Common Questions
General
New and replacement HOLO cards cost $2. If you have a Senior or Disability HOLO Card, you get the first new card for free. There is also a $3 minimum when loading or reloading a card.
You can still use cash to buy a one-way ride onboard TheBus. You can also reload your HOLO card using cash at any of the retail locations listed on our website, the Transit Pass Office at Kalihi Transit Center, and at HOLO vending machines located at Skyline stations.
You can still use cash onboard TheBus and Handi-Van, but you will need a HOLO card to ride Skyline. Your HOLO card also lets you save money by earning a day pass as you ride and never paying more than you have to.
Yes. Your personal data and bank information is in a secure database and not on the card itself. The HOLO database does not store credit card numbers, only tokens and the last four digits of the credit or debit card number for your reference.
If you choose to register your HOLO card, we ask for your first and last name and your email address. We use your anonymous travel data (viewed in aggregate with other riders’ trips) to look at broad ridership trends and help us improve our service. With your permission, we use your transaction data to help you when you contact us with a question about your account.
Getting a HOLO Card
Adult HOLO cards are available at local participating retail stores and all Skyline stations.
You can also get an Adult HOLO card by logging into your HOLOcard.net account and going to the Order Cards page. Your order will be mailed to you; delivery may take up to 10 business days. If your card includes a month pass and was ordered after the 19th, your pass will be valid for the following month.
Senior, Youth, Disabled, and Medicare cards are available at the Transit Pass Office. Satellite City Halls can also issue Senior, Youth and Adult cards. View retail store and Satellite City Hall locations.
New and replacement HOLO cards cost $2. If you have a Senior or Disability HOLO Card, you get the first new card for free.
Please visit participating retailers to purchase an Adult HOLO Card. For Seniors (over 65), youth (aged 6-18), qualifying disabled and Medicare users, please visit the Transit Pass Office at Kalihi Transit Center with valid ID (and valid documents for Medicare and disabled) to get a card. You can also get a Senior, Youth, or Adult HOLO Card at Satellite City Halls.
Loading Your HOLO Card
Yes, you can set up autoload by logging in to your HOLO account and turning on autoload.
To activate autoload for a month pass, simply add the pass to your HOLO card using a credit card and select the auto renew option. New month passes will automatically load onto your card 3 days before the end of the current month. So, if you need to pause or cancel, be sure to do so before autoload occurs.
For stored value, you can set up autoload to add money to your HOLO card whenever your balance is low. First, decide what low dollar amount should trigger autoload. Then decide the amount of money you want to autoload.
No, you cannot add another month or annual pass onto your card for later use.
A month pass is only valid for the calendar month it is purchased in (unless it is purchased 8 days before the end of the month for use next month).
An annual pass is only valid for 12 months from the date of purchase. If you purchase another annual pass before your current one expires, the system will deactivate your current pass and give you a new one, causing you to lose money. To avoid this, be sure to check your online account to see when your annual pass expires. If you're unsure, call the HOLO Helpline to verify.
No. Everyone age 6 and up in your group or family needs their own HOLO card to pay a fare. However, you can easily manage multiple cards and their funds through one HOLO account at HOLOcard.net.
Not yet, but we hope to bring this option to you in the future. You can load value to your HOLO card with your phone by accessing your account at HOLOcard.net.
There are five ways to load money on your HOLO card:
- At HOLOcard.net
- By calling 1-808-768-HOLO (4656)
- At most of the stores in our retail network (most stores only accept cash)
- At the Transit Pass Office at Kalihi Transit Center
- At HOLO vending machines located at Skyline stations
You can load a pass onto your card at many participating retailers, the Transit Pass Office at Kalihi Transit Center, and Skyline stations. You can also log into your HOLOcard.net account and set up autoload, which automatically loads a pass or stored value onto your HOLO card. For month passes, autoload occurs 1-3 days before the 1st of the month.
There is a $3 minimum when loading money on your HOLO card.
Yes! When you register your card online, you can activate autoload, which puts money on your HOLO card whenever your balance is low. You can set the low dollar amount that triggers a reload, as well as the amount that is reloaded.
Using Your HOLO Card
Your HOLO card has a chip in it that allows a specific radio frequency to read it at a card reader. The card reader then sends a signal to a back office to confirm the card has a valid account associated with it. The account holds either a pass or value that you can use to ride transit. Every time you tap your card a signal is sent to the HOLO card back office to confirm that your account is good to go.
When entering:
- Always tap your HOLO card at the card reader when entering TheBus or going through the fare gates at a Skyline station – your tap is proof of payment.
- Wait to see the shaka sign or listen for the ukulele tone. This will indicate your fare is paid.
- If you accidentally tap twice, don't worry: Your card cannot be charged twice at the same card reader withing a two-minute timeframe. This ensures you are not double charged and can only pay for one fare with one card. The card reader will say "Payment already received," which means your card has already been read and you can enter.
When exiting:
- If you're getting off a bus, you do NOT have to tap your card.
- If you're leaving a Skyline station, you DO have to tap your card to get through the fare gates
Please tap your HOLO card at the reader. If you have more than one chip card in your wallet or on a lanyard, the reader will look for the first chip it “sees”. This means it will potentially not read your HOLO card if it’s in your wallet.
No, you don’t need the HOLO website to use HOLO. You can also reload your HOLO card at most participating retailers, the Transit Pass Office at Kalihi Transit Center, Skyline stations, and by calling 808-768-HOLO Monday to Friday from 7:30 am to 4:00 pm.
Earning Passes As You Go
Stored value is the money you load on your HOLO Card so you can pay for your fares on TheBus or Skyline.
Your HOLO card will also store any valid passes that you've purchased.
When you tap your HOLO card on a HOLO card reader, we'll first check your account to see if you have a valid pass. If you don't have a valid pass, we'll check to see if you have enough stored value to pay for your ride.
If you don’t have the money to purchase a pass up-front or don’t know how often you will ride, fare capping is the best option for you. Simply ride, and the money you spend on fare will go toward earning a day or month pass. Once you spend the amount needed to earn the pass, you'll get to ride for free for the rest of the day or month.
With fare capping, you don't need to guess the amount of trips you'll make in a given period of time. This saves you money on passes you may not need while ensuring you always get a pass if you're riding frequently.
All you have to do is ride. Every time you pay for your fare, your money goes toward a pass.
You'll earn a day pass after paying for 2.5 rides in one day. The validity period for the day pass is from 3 AM on the first day until 2:59 AM on the second. For more information, view How to Earn a Day Pass.
You can earn a month pass from the first to the end of the month. For example, if an adult rider uses $7.50 of fare on their HOLO Card each day, by the 11th day they will have spent $80 (the cost of an Adult monthly pass). Now they will ride for free for the rest of the month. For more information, view How to Earn a Month Pass.
An annual pass cannot be earned with fare capping. However, you can buy an annual pass upfront from a participating HOLO retailer, which is valid for 12 months from the date of purchase.
No, you don't have to register your card to earn a day or month pass. The money you spend on rides will still go toward a pass.
But if your card is lost or stolen, all your ride history will be lost, too. You'll have to start earning a new pass and any stored value on your old card will be gone.
Avoid these issues by creating an account and registering your card.
Managing Your HOLO Card
If you have a Disability or Youth HOLO Card, your card will revert to an Adult HOLO Card when your eligibility expires. If you believe you still qualify for these reduced fare programs, please go to the Transit Pass Office to renew your eligibility.
There are five ways to add money on your HOLO card:
- At HOLOcard.net
- By calling 1-808-768-HOLO (4656)
- At most of the stores in our retail network (most stores only accept cash)
- At the Transit Pass Office at Kalihi Transit Center
- At HOLO vending machines located at Skyline stations
- You can load a pass onto your card at many participating retailers, the Transit Pass Office at Kalihi Transit Center, and Skyline stations. You can also log into your HOLOcard.net account and set up autoload, which automatically loads a pass or stored value onto your HOLO card. For month passes, autoload occurs 1-3 days before the 1st of the month.
Yes, you can buy a month pass to add onto your HOLO card at participating retailers, the Transit Pass Office at Kalihi Transit Center, HOLO vending machines at Skyline stations or online at HOLOcard.net.
If you need a pass for the current month, you must purchase it from the 1st to the 19th of the month. If you need a pass for the next month, you must purchase it on or after the 20th of the current month. For example, if you purchase a month pass on June 15th, the pass will be valid for the rest of June. But if you purchase a month pass on June 20th, the pass will be valid for all of July.
When you log in to your HOLO account, any HOLO card with a low balance will have warning message beside it. When you're taking TheBus or Skyline, you’ll see a yellow warning after tapping your card on the card reader.
The physical cards do not expire and should last a minimum of 5 years, provided you do not punch a hole in them or damage them.
Yes! This ensures that your money is protected in case your card is lost or stolen. Simply create an account and register your card using the number on the back.
Registering your card lets you:
- Protect your card against loss or theft. You can transfer the following from your old card to a new card:
- Stored value (login to your account to transfer)
- A pass (call the HOLO Helpline at 808-768-4656 to transfer)
- Ride history, which is used to earn passes through fare capping (call the HOLO Helpline at 808-768-4656 to transfer)
- Reload and purchase passes online.
- Set-up autoload for monthly passes or stored value.
- Easily manage multiple cards for your family or group.
No, you don’t need a bank account to use HOLO. You can buy and reload cards using cash at most participating retailers, the TheBus Customer Service Center, and at HOLO vending machines at Skyline stations.
You can check your HOLO card balance by logging into your account at HOLOcard.net, or by phone at 1-808-768-HOLO (4656).
Yes! You can transfer funds between cards within your account or just give us a call at 1-808-768-HOLO (4656).
Your balance stays on your HOLO account, but it will be locked so nobody can use it. You can log in to your account and select “Unlock Card” to continue using it. If you get a new card, call us at 1-808-768-4656 (HOLO) and we’ll transfer the balance to your new card.
You can unblock your card by calling the HOLO Call Center at 808-768-4656 (HOLO). If your card is blocked because of insufficient value, you can add value at HOLOcard.net or at a local retailer.
Finding Your Fare
To determine your fare for riding, Oahu's public transit, visit TheBus.org. Fares are the same for both TheBus and Skyline.
The current programs for senior, disability, TheHandi-Van, U.S. Medicare and bus pass subsidy programs are still in place for individuals who qualify for the programs. To determine your fare, please visit TheBus.org.
No, you will only pay up to the amount of the pass. For instance, if an adult rider uses $75 of fare on their HOLO Card in a month, their next ride will only cost $5 to reach the Adult month pass price of $80. Once they reach $80, they ride the rest of the month for free.
Visiting Oahu
Aloha! No matter how long you're staying, a HOLO Card can help you get around Oahu. We would suggest getting an Adult HOLO Card at an ABC Store in Waikiki. These cards are pre-loaded with a day pass to make it easy for you to try out TheBus or Skyline. After you use your day pass, you can reload your Adult HOLO Card online or at other participating retailers. (Please note that ABC Stores exclusively sell the Adult HOLO Card with a day pass and do not reload cards.)
Providing Employees with HOLO
Yes, please visit the For Employers page to find out about employer transit benefits and how to sign up for the program.
Getting Help with HOLO
If you’d like to get in-person assistance, you can stop by one of our offices:
Transit Pass Office, Kalihi Transit Center, 601 Middle Street, Honolulu, HI is open weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Our HOLO Helpline is available by phone at 1-808-768-HOLO(4656) from 7:30 am to 4 pm Monday to Friday.
If you have a registered Adult HOLO card and it’s ever lost or stolen, login to your account and select "Replace Card," or give us a call at 1-808-768-HOLO(4656). Then you can order a new Adult HOLO card for $2 or select another one of your HOLO cards to replace it. The lost/stolen HOLO card will be deactivated and your balance will be transferred to a new card.
If you have a Senior, Youth, or other reduced fare HOLO card, visit the Transit Pass Office to get a replacement card. New cards cost $2.
If your card is registered, we can transfer your money or pass to a replacement HOLO card:
Pick up a card at a participating retailer or the Transit Pass Office at Kalihi Transit Center
Give us a call at 1-808-768-HOLO (4656) or go to HOLOcard.net to transfer your funds
Call the HOLO Helpline at 808-768-4656 to transfer any ride history to a new card.
IMPORTANT: You can only transfer ride history, which is used to earn passes through fare capping, if you have registered your card to your HOLOcard.net account.
Cards are blocked by the system if the card was used with insufficient funds. In this case, the card is considered to have gone "negative." When the card has gone "negative" a user has to load to the card to cover the negative amount and add sufficient funds to ride again.
When a card is blocked, it goes on a "hotlist." This means when it's tapped at a card reader a negative sound is made and a customer does not have the ability to pay for their ride with their HOLO card.
You can lock or unlock your card by logging into your account or by calling the HOLO Helpline at 808-768-4656 (HOLO). This protects your card from loss/theft or if you notice unusual activity on your card.
When a card is locked, it goes on a "hotlist." This means when it's tapped at a card reader a negative sound is made and a customer does not have the ability to pay for their ride with their HOLO card.
Resources
Learn About Fare Capping
Video Tutorials
Contact Information
HOLO Card Office
625 Middle Street
Honolulu, HI 96819
Contact Us
Please fill out this form to contact customer service or call (808) 768-4656.