Media Distribution
Activation and Registration
Loading Value, Activation and Registration Beyond Initial Distribution
Breeze Financial Transactions
Media Distribution
Q: 1. How will the distribution of the fare media differ once the Breeze Card is fully implemented?
A: Instead of distributing the Breeze Card on a monthly basis, after the initial distribution of the employees’ Breeze Card our Pass Partners will only obtain new Breeze Cards on an as-requested basis.
Q: 2. How long is the estimated use of a Breeze Ticket?
A: The Breeze Ticket has been encoded for an expiration of 90 days, whereas the Breeze Card is good for approximately four (4) years. Currently, program participants are using a calendar month Breeze Ticket issued each month from the employer program administrator.
Q: 3. What are the variations of value that can be loaded on a Breeze Card?
A: All current fare structure that is available today can be replicated on the Breeze Card. Partners will be able to load weekly and monthly fare value onto the card. The Breeze Card will be free of charge initially. Cards ordered after that will incur a $2.00 cost for each card.
Q: 4. How does this affect pre-tax benefits for purchase of the monthly card (i.e., discounted to the rider/employer)
A: Pre-tax benefits offered to corporate partners and their employees are still valid. To support the tax requirement, MARTA offers our Pass Partners a calendar month pass.
Activation and Registration
Q: 5. What are the different ways to activate a Breeze Card?
A: A Breeze Card will be “active” when provided to the Pass Partner, meaning it will be encoded to work on the MARTA system. However, the Breeze Cards will have no value loaded on it at the time of distribution. The Transportation Management Association (TMA) or company program administrator will authorize the transit benefits to be designated or loaded onto each Breeze Card. Once the employee taps their Breeze Card at a rail station faregate or bus fareboxes, the card is “activated.”
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The administrator has the option to load the individual employee transit benefits onto the issued Breeze Card through a web-based interface or by using the auto-load feature, or via the file transfer process. The initial load will be performed with the submission of an Excel Spreadsheet with the benefit/pass details defined.
Q: 6. How would companies activate a batch of Breeze Cards?
A: The administrator loads the benefits for each card via the Breeze Web Interface. The administrator will already have distributed the initial Breeze Cards to their members or employees to be activated upon their initial use at a rail station faregate or bus fare box.
Q: 7. How would an individual activate a Breeze Card?
A: The only way for a new Breeze Card to be activated by an individual employee is to tap the card on one of the rail station faregates or on a bus farebox.
Q: 8. Is it possible for a company to partially load a value on a Breeze Card and require the employee to pay a pro-rated share at the BVM at first use?
A: No, the partner is billed for all fees and collects any partial payments from the employees.
Q: 9. Can Breeze Cards be activated without access to a computer?
A: The only way for a new Breeze Card to be activated by an individual employee is to tap the card on one of the rail station faregates or on a bus farebox. However, an individual can add additional value to their Breeze Card at a BVM, bus farebox and MARTA RideStores. However, to load through the Partner Program, the information must be submitted via the Partner Web Interface (through the internet) or via a data file. The Partner Program Administrator can also call the Customer Call Center for assistance.
Q: 10. What information does a company need to provide to activate a card?
A: MARTA needs to know the serial number of the Breeze Card, a unique ID, and the transit benefit to load to the card. For ease of use, a company can also provide the person’s name, phone number, and email so they can then use those to search for a card. This card is considered registered with the company.
Q: 11. When will employees in the program begin using their Breeze Card?
A: Program participants will receive their Breeze Cards soon. Until that time administrators will receive monthly Breeze Tickets to provide to program participants.
Loading Value, Activation and Registration Beyond Initial Distribution
Q: 12. How will value be auto-loaded to a Breeze Card?
A: For Pass Partners, value can be auto-loaded onto your members’ Breeze Cards when the initial account is established. Eventually, an individual not participating in one of MARTA's Pass Partners Programs, value can be auto-loaded by setting up an account via the web based interface or via the telephone in the customer care call center.
Q: 13. How will the Breeze electronic system know which cards to auto-load?
A: Each Breeze Card will have a serial number associated with it. The company administrator identifies the serial numbers to be reloaded. When a company distributes the cards to the employee, the name or ID is captured for that person. When the Administrator logs into the system, they have the ability to select auto-load for that Breeze Card, and to define the details for that auto-load.
Q: 14. How will the Breeze system account for and provide auto-load for changes in employment or choice–new employees, terminated employees, employees who opt out?
A: The Administrator will have the ability to enter new employees into the system and associate a new card to that person. Employees who opt not to participate will not be set up in the system. For terminated employees, the Administrator will not load value to a card. The technical removal from the Partner list is still in progress.
Q: 15. How will cards be cleared of value following departure or termination of employees?
A: The TMA or company administrator will be able to terminate the employees association via the Partner Web interface (via BreezeCard.com). Although the employee will still be able to load money on the Breeze Card, using their own funds, for continued use of MARTA, they will no longer receive the benefits of having the company administer the Breeze Cards and load value. MARTA cannot remove existing benefits already loaded; however, the Partner can choose not to add additional value and passes.
Q: 16. How will weekly or single trips be loaded onto a Breeze Card? Some riders only purchase 20 ride token rolls or weekly passes.
A: The company administrator will be able to load a weekly, monthly or single, 10 or 20- trip(s) pass onto the Breeze Card through the sale distribution team. Breeze Tickets will also be available for round trips.
Breeze Financial Transactions
Q: 17. What are the options to load cash value to a smart card?
A: The customer can load cash value to the Breeze Card via the BVM, bus fareboxes, the Internet and the MARTA RideStores. Eventually the Customer Call Center and web site will be able to load value also.
Q: 18. Are payments to be received by MARTA prior to activating a Smart Card?
A: MARTA will continue to invoice Pass Partners in the same manner as today.
Q: 19. What happens to Breeze cards that are distributed to a company but not all in use by employees?
A: The additional Breeze Cards can be stored and activated for new employee participants or use to replace a lost or stolen Breeze Card. The Breeze Cards that are distributed to Pass Partners will not have any value loaded to them, so there will not be a requirement to return them at the end of the month.
Q: 20. For example an employee is hired, and included in the hire benefits is a company subsidized breeze card. The company loads on the card one month of travel and pays $30 of the $50 monthly fee. The new employee leaves the company after 1 week. Questions: How does the employee load the remaining $20 on the card? How will the card be deactivated or cleared of value? How will the company be reimbursed for the remaining 3 weeks of time that is unused on the card?
A: The Breeze Card will be loaded for the calendar month. If the employee leaves after a week the administrator can terminate the benefit for the next calendar month and remove the Breeze Card from the Pass Partner profile; however, the employee will still be able to use the Breeze Card for the remaining 3 weeks. The company may choose to create a policy for reimbursement, etc.
Q: 21. What is the Partner Web Interface and will it allow program administrators to reconcile their books- dollars received; cards distributed, activated, loaded; and cards distributed but not activated?
A: The Web interface is a web-based application that will allow program administrators to access their MARTA account information (via www.BreezeCard.com). Administrators may view reports that show pass products loaded onto each individual Breeze Card within the Partner Program each month. These reports can help Partners reconcile their books.
Q: 22. Will the Breeze partner web interface be compatible with program administrators’ existing software Excel, used in preparing reports and reconciling transactions?
A: Yes. MARTA will receive the initial information from a Pass Partner via an Excel spreadsheet during initial account setup. MARTA is also defining a file transfer process that will allow subsequent transmissions in XML format to ensure data integrity, but does not have plans to build a software interface based on Excel. If additional reports are needed, the Administrator can notify MARTA, and the Technology will support those efforts to the extent possible.
Q: 23. Will the Breeze partner web interface permit development of reporting to assist all administrators with reconciliation reporting, and other business reports specific to their needs?
A: MARTA will provide reports on transactions. The report breakdown will depend upon how the Administrator sets its member companies up in their system. If additional reports are needed, the Administrator can contact MARTA and the Technology Department will support those efforts to the extent possible.
Q: 24. Who is my point of contact for additional questions on Breeze and how it will work for my company?
A: If you are an employee of a company that is a member of the Employer Partnership Program contact your company program administrator (the person that distributes your passes). For company program administrators contact your MARTA program representative directly or call (404) 848-5057. You may also email partner@itsmarta.com. Thank you for your support of the program and your patience as we transition to Breeze.
