Payments for public transportation can only be made using a Rav Kav, a special payment card. With a Rav Kav, passengers purchase and pay for rides both within and between cities. A Rav Kav can also be programmed with discounts for eligible riders, such as senior citizens and children. As of May 2018, it is no longer possible to fill up an empty Rav Kav on the bus. Passengers are responsible to fill their Rav Kavs before boarding. Read on for details.
How to Obtain a Rav Kav
To obtain a new or secondary Rav Kav, visit www.ravkavonline.com, select hanpakat rav kav and follow the prompts (in Hebrew) to request your Rav Kav. You will need to upload proof of ID, a passport photo that will be printed on your Rav Kav, and proof of eligibility for any relevant discounts. Alternatively, bring the following to a Rav Kav service center (see the end of this article for locations):
1. Rav Kav application form
2. Passport/teudat zehut ‒ a Rav Kav will not be granted without a valid form of ID
3. Discount certificate, if applicable (senior citizen, disabled, student)
There is no fee for setting up the card.
An anonymous Rav Kav may be purchased from a bus driver for a fee of 5 NIS, then loaded with a single ride ticket for an additional 5.90 NIS. This card can subsequently be used like a regular Rav Kav, but it cannot hold discounts (senior citizen, disability, etc.) and has no protection against loss or theft.
Bus Fare for Children
Until age 18, Israeli children travel at half price. This only applies if they pay with a Rav Kav that has been programmed with a child (noar) discount. This discount is presently not available to children of student visa holders who hold A-4 visas.
Children under 5 ride free of charge, but the exemption is for only one child per paying adult. A parent traveling with more than one child under age 5 must pay for all children but one. They may pay with any Rav Kav that has been programmed with the child discount. If none is available, they will need to pay the full fare.
Carriages travel free of charge.
Loading Your Rav Kav
As of May 2018, it is no longer possible to fill up an empty Rav Kav on the bus. Passengers are responsible to fill their Rav Kavs before boarding. If you do not have a Rav Kav, or if you did not fill yours before boarding, you may purchase an anonymous Rav Kav from the bus driver for 5 NIS and load it with the additional price of one bus ride only.
Similarly, it is impossible to load your Rav Kav on a train. You can be fined for boarding a train with no way to pay for your ride, so make sure that your Rav Kav is not empty before boarding.
How?
At the automated machines located at every train station, at main bus stations, at Rav Kav service stations and in participating stores.
On a smartphone or over the Internet. You can view the activities of your Rav Kav and load it with a credit card online. Visit www.ravkavonline.co.il to download the smartphone app. To access the app on a computer, buy a Rav Kav reader at a Rav Kav service station for 10 NIS. Attach it to your computer, then visit www.ravkavonline.co.il and follow the prompts to download the required software.
Travel Packages
There are several options to choose from when filling up your Rav Kav.
Single bus fares (nesiya)
Monthly, weekly, or daily plans (chofshi chodshi, shvu’i, or yomi)
Multiple ride tickets in increments of 10 (kartisiya)
Money that can be applied as needed, debit-card style (erech tzavur)
Although many (but not all) areas in Israel charge the same fee of 5.90 NIS per ride, a plan in one area, called a “metropolis,” may not be used in another area. You cannot load your card on a bus in one metropolis with a travel plan for a different one. Either purchase separate packages at the stand in the Central Bus Station, or fill it up online or in the city of your choice.
Rav Kav cards can hold up to eight different travel packages at the same time. You can load your card with fares for one or more bus routes run by different companies. For example, you could load your card with a multi-ride ticket for use on Egged buses in Jerusalem, then purchase a monthly pass for use on city buses in Rehovot.
Free Transfers (Ma’avar)
When you pay for a between-city bus ride with your Rav Kav, you are entitled to 90 minutes of free transfers (ma’avar). You still must present your Rav Kav when boarding your next bus or train.
When you travel with another person by bus (not train), you may have the driver or self-pay screen charge you for more than one ride on a single card. If your companion will need to board another bus separately, though, he/she will need the Rav Kav with him to access the transfer. The paper receipt you might get won’t help pay for the next ride.
Loss, Theft or Damage
In case of loss, theft or damage, fill out the application form and bring it along with your discount certificate (if applicable) to a Rav Kav service center. A new card can be issued for a fee of 10 NIS. If you had a balance left on your lost or stolen Rav Kav, you may be eligible for a refund. An anonymous card will not be refunded. Make sure to bring your Israeli ID or foreign passport.
It is illegal to use someone else’s Rav Kav - even that of your spouse or child - if that person is not traveling with you. It is also illegal to pay at a discounted rate that you are not eligible for. If you have been charged with the improper use of a Rav Kav, you may appeal the charge by submitting a letter to the Traffic Controller by fax at 03-684-9876, or by mail to Binyan Genre A, 5 Bank Israel Street, POB 867, Jerusalem 91008.
Rav Kav Service Centers, Jerusalem
Rav Shefa Mall, 16 Shamgar, floor 2
Hours: Sunday—Thursday 8:30 am–8:30 pm, Friday and Erev Yom Tov 8:30 am–12:00 pm
Central Bus Station (Tachana Merkazit), 224 Yafo, floor 2 (opposite platform 22)
Sunday—Thursday 7:00 am–7:00 pm, Friday and Erev Yom Tov 7:00 am–12:00 pm
Pisgat Zeev Mall, 106 Sderot Moshe Dayan, floor 2 (opposite Meuhedet)
Sunday—Thursday 9:00 am–9:00 pm, Friday and Erev Yom Tov 9:00 am–2:00 pm
Ramot Mall, 255 Golda Me'ir Boulevard
Sunday—Thursday 9:00 am–9:00 pm, Friday and Erev Yom Tov 9:00 am–2:00 pm
Hadar Mall, 26 Pierre Koenig Street, Talpiot
Sunday - Thursday 9:00 am-9:00 pm, Friday and Erev Yom Tov 9:00 am-2:00 pm
Gilo Mall
Sunday—Thursday 9:00 am–9:00 pm, Friday and Erev Yom Tov 9:00 am–2:00 pm
Hapa’amon Mall, King George 3
Sunday-Thursday 8:00 am-19:45 pm, Friday and Erev Yom Tov 8:00 am-13:30 pm
For a full listing of countrywide Rav Kav service centers, visit Egged’s website.
For more information on Rav Kav:
Transportation Department: *8787
CityPass (Light Rail): *3686