Jaé and Riocard: how to pay for transit in Rio

Rio has two transit payment systems side by side. Jaé is the city government's (Prefeitura) system and Riocard Mais is the state system. Knowing which one works on each mode keeps you from getting stuck at the turnstile, especially now that city buses no longer accept cash on board. This guide sums up what to use in each case.

A hand holding a phone to a contactless validator on a bus

At a glance

City buses, BRT and VLT: pay with Jaé (card or QR code in the app). The fare is R$ 5.00.
Metro: accepts Jaé, Riocard Mais and contactless credit or debit cards. A ride costs R$ 7.90.
Trains, ferries and intercity buses: these belong to the state system and work with Riocard Mais.
Cash: not accepted on board city buses. You can still use it to buy or top up a Jaé card at machines and sales points.
Discounted transfers: only with a registered Jaé card or the app. If you pay with a bank card, each ride is charged separately.

What Jaé is and where it works

Jaé is the city's digital ticketing system ↗. Since August 2025 it has been the only payment method on the municipal network: buses, BRT, VLT and licensed vans, according to Diário do Transporte ↗. You can use it in several ways:

Jaé app: create an account, add credit and pay with a QR code at the validator. According to Jaé, your phone doesn't need NFC. If you don't have a CPF (Brazilian taxpayer number), check the Jaé help center ↗ to see whether you can sign up.
Green single-use card: in May 2026 the Prefeitura ↗ said it is sold at newsstands for R$ 10: R$ 5 for the card and R$ 5 for one ride. Afterwards you can top it up or ask for a refund of the balance.
Black registered card: it is linked to the user's CPF and is the one that gives access to transfers.

On the VLT Carioca ↗, you buy and top up the Jaé card at the stop machines, except at Praia Formosa. Cards aren't sold on board. More details in how to ride the VLT.

Paying with a bank card or Pix

In 2026 the Prefeitura gradually added Pix and contactless debit and credit cards to Jaé validators. In September, a resolution from the Municipal Transportation Department required the Jaé operator to accept cards at the validator. What to know:

Debit: no extra charge.
Credit: the rule allows an extra charge of up to R$ 0.30 per ride.
No transfers: each bank card payment is a single ride.

Since the rollout happened in stages, don't assume every vehicle will accept your foreign card. Keep the app or a Jaé card with credit as a backup. Pix requires an account at a Brazilian bank; we explain it in Pix, cards and cash.

Riocard Mais: metro, trains and ferries

Riocard Mais is the state system's card: trains, ferries, intercity buses and transfers with the metro. According to Barcas Rio ↗, on the ferry to Niterói you can pay with the QR code in the Riocard Mais app. If you only plan a couple of ferry or train rides, check each operator's website for other payment options that day.

The metro, the most flexible option

According to MetrôRio ↗, the fare on lines 1, 2 and 4 is R$ 7.90. You can pay in several ways:

a contactless Visa, Mastercard or Elo credit or debit card, or an NFC phone or watch;
Jaé, including by QR code;
Riocard Mais;
the metro's own card, Giro;
a single-ride QR ticket.

Some combinations have an integrated fare, such as metro + BRT for R$ 9.70 with Jaé, or metro + ferry for R$ 9.40 with Riocard. Integrated fares only apply with those cards, not with a bank card. Full details in how to use the metro.

Which one suits your trip

A few days, mostly by metro: a contactless bank card is enough for the metro. For buses or the VLT, add the Jaé app or a Jaé card with credit.
Lots of bus and BRT rides: a registered Jaé card or the app gives you transfers. The Bilhete Único Carioca allows up to three rides in three hours for R$ 5 if one of them is on the BRT, according to the Prefeitura.
Ferry or train day trips: add Riocard Mais or check the payment method with the operator.

To plan your routes, see also getting around Rio and how to ride city buses.