On May 28, 2025, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) began allowing transit riders to tap their bank cards directly to pay Metrorail fares. The program, called Tap. Ride. Go. is a huge win for DC’s transit riders, who, now like their peers in New York, Chicago, Boston, and many others, no longer need to juggle a separate card and account just to pay for transit. But what does this mean specifically for commuter benefits?

What is Tap-to-Pay?

When you walk into a coffee shop, you can tap your bank card on the point of sale terminal to pay for your latte. When you walk into a museum, you can tap your bank card (unless it’s free). When you buy clothes, gas, flowers, rent – all these merchants accept bank cards. But until last week, the DC Metro was different. You had to tap your bank card on a fare machine that issued you another card, and then tap that one on the fare reader. Now, Metro riders can tap their bank cards directly on the fare reader, just like any other purchase.

US transit agencies have been moving towards Tap-to-Pay-style systems, also called “open loop”, for several reasons. Read more about the benefits and history of Tap-to-Pay.

How is this different from mobile SmarTrip cards?

Metro has been on the cutting edge of US fare payment technology for years. Since 2020, riders have been able to load their SmarTrip card into their Apple Wallets, and Google Pay joined in 2021. This experience is pretty great – pick up a SmarTrip card, enter the number in your app, and then tap your phone to pay anytime you ride.

Mobile SmarTrip cards can be more convenient than physical cards, but they’re still a separate account with a separate balance. Riders still have to remember to top up their cards (which is easier in the wallet apps). Riders are also still tying up their money in a separate account that they can’t get back.

With Tap-to-Pay, there’s no separate card or separate account. If you want to spend money on transit, just tap to pay, and just the funds you need for that ride will be transferred out. With Tap-to-Pay, riders have one less thing to expire, to lose, and to keep track of. Metro riders who travel up the Northeast Regional will also be able to use their same card (their bank card) in Philadelphia, New York, and Boston.

Where is Tap-to-Pay accepted? 

Metro is rolling out Tap-to-Pay gradually. It’s currently only available at all 98 Metrorail stations. Next up, it will be accepted on Metrobuses and Metro parking facilities. If you ride one of the 17 other DC-area agencies that accept SmarTrip today, including ART, DASH, Fairfax Connector, Cue, RideON, TheBus, Loudon Country Transit, Tap-to-Pay will come your way in the next few years.

Also note that Tap-to-Pay is currently only available for full adult fares. If you normally get a discount (seniors, low-income riders) or pay through your employers’ SmartBenefits program, you’ll have to keep using your SmarTrip card, too.

What does Tap-to-Pay mean for DC employers?

Last month, the primary way that DC employers provided transit benefits to their employees was through Metro’s SmartBenefits. SmartBenefits, like its peer programs in other cities, was designed to do a few things very well.

• Load value on each employees’ personal SmarTrip cards that could be used on Metro, MARC, MTA, VRE, and others.
• Give employers some customization rules, like whether funds should accrue or top up each month.
• Ensure that pre-tax funds could only be spent on eligible expenses.

But SmarTrip has its limits.

• There’s no way to load value for Capital Bikeshare or Amtrak on a SmarTrip card.
• Employees can’t edit their elections after the 20th of each month. A new hire starting on the 21st would have to wait nearly six weeks for their transit benefit to arrive.
• Employers have limited access to information about how their benefits are being used.

Tap-to-Pay makes it possible for other commuter benefit solutions to step up and offer support. This summer, DC employers should be asking their benefit providers:

• Can my employees put their pre-tax transit and parking funds on a commuter debit card?
• Can my DC employees use their transit funds to pay for Amtrak? If I have employees in other cities, what agencies can they use their funds to pay for?
• Can my employees store funds for post-tax benefits like bikeshare, too?
• Are these commuter debit cards available on a contactless-enabled physical card? Can I load these physical cards into mobile wallets?
• Is it possible to get a digital-only version of these commuter debit cards?
• How late in the month can my employees make changes to their elections? Are there ever any exceptions?
• Is it possible to give new employees transit benefits before their first day at work?
• What information is available about how my employees are using their transit benefits, without invading their privacy?

Read more about why employers should be excited about Tap-to-Pay.

Schedule a Jawnt Pass demo today

Coupled with Tap-to-Pay technology, Jawnt’s commuter debit card is a best-in-class experience for DC commuters. Schedule a demo to learn how we help employers maximize these new opportunities and more.