Note: This article is intended for Harvard employees. If you’re looking for general support, visit the Jawnt Help Center.
Harvard's bicycle commuter benefit allows bike commuters to receive a monthly credit on a debit card, which can be used to pay for eligible biking expenses. Participants can also submit post-tax reimbursements for bicycle purchases, improvement, repair, and storage costs. For detailed information about what qualifies and who’s eligible, see Harvard’s Transportation website.
On this page:
How do I get started?
Note: If you were previously enrolled in Harvard’s bike benefit through Edenred, you’ll need to complete a one-time process to get enrolled through Jawnt. With the new bike benefit, you’ll get your own Jawnt Pass debit card, which you can use to pay for eligible expenses - no reimbursement needed!
If you’re not already enrolled in the bike benefit through Jawnt, follow these steps to get started:
Log in to Jawnt with your Harvard Key credentials
From the My Passes page, select the Jawnt Pass benefit
Add $30 as the Monthly Biking Amount (Harvard covers the full amount)
Complete the steps to enroll in Jawnt Pass
That’s it! Keep an eye out for your Jawnt Pass debit card in the email. Once you receive it, follow the steps in the mailer to activate your card.
Keep in mind that your debit card will auto-load with $30 at the start of each month, so you may need to wait before you can start using it. You can check your balance at any time by going to app.jawntpass.com and navigating to the Jawnt Pass page.
How do I make bike purchases with my Jawnt Pass?
When making an eligible purchase, just use your Jawnt Pass debit card like you would use any other debit or credit card. Behind the scenes, we double check that the purchase is a valid biking expense before the payment goes through.
If your payment is declined, it may be because:
The merchant isn’t on our list of accepted merchants for biking expenses
There aren’t enough funds on your Jawnt Pass
If you’re unable to pay with your Jawnt Pass but your purchase falls under Harvard’s list of eligible expenses, you can still submit a reimbursement request following the steps below.
How do I submit a biking reimbursement request in Jawnt?
Although you can use your Jawnt Pass to pay for eligible purchases just like a regular debit or credit card, you also have the option to submit a reimbursement request through Jawnt. This can come in handy if you forgot to use your Jawnt Pass when making the purchase.
To submit a biking reimbursement request:
Log in to Jawnt and go to the Jawnt Pass section of your account
From the Jawnt Pass page, under your biking balance, select Reimbursements
Select Request reimbursement and fill in the required information
Upload your receipt. The receipt must be in JPG, PNG, GIF, or PDF format and clearly show the merchant name, purchase date, amount paid, and location.
Once approved, you’ll have the option to receive your reimbursement by check or direct deposit. If you choose direct deposit, you’ll be prompted to securely connect your bank account through Plaid.
Is there a deadline for submitting my request?
No, there is no deadline for submitting a biking reimbursement request in Jawnt. However, the receipt must be from a time when you were actively enrolled in the bike benefit in Jawnt.
How long will it take to be approved?
Your request will be reviewed within 5 business days. If approved, you will receive reimbursement within an additional 5 days.
Why was my reimbursement request denied?
Common reasons include:
Missing or unclear receipt
Receipt includes ineligible expenses
Duplicate request
If you have questions about your request, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Jawnt Support.
How do I switch between the bike and transit benefit?
Commutes change, and your benefit is designed to be flexible to accommodate month-to-month mode changes. If you bike in warmer weather but take transit in winter, you can switch to the transit benefit right from your Jawnt account:
Log in to Jawnt with your Harvard Key credentials
In the My Passes section of your Jawnt account, find the Jawnt Pass benefit and click the Edit button
On the next page, scroll down to edit your monthly amounts:
Change the Monthly Biking Amount to $0
Change the Monthly Transit Amount to your reflect how much you anticipate spending on transit each month (Tip: Use the Commute Calculator to help estimate your total monthly transit cost)
If needed, change the Monthly Parking Amount to reflect how much you anticipate spending on parking each month (there's a Calculator for that, too!)
At the bottom of the page, click Update enrollment
That's it! You can use the same Jawnt Pass debit card for transit and parking. Any already-accrued bike benefit funds will still be available on your Jawnt Pass, and can be used even while enrolled in the transit benefit.
Keep in mind that the deadline to update your enrollment for the next month is the 7th of the preceding month. When you're ready to switch back to biking, log in to Jawnt and follow the same steps, changing your biking amount back to $30 and your transit and parking amounts to $0.