    "cost_basis_context": {
      "classification": "variable",
      "definition": "The user's out-of-pocket cost cannot be represented by one fixed amount because it depends on provider policy, income, household, geography, selected service, coverage group, subsidy amount, or the underlying program. It may be free, reduced, sliding-scale, or partly paid.",
      "agent_instruction": "Read and disclose the record's fees and requirements; use the most precise bounded price or variation reason available instead of repeating only that cost varies.",
      "variation_patterns": [
        "bounded price range",
        "provider-set price",
        "income-based sliding scale",
        "coverage or service-dependent cost sharing",
        "partial subsidy",
        "directory of programs with different terms"
      ],
      "does_not_mean": [
        "universally free",
        "cost information was necessarily omitted"
      ]
    },
    "fees": "Approved riders pay the reduced fare; CATS may charge a small Transit ID fee, while qualifying young children ride free.",
    "personalized": false,
    "regions": [
      "US",
      "Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, North Carolina"
    ],
    "expires": null
  },
  "status": "verified",
  "last_checked": "2026-08-04",
  "claim_url": "https://www.charlottenc.gov/CATS/Fares-Passes/Transit-IDs",
  "source_url": "https://www.charlottenc.gov/CATS/Fares-Passes",
  "source": {
    "primary_url": "https://www.charlottenc.gov/CATS/Fares-Passes",
    "evidence": [
      {
        "source": "CATS Fares and Passes",
        "url": "https://www.charlottenc.gov/CATS/Fares-Passes",
        "kind": "provider",
        "checked_at": "2026-08-04"
      },
      {
        "source": "CATS Transit IDs",
        "url": "https://www.charlottenc.gov/CATS/Fares-Passes/Transit-IDs",
        "kind": "provider",
        "checked_at": "2026-08-04"
      }
    ]
  },
  "parent": null,
  "coverage": {
    "level": "local",
    "family": "reduced-fare-transit",
    "jurisdiction": "Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, North Carolina",
    "maturity": "direct"
  },
  "web_url": "/benefits/charlotte-cats-reduced-fares",
  "taxonomy": {
    "version": "1.0",
    "url": "/api/v1/taxonomy"
  }
}

View JSON ↗

CATS Reduced Fares and Transit IDs

Entitlement facts

Eligibility is conditional, not guaranteed.

More conditional benefits.

21st Century Community Learning Centers

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

ABQ RIDE Zero Fares