SmarTrip®: the next generation of Metro farecards.
SmarTrip cards are permanent, rechargable Metrorail farecards. SmarTrip cards are plastic - like credit cards - and embedded with a computer chip that keeps track of the value of the card. SmarTrip cards can be purchased at any of the three locations of The Commuter Store® or purchased online from Commuter Direct.com® for $5, with no fare value.
Fare value up to may be added at a Passes/Farecards machine in any Metrorail station. You may add up to $200 in value to your SmarTrip card. This means the card can last a long time between charging. You may choose to register your SmarTrip card to protect the fare value from loss or theft.
Seniors and people with disabilities can purchase a special SmarTrip card that deducts a discounted fare from the value of the card each time it is used. Buyers of the Senior/Disabled SmarTrip card must have a Metro ID on file. Contact The Commuter Store for more information.
SmarTrip accepted on all Metrobuses, Many Local Transit Systems
All Metrobuses now accept the SmarTrip card for fare payment and transfers. Customers can still pay fares with cash (no pennies), passes and tokens.
SmarTrip cards are also accepted on many Maryland and Virginia local bus systems including:
SmarTrip and SmartBenefits
Many Washington, D.C.area employers provide transit benefits for their employees. In the past, these benefits were often provided through a program known as Metrochek, and employees received their benefits in the form of paper farecards.In recent years, the Metrochek program has gradually been replaced by a new transit benefit program called SmartBenefits. Employers now can assign benefits to accounts linked to employees' SmarTrip cards. Employees using transit systems that do not accept SmarTrip cards (such as MARC and VRE) can still order the tickets or passes they need through CommuterDirect.com and receive them by mail or pick them up at any of the three Arlington locations of The Commuter Store. For more information, see the SmartBenefits page.
SmarTrip News and Information
For the latest news and information about SmarTrip, see Metro's SmarTrip Page.
How to Use SmarTrip
![[Picture of SmarTrip card]](graphics/smartrip.jpg)
Registering Your SmarTrip Card
When you purchase a SmarTrip card, you will have the opportunity to register the card with WMATA. Registration is not required, but it allows you take advantage of an outstanding feature of SmarTrip: if a registered card is lost or stolen, the card can be cancelled and the remaining fare value will be returned to you in the form of a paper farecard, or transferred to a new SmarTrip card for $5 - the cost of replacing the card itself. When you register your card, you will receive a confirmation and password from WMATA. It's important to keep the registration confirmation in a safe place - you will need your password to cancel a lost or stolen card. Register existing SmarTrip Cards online.
Using Your SmarTrip Card
The SmarTrip card is used in place of a Metrorail paper farecard. Each rider must have his/her own SmarTrip card, farecard or pass. Instead of inserting a farecard through the faregate slot, touch the SmarTrip card to the circular target panels located on top of specially-marked Metroail station faregates.
When exiting the system, the SmarTrip card will allow exit with a negative balance (no more exit fares!), but value must be added before the card can be used to enter the system again.
SmarTrip cards can also be used to pay for parking at Metro-operated facilities.
Adding Value to Your SmarTrip Card
1. Look for a picture of the SmartTrip card (above) on a Passes/Farecards machine in any Metrorail station. Touch the SmarTrip card to the circular target with the picture of the card, and follow the prompts. Press the audio button if you would like audio prompts.
2. Insert money, a used farecard or Metrochek worth less than $7, or an unused Metrochek or farecard of any value. Each one requires a separate transaction. You may also use your VISA, MasterCard or Discover card to add value to the SmarTrip card.
3. Press the plus (+) or minus (-) button until the amount displayed is the new value you want your SmarTrip card to have. If you are using a Metrochek or farecard to add value, the added value cannot be less than the trade-in value of the Metrochek or farecard.
4. Touch the SmartTrip card to the circular target a final time. This updates the card and shows the new balance including bonus (if applicable).
For more information about Metrobus and Metrorail, visit the Washington Metro Area Transit Authority's (WMATA) web site (www.wmata.com). For more information about SmarTrip Cards, see WMATA's SmarTrip page.
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