regular tickets look like light gray cards and must be used immediately or within the 48 hours of purchase, otherwise they become useless - when expired they can be returned at the booth for a 1 real credit - regular tickets are inserted at the designated access points, which can be easily identified by the signs stating which tickets can be utilized. 

pré-pago passes are blue cards that can be bought and recharged at a special automatic machine or at the ticket counters - these passes have no expiration date and can be refilled as much as the customer pleases as long as the quota is above the minimum requirement.

integração passes are the tickets that give access to both the train and to the 'metrô na superfície' blue buses - these must only be placed onto the access points, not inserted as the regular tickets or they would be lost - after exiting the subway, these passes are given to the toll person on the blue bus 'metrô na superfície'.