Bilhete Único

"Hey, you can look up something interesting and put a post about what's called the Bilhete Unico here in Sao Paulo. We use it daily but it's really hard to explain. Its a bus pass kind of thing that gets us free rides within two hours of the first use."

The Bilhete Único is a contactless smart card that can be used for paying the fares in buses and in Metro and CPTM trains. In essence, a single billing of the card grants a person up to four trips in São Paulo's public transportation system (but not four trips on trains; see below for details). You can get the card at no cost; charge them with the minimum amount required in newspaper stands, state-owned betting shops (known as "loterias"), supermarkets and other establishments - look for the red round "Bilhete Único" logo. You can use the card to pay for your trips in the public transportation system as follows:

On buses: upon boarding a bus, you'll be charged R$ 2,00 and can board up to three other buses in a two-hour period without being charged a second time.
On the Metro or CPTM trains: for a single trip in the underground train system, you'll be charged R$ 2,10.

First Metro/CPTM train then bus: you'll be charged R$ 2,10 when passing by a Metro or CPTM station's turnstile. Once you board a bus, you'll be charged an extra R$ 0,90 and will be able to board two other buses in a two-hour period - starting from the first validation at the train station - without any further payment.

First bus then Metro/CPTM train: once you board a bus, R$ 2,00 is charged from your card. Upon entering the Metro or CPTM systems, you'll be charged a further R$ 1,00. It's possible, after leaving the Metro or CPTM system, to board up to two other buses without any further payment in the two-hour period that starts from the first validation, depending on whether you boarded one or two buses before entering a train.

(click image to enlarge)

Curtis lives between the Vergueiro and
Sao Joaquim metro stations on Line 1 - Azul

Sao Paulo Metro