Samuel Merritt College is pleased to offer employees the Commuter Check Direct Transportation Plan. This Plan will allow all Faculty and Staff to save money on transit tickets, passes, tokens, vanpool fares, and transit-related parking.

Commuter Check Direct provides convenient at-home delivery of Commuter Checks and easy on-line enrollment and administration. You control many aspects of the program, so you will need to take an active role in managing your benefit. This document will help you do that. Please take a moment to read it thoroughly.

What Are Commuter Checks?

Commuter Checks are vouchers that are redeemed for transit passes, tickets or tokens, transit-related parking, and to pay for vanpool fares. Please note that Commuter Checks cannot be used directly to pay fares, instead they are used in advance of actual travel to buy monthly passes, ticket books, and tokens.

How Does the Plan Work?

Using the Commuter Check Direct website (see the document "Instructions for Enrolling in Commuter Check Direct"), you will elect how much of your pretax salary you wish to dedicate to the benefit. Your election will be sent to payroll and will be deducted pretax from your paycheck once a month.

You can elect on a pretax basis any whole dollar amount up to $105 per month for transit. On or about the 23rd of the month prior to the period of service, Commuter Check Direct will send you vouchers at the address you specify, and in the amount you select for your transit expenses. Once you receive your vouchers in the mail, take them to your regular transit fare vendor.

How Much Will I Save?

As an example, a single employee making $30,000 a year, claiming no allowances and electing $105 a month might save $40 a month in taxes. That is $480 a year! Please note that individual tax savings vary depending on your annual salary, tax withholding, other deductions, and how much you elect to deduct for commuting costs.

How Do I Enroll?

Enrolling is easy! If you would like to participate, you must enroll in the program by the 5th day of the month that immediately precedes the period of service. You will then receive your first order of Commuter Checks (or transit passes, where applicable) by the beginning of that period. You have several options for enrolling. Use the online enrollment system if possible.

Remember: your order must be received by the 5th of the month in order to be processed and delivered by the subsequent service period.

You can visit http://www.commutercheckdirect.com [1] at any time to check or update your account, or change your deduction. You are welcome to do this as often as you like, however, only the last election, made prior to the cut-off date of the 5th of the month, will be deducted from your salary. Remember, changes you make prior to the 5th will apply to the Commuter Check order you will receive in the last week of the same month. Elections made after the 5th of the month will apply to your order for the following service period.

Rules that govern your participation in the Commuter Check Direct program

• You cannot receive cash back for the difference when redeeming Commuter Checks.
• No retroactive changes may be made.
• Your payment will be deducted from your paycheck in the month prior to service. For example, the May 2005 payroll deduction will allow you to get Commuter Checks for June 2005. Your Commuter Checks will be mailed in time for you to purchase transit passes at the beginning of each service period.
• Commuter Checks are good for thirteen months and will not be refunded, replaced, or exchanged when lost, stolen, damaged or expired. Treat them like cash!

What If I Have More Questions?

For questions about Commuter Check Direct, please call 800.559.7909. You can also contact Steve Rossen at 510-704-0856 Steve@commutercheckdirect.com [2] or Stuart Baker at 510.704.0859 Sbaker@commutercheckdirect.com [3] if you would like to speak with someone immediately.