Transportation Benefit Plans

A Transportation Benefit Plan is an employee benefit plan offered by your employer that allows you to save up to 40% on transit and parking costs. These are costs incurred so you can commute to and from work or for parking while you are at work.

Discovery offers WiredCommute, an online service offering thousands of transit authorities and parking establishments. Access is provided through the Discovery Benefits login page.

Using pre-tax dollars, you are able to pay for eligible transportation expenses you incur for travel to and from work and for parking costs while you are at work. Paying with pre-tax dollars allows you to save on transit passes, tokens, fare cards, vouchers, etc., when riding on mass transit, or when riding with someone in the business of transporting people for hire (it must be in a vehicle that seats six or more adults, excluding the driver).

The IRS sets a maximum monthly amount for the pre-tax payments made for qualified transit and parking expenses. This amount is updated annually by the IRS. You save both federal income tax and FICA (Social Security and Medicare) taxes by participating in the Plan.

Transit Expenses

Transit passes are paid directly to your transit authority based on the order you place through WiredCommute. Transit amounts up to the monthly maximum set by the IRS are automatically deducted from your paycheck pre-tax each month. Amounts above the allowed monthly maximum are deducted from your paycheck on an after-tax basis.

You can set up your purchase as a one-time event or as a recurring event. If you elect a recurring event, your order carries over every month automatically until you change it, cancel it or become ineligible.

Parking Expenses

Parking passes may be purchased through WiredCommute and paid directly to your parking vendor. Or, you can elect the cash reimbursement option for parking. When selecting the "parking cash reimbursement" option, you will purchase your parking pass out-of-pocket and be reimbursed via check from Discovery Benefits.

Can't Find Your Transit or Parking Vendor?

If you do not find your transit authority or parking garage in WiredCommute, you will be able to request WiredCommute to add your vendor. WiredCommute will email you within five to ten business days when the transit authority or parking garage has been posted and available on the site. At that time you will be able to log into WiredCommute and select the newly added transit authority or parking garage.

Commuter and Parking Check MasterCard for Transit and Parking

Discovery offers both a Commuter Check and Parking Check MasterCard option through WiredCommute. These are personalized and re-loadable check cards for both Mass Transit and Parking. The Commuter Check MasterCard adds flexibility to your commuting needs and is ideal in markets where voucher acceptance is limited. You can add funds to your account through your payroll deduction, as well as view your balance and transaction history. The Commuter and Parking Check cards can be used to purchase passes for public transportation and parking just like cash.

We also offer the ChicagoCard Plus through WiredCommute for those who live and commute in Chicago.

Bicycling Expenses

If offered by your employer as an option in your plan, you may receive up to a set monthly maximum for bicycling expenses incurred for commuting to and from work. This account is 100% funded by your employer. If you receive reimbursement for transit and/or parking during a month, you are not eligible to receive reimbursement for bicycling expenses in that month.

Commuter Check for Bicycling available through WiredCommute is the most convenient solution available to take advantage of the monthly bicycle benefit. Vouchers are valid for 13 months and can be saved up to use as payment toward a new bicycle or for ongoing maintenance and/or storage fees.

If available as part of your plan, simply log into WiredCommute and select the bicycle benefit option. You will be asked to enter an amount in $10 increments up to the maximum allowed by the IRS. Discovery Benefits will issue a check payable to the vendor and mailed to the participant's mailing address.

Email Notifications

When purchasing through WiredCommute, you'll receive an email reminder notice about your recurring order that is sent ten days before the last order date. You will also receive an email when the pass is mailed.