Commuter Benefits
Upcoming Changes To Commuter Benefits
Inspira Financial, the vendor who manages Northwestern’s pre-tax commuter transit and parking benefits, is changing the process for how pre-tax funds are used to purchase qualified transit and parking. Inspira partners with Edenred to allow faculty and staff to order transit passes directly from a transit authority or fund a pre-paid MasterCard.
Starting July 2026, Inspira will no longer partner with Edenred, this change will allow faculty and staff more flexibility with how they use their pre-tax commuter funds.
Here’s what’s changing:
- Commuter benefits will be deposited as a dollar amount on the Inspira debit card.
- Funds will be deposited to the Inspira card on July 1, and the first day of each month after that.
- You will use the Inspira debit card to purchase transit passes directly from a transit authority (e.g., CTA, Metra, METRO, BART, OMNY). You must purchase passes directly from the transit authority and cannot purchase them from a third party (e.g., Walgreens, Currency Exchange, etc.). You cannot pay out of pocket and be reimbursed for commuter transit passes.
- You may use your Inspira debit card to purchase parking. Unlike commuter transit, you are allowed to pay out of pocket for parking expenses and request reimbursement from Inspira. You also have the option to request payment be sent to select parking vendors directly.
- Any credit balance you have with Edenred will automatically transfer to your Inspira debit card between mid-July and mid-August 2026.
Action steps
You must take action between May 11 and June 5 to place your order for the July 2026 Benefit Month. Follow the steps below to place your order.
- Go to https://inspirafinancial.com/. After you login, see Quick Reference Guide for assistance.
- Select Sign In in the top right corner.
- Login using your ID and Password.
- Scroll to the Online Commuter Box and select Place an Order.
For questions and help signing in to or navigating the Inspira portal, formerly PayFlex, please contact Inspira at (800) 284‑4885. Please note, if you do not place an order by June 5, you will not receive a commuter benefit for July.
Important information about the Inspira Debit Card
If you enrolled in a Flexible Spending Account or Health Savings Account within the last five years, you were issued an Inspira debit card. Your commuter benefit funds will be deposited to your Inspira debit card on July 1, and the first day of each month after that.
Please note, Inspira debit cards expire five years after they are issued. If you no longer have or card, or it has expired, call Inspira at (844) 729-3539 after placing your July commuter benefit order to request a replacement card. New cards may take up to 10 business days to receive, so please plan accordingly.
If you have questions about the change, please contact the askHR Service Center at 847-491-4700 or email askHR@northwestern.edu.
Commuter benefits
The cost of getting to and from work may add up quickly, depending on how far you commute and how you travel. Northwestern offers a variety of commuter benefits to help lower the cost of public transit and parking.
See the links below for more information on the commuter benefit for:
The University has partnered with Inspira, a major processor of commuter benefits, to administer our pre-tax Commuter Transit and Parking programs. The campus parking programs administered by Transportation & Parking Services are not included in this benefit. Contact that office directly.
Faculty and staff on paid or unpaid leaves of absence are not eligible for the commuter benefits.
If you wish to place a new order or change an existing order, you must log into inspirafinancial.com before the monthly cutoff date (5th of each month) and shut off your deduction. If you do not place or update your order before the cutoff date you will receive your transit benefit for one more month. No refunds or adjustments can be provided.
Benefits
The program offers the following benefits:
- Pre-tax Payroll Deductions;
- Easy online enrollment through the Inpsira (inspirafinancial.com);
- A single monthly deduction covering the total of all your transit deductions;
- Ability to enroll for commuter parking benefits for parking at commuter train station parking lots;
- No forms to complete and submit. Everything is done online.
Enrollment
- To enroll, see the Parking Program page or Transit Pass Program page. Or, view the complete guide, Enrolling in Commuter Benefits Quick Steps.
- How to use the Inspira commuter benefit to buy Metra passes using the Ventra card and Ventra app.
- Any questions regarding logging in to or navigating the Inspira portal should be directed to Inspira at (800) 284-4885.
FAQs
For answers to additional questions regarding this new program, please see our Questions & Answers page.