How does the commuter benefit work?
There are two ways to pay for your commute through Alice. You can connect your own card, or you can use Alice Card. Either way, the goal is the same: keep more of what you make by paying for eligible parking and transit with pretax dollars.
Option 1: Connect your own card
Pay for transit and parking the way you always have. Alice reads your transaction history through your authorized bank connection and identifies eligible commute purchases. When a purchase looks eligible, you'll receive a message from Alice asking you to confirm whether it was for your commute. Confirmed purchases inform your per-paycheck election, which appears on your next paycheck as a pretax deduction and a matching netted-paycheck reimbursement.
Option 2: Use Alice Card
Alice Card is a Visa commercial credit card you can add to Apple Pay or Google Pay and tap to ride or park. There's no pre-funding. When you swipe, Alice covers the expense, and your next paycheck includes a pretax deduction for the amount you spent. You don't have to commit to a set dollar amount each pay period.
How payday works
On payday, you'll receive a message from Alice summarizing what ran on your paycheck and an estimate of your savings on taxes for that pay period.
Why didn't my recent spending adjust my benefit election?
Sometimes a transaction arrives after your employer's payroll deadline. When that happens, the spending history still informs your benefit elections on upcoming paychecks.
My pay stub doesn't clearly show how much I saved
Pay stubs are formatted by your payroll provider, not by Alice. If you used a connected personal card, you'll usually see two lines:
- A pretax deduction for your benefit amount.
- A post-tax addition (sometimes labeled "reimbursement" or "earnings") for the same amount.
The two lines often match. That means the amount is held aside before taxes are calculated, then returned to your after-tax take-home pay, protecting that amount from payroll and income taxes.
What if I paid with Alice Card? I only see a deduction
When you pay with Alice Card, no reimbursement is needed because Alice already covered the expense at swipe. You'll see a single pretax deduction on the matching paycheck.
Need help?
Email support@thisisalice.com or call/message 888-431-4355.
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Savings shown or implied — including any reference to "cash back" or take-home pay — are illustrative. Actual savings depend on your tax rate, benefit elections, and eligible spending each pay period. "Cash back" in Alice's materials refers to the federal, state, and FICA payroll taxes you don't pay on eligible commuter spending. It is income tax you keep, not a cash payment from Alice, your employer, or any third party. Alice does not provide cash back, rebates, or any direct financial benefit in connection with the Program. Alice does not provide tax, legal, or financial advice. Consult your own tax preparer, lawyer, or financial advisor for guidance specific to your situation.
Pretax Hero Visa Commercial Card is powered by Stripe and Alice Card is issued by Celtic Bank. Program funds held at Fifth Third Bank, N.A. (Member FDIC). Use of card and program is subject to the cardholder terms and related agreements presented at issuance.