A “MARTA TVM” charge on your bank or credit card statement is a purchase made at a Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority ticket vending machine, or a tap-to-ride transit fare processed through MARTA’s fare system in Atlanta, Georgia. The machines sit inside MARTA’s rail stations and sell Breeze cards, single-use tickets, and passes. If you didn’t buy transit fare in Atlanta, the charge could be someone else using your card, or a delayed contactless fare from tapping a card or phone at a faregate.
What the Charge Usually Represents
MARTA’s touchscreen vending machines sell two fare media: reloadable Breeze cards, which carry a one-time $2.00 card fee, and single-use Breeze tickets, which carry a $1.00 fee and expire after 90 days.1MARTA. Ways to Pay The card fee does not include fare — you pay for the trip or pass separately in the same transaction.2MARTA. How-to Guide
The standard one-way fare is $2.50, which covers up to four transfers within a three-hour window. A first-time rider buying a card and one trip would see $4.50 charged. Other common amounts come from passes and packages loaded at the machine: $9.00 for a one-day pass, up to $95.00 for a thirty-day pass, $25.00 for 10 rides, or $42.50 for 20 rides.3MARTA. Fares and Transfers Riders can also buy multiple cards in one transaction, which can push a single charge higher than expected if someone in your group paid for the whole party.4MARTA. MARTA Breeze Goes Live
Why It May Not Match a Trip You Remember
Since MARTA’s “better Breeze” system launched on March 28, 2026, riders can skip the vending machine and tap a contactless credit or debit card, or a mobile wallet like Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay, directly at faregates and bus validators.5MARTA. Better Breeze Those taps still hit your statement, and they can look strange for two reasons.
First, the system uses deferred authorization. The faregate lets you through in a fraction of a second and sends the charge to your bank later, sometimes hours after the trip.6U.S. Payments Forum. Transit Use Case Technical Solution Multiple taps in a day may also be batched into a single line item, so the amount won’t match any one ride.
Second, your payment method must stay consistent across a trip, including transfers. If you tap in at rail with a physical debit card and then tap onto a bus with the same account on your phone, the system reads them as two different payments and charges you twice.4MARTA. MARTA Breeze Goes Live That produces an unexpected extra $2.50.
How to Get a Refund or Dispute the Charge
Refunds are not handled through breezecard.com or the Breeze mobile app. You have to call.7Xpress GA. Breeze MARTA customer service is 404-848-5000, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., or custserv@itsmarta.com by email.8MARTA. Helpful Numbers
Registering your Breeze card at breezecard.com turns on balance protection, which preserves any value on the card if it’s lost or stolen.2MARTA. How-to Guide If you believe the charge is unauthorized, or MARTA doesn’t resolve it, file a dispute with your bank or card issuer.