Bike Commuter Benefit

Who’s Eligible?

The Bicycle Commuter Benefit is available to:

• Full-time, benefits-eligible faculty, staff, and postdocs paid directly by Harvard
• Members of the Harvard Graduate Student Union (HGSU) bargaining unit who are paid directly by Harvard 

To be eligible, participants must commute by bicycle for a substantial portion of their commute and must not receive a transit benefit or annual parking permit from Harvard during the same period.

If you have questions about eligibility, please contact commuterchoice@harvard.edu.

What’s Reimbursable?

Participants may use their monthly funds (or request reimbursement) for eligible expenses related to bicycle commuting.

1. Bicycle Purchase

• New or used bicycles, including electric bikes
• Purchases may be made from retailers or private sellers 

2. Maintenance, Improvements, and Accessories

• Parts and services used to maintain or improve a bicycle
• Accessories such as racks, locks, panniers, and trailers
• Repair services and roadside assistance subscriptions (e.g., NEMO)
• Bike-specific apparel such as reflective gear, gloves, shoes, and cycling shorts 

3. Parking and Storage

• Fees for bicycle parking or storage, ranging from daily to annual arrangements 

4. Safety Gear

• Helmets, lights, bells, and reflectors 

5. Bluebikes Membership

• Daily, monthly, and annual Bluebikes memberships

• Bluebikes e-bike usage is also eligible 

   

What Is Not Eligible?

The following expenses are not eligible for reimbursement:

• Scooters or non-bicycle devices
• Indoor or exercise bikes
• General use items such as coats or backpacks
• Storage equipment such as ground or car racks
• Expenses incurred by a spouse, dependent, or another individual 

If you are unsure whether an item qualifies, please contact commuterchoice@harvard.edu.

Using the Benefit

Participants must enroll in Jawnt and elect the bike commuter benefit to receive funds. Each month, $30 is added to the participant’s Jawnt Pass balance.

Funds may be used in two ways:

• Direct payment using the Jawnt Pass card at eligible vendors
• Reimbursement by submitting receipts for eligible expenses

For a step-by-step guide on how to enroll in Jawnt and elect the bike benefit, see this help article in the Jawnt Help Center.

For higher cost purchases (e.g., a bicycle), reimbursement may be spread across multiple years. You can continue to submit the original receipt until the full eligible amount has been reimbursed, subject to the $360 annual limit.

Unlike the previous program, there is no annual reimbursement cycle. Funds are available on an ongoing basis and may be used as they are received or saved for future use (up to the $360 balance limit).

Documentation Requirements

For reimbursement requests, participants must provide documentation that clearly shows:

• Name of the service provider or seller
• Description of the item or service
• Amount paid and form of payment
• Date(s) of purchase or service 

Receipts must be issued in the participant’s name. The University reserves the right to review and approve or deny reimbursement requests.

Additional Information

The Bicycle Commuter Benefit is administered on an ongoing basis through Jawnt rather than through an annual claim cycle. Participants are responsible for enrolling in the platform and electing the benefit to receive monthly funds.

For more information about how to enroll in Jawnt see this help article. You can also learn more at the Jawnt Help Center or contact support@jawntpass.com.

For questions about the program or assistance with enrollment, please contact:
commuterchoice@harvard.edu