Tap. Ride. Go: DC Metro no longer requires SmarTrip
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) just made transit in the US Capital a whole lot easier. As of this week, Metro riders can now pay directly at fare gates in Metro Stations using a contactless credit/debit card or mobile wallet—no SmarTrip card required. Each ride will simply be charged to your credit or debit card.
No more topping up a SmarTrip. No more calculating how much you will need to add ahead of time. No more remaining balance when you bought too much.
This will be especially beneficial to tourists and occasional visitors since it allows for an easy one-time transaction.
Though it’s only available on Metro, soon they will offer support for Metrobus and parking garages. I assume other regional transit agencies that accept SmarTrip will get on board soon.
For details, you can visit the WMATA Tap. Ride. Go. webpage.
A card with this wave symbol can be used to pay per-ride on the DC Metro now.
What changed?
WMATA has joined the ranks of major transit systems like New York, London, and Sydney by introducing open payment.
Until now, Metro required either a plastic SmarTrip card or a virtual one in your Apple or Google Wallet. Starting now, you can simply use:
A contactless credit or debit card (look for the wave symbol on the card), or
Apple Pay, Google Wallet, or Samsung Pay on your phone or smartwatch (configured for Express Transit)
How to set it up
If you wish to use a physical credit or debit card, no setup is required. Just make sure to use a card that has the little wave icon on it. There is no standard place for the icon, so check the front and back.
If you want to use Apple Wallet on iPhone, configure your card to use Express Transit. This designates one card in Apple Wallet to be used at transit payment terminals around the world. This can be set up in Settings > Wallet & Apple Pay > Express Transit Card. Though many transit systems accept American Express (including DC Metro), I recommend choosing a Visa or Mastercard for universal compatibility.
If you want to use Apple Wallet on Apple Watch, you’ll find Express Transit in the Watch app (on your iPhone) > Wallet & Apple Pay > Express Transit Card.
You can have multiple cards set for Express Transit if they are dedicated transit cards like WMATA SmarTrip, Japan’s Suica card, or a Walt Disney World MagicMobile ticket. But you can only have a single credit card set for Express Transit. When the payment terminal doesn’t recognize its specific card on your phone, it will use the payment card you have selected.
How to use it
You do not need to unlock your iPhone. You do not need to open the Wallet app. You don’t even need to wake it up. Simply hold your card or the top of your device to the reader. If you’re familiar with using your physical card to pay in stores, this should be familiar. If you are using your iPhone or Apple Wallet, this is slightly different because you don’t need to authenticate to pay.
This is where I see most people struggle: On an iPhone, the antenna is on the top of the phone. Not the back, not the screen. Hold your iPhone so the top of the phone touches the reader. This should be a more natural position, you’re less likely to drop your phone, and it will read better than what I see many people do, which is press the back of their phone centered on the reader.
To tap your iPhone for payment on transit (or any Apple Pay reader) touch the top of the phone to the sensor. Not the back and not the face.
Why wouldn’t you drop SmarTrip?
Currently, there are several shortcomings that may or may not have solutions in the works. Though many people will want to switch, there are a few reasons why you might not want to yet.
Using this new method only works on Metro. Metrobus and Metro parking will have this in the future. No announcement has been made, but I assume other DMV transit agencies, such as RideOn, will get it at some point.
Because it does not work with Metrobus, you cannot get a transfer fare. Though that will change when Metrobus gets upgraded.
If you want to get a package such as a day pass, you will still need to get a SmarTrip card (physical or virtual).
If you get discounted access, such as through a work benefit or assistance, that will still require SmarTrip.
If you have children who ride Metro alone, it may be easier to manage their expenses with SmarTrip rather than giving them access to a whole credit card.
A few helpful tips
Each person must have a card. If you are traveling with a child who doesn’t have a payment card, you can let them use one of your own if you have multiple.
Avoid tapping both your phone and your physical card at the same time if using a wallet case (something I don’t recommend for security reasons anyway), as this can confuse the reader.
Don’t tap your whole wallet, as multiple cards might get charged. Remove the card you wish to use from your wallet and tap it.
Make sure you are using the same card to tap in as you use to tap out when you leave Metro. If you use Apple Wallet on your iPhone to enter a metro station, you cannot use Apple Wallet on your Apple Watch to exit a station.
If some of your Metro travel is for business, this allows you to easily use your business credit card instead of your personal card. For example, use your iPhone for personal travel and use your physical business credit card for business travel.
If your battery dies, you can still press the sleep/wake button to temporarily activate your card for several hours. However, this only works if the phone turns off on its own because it ran out of battery; it doesn’t work if you shut it down yourself. If you are concerned about running out of battery, you may want to just use a physical card for that trip instead.
If you are visiting from outside the US (or if you are a US tourist visiting a foreign city with this feature, such as London or Sydney), make sure that your card doesn’t have a foreign transaction fee.
You do not need WiFi or cellular service to pay. This goes for any time you use Apple Pay.
If you have a SmarTrip card in Apple Wallet, it will take preference over your credit card. If you wish to temporarily switch to a credit card, you will need to disable Express Transit for your SmarTrip card in Settings or use your physical card instead.
If you have a balance on your SmarTrip card, you may want to use it up before switching to the new method. You may end up just “throwing away” any small change at the end.
Where else can you tap to ride?
D.C. now joins several cities with open payment systems, allowing you to use any credit or debit card to pay per trip. This includes transit in New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Portland, San Diego, Chicago, London, Sydney, and Toronto.
Several cities allow you to buy and use transit cards on your iPhone, though they are the more traditional type of transit card, where you have to load them with value first. This includes Paris, Tokyo, Hong Kong, China, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. San Francisco has plans to launch credit card payments in 2025, though that deadline has already been pushed back a few times.
So if you’re a frequent traveler, you’re already familiar—or about to feel very comfortable on your next trip.
