Traffic delays. Construction. Bad weather. All potential hurdles to your daily commute. And all beyond your control. What you can control is how much you spend on your trips to and from the office. The commuter benefit program lets you use tax-free money to pay for qualified commuting costs. That means more money in your wallet for the important things, like your morning cup of joe.
Note: This page reflects 2024 limits. For 2025 details, check out What’s changing for 2025.
How it works
If you’re an office-based or hybrid employee, go to the Edenred site (use company code 1121) to set up your account and select how much you want to set aside from your paychecks for your monthly commuting expenses. Note that home-based employees are not eligible to participate in the program.
In 2024, the monthly contribution max is $315 for transit, vanpooling, or commuter parking, and $630 for combined parking and transit.
If you make an election or change by the 6th of the month, the deduction will come from the second paycheck of that month, and the benefit will be available the following month. If you make an election or change after the 6th of the month, the deduction will come from the second paycheck of the following month, and the benefit will be available the month after that. Here are a couple of examples:
- Elect your contribution March 5: It comes out of your second March paycheck, and you can use it in April.
- Elect your contribution March 7: It comes out of your second April paycheck, and you can use it in May.
Pro tip: Be sure to monitor your account and avoid carrying a high balance. If you leave Autodesk or become ineligible for the commuter benefit program, the unused funds in your account will be forfeited, per IRS rules.
Learn more by reviewing the Commuter Benefits Overview.
Eligible expenses
Use the commuter benefit to pay for these expenses:
- Bus, ferry, train, and trolley tickets and passes
- Parking expenses (meters, garages, and lots)
- Vanpool fees (e.g., UberPool, Via, and Lyft Shared)
These expenses are not eligible: tolls, taxis, gas or fuel, mileage, business trip costs, airport parking fees, commuting or parking expenses not related to your commute to and from work.
Enjoy greater flexibility by using a prepaid card!
You can use a prepaid card interchangeably for both transit and parking orders. That means that you can use accrued transit balances to pay for parking, or accrued parking balances to pay for eligible transit expenses.