Paying for the bus just got easier: Tap. Ride. Go. contactless payment launches on Metrobus

Tap. Ride. Go. is live on Metrobus! Customers can now simply tap a contactless credit or debit card or use Apple Pay and Google Pay on bus farebox readers to pay for their fares.  

Fares are required to ride Metrobus. Most routes cost $2.25, and express buses cost $4.80. Customers can now get a transfer discount between Metrorail and Metrobus by using the same card when transferring. 

It’s another way Metro is improving our customers’ experience, making payment easier for visitors and occasional riders.  

Metro General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke, WMATA Board of Directors members, local officials, and our partners celebrated the launch with a first tap on Metrobus at Franklin Square.  

“Tap. Ride. Go. reduces the barriers to transit and helps us fulfill our goal of making Metro the number one choice for travel in the region,” said Metro General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke. “Now all customers have to do is tap any card and ride the bus.” 

Since Tap. Ride. Go. launched for Metrorail in May, customers have used contactless payment for more than 6 million trips. Stations with heavy visitor populations travelling through Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Dulles International Airport, Arlington Cemetery, and Navy Yard-Ballpark are seeing the highest adoption rates. 

While Tap. Ride. Go. is available on Metrorail and Metrobus, it is not accepted by other local bus providers. Loyal Metro customers are encouraged to continue to use their SmarTrip card and to register it at smartrip.wmata.com to easily access account information. 

What you need to know about Tap. Ride. Go. on Metrobus 

• Each customer needs their own contactless card or virtual card. The same card cannot be used for multiple people on the same trip. 
• Avoid card clash! Take a single card out of your wallet to tap the card reader. Do not tap a wallet with multiple cards or a physical wallet on the back of a phone with a virtual credit card as it may charge both cards. 
• Customers can visit the customer dashboard and enter a debit or credit card number to view Tap. Ride. Go. transactions or request a refund.  
• To transfer between bus and rail, use the same card on both the bus card reader and rail faregate. Metrobus to Metrorail or Metrorail to Metrobus: Free transfers ($2.25 discount) within a two-hour period. The $2.25 discount does not cover the cost of transferring to/from express routes.  
• Metrobus to Metrobus transfers offers free, unlimited transfers within a two-hour period if you use the same card. 
• Any customer can use their contactless credit or debit card to pay at the bus card reader, however those who have fare discounts or SmartBenefits will still have to use their SmarTrip cards.  
• Multi-day passes are only available on SmarTrip. 
• Customers will also only be able to get their annual ridership statistics through Metro Rewind by using their SmarTrip card. 

For more information on Tap. Ride. Go. and to read an FAQ, please visit wmata.com/tapridego. 

Metro’s premier partners in launching Tap. Ride. Go. 

Metro thanks our premier credit and debit card partners FutureCard, Mastercard, and American Express for helping launch and promote Tap. Ride. Go. 

“The reception to FutureCard’s frequent rider rewards on Metrorail has been great,” said Jean-Louis Warnholz, CEO of Future, the company behind the FutureCard Visa Debit Card. “We’re thrilled to grow our partnership with Metro and extend these popular rewards to everyone riding Metrobus in the DMV.”  

"Mastercard is thrilled to support Metro's continued expansion of open loop payments on both rail and bus,” said Victoria Din, Senior Vice President, Public Sector, Mastercard. "Metro is one of the largest transit agencies in the country, and they continue to lead the way with best-in-class innovation, a safe and seamless customer experience, and a transit system that works for all. We are proud to be their partner.” 

“American Express is committed to making everyday travel easier and more rewarding for our Card Members,” said Lorenzo Soriano, Senior Vice President on the Merchant Services-U.S. team at American Express. “Through our partnership with WMATA, riders across the D.C. Metro Rail and Bus system can now tap their Amex Card to pay – bringing the speed and security of contactless payments to their daily commute. Amex is helping locals and visitors pay seamlessly throughout the D.C. Metro area, from transit to dining, shopping, and entertainment.” 

Tap. Ride. Go. was launched with help from contractors Littlepay (software) and Cubic (fareboxes). 

“The extension of Tap. Ride. Go. to Metrobus is another successful milestone, and we commend WMATA for their bold, agile approach to this implementation," said Amin Shayan, CEO of Littlepay. "By prioritizing a modular, 'tap and ride' experience on the bus, WMATA has rapidly delivered a tangible benefit to customers, just months after the Metrorail launch. This strategy minimizes risk and proves that transit agencies don't need multi-year, complex projects to deliver world-class payment innovation. We're proud that our open-architecture software has been a key component enabling this faster, smarter way to transform the rider experience.”  

"We’re honored to help bring Tap. Ride. Go. to Metrobus riders across the region,” said Peter Montgomery-Torrellas, President of Cubic Transportation Systems. “Extending contactless payments to buses is another important step toward a fully unified fare experience that gives customers the same seamless simplicity no matter how they travel. Our partnership with WMATA continues to deliver on the promise of modern, intuitive, and accessible mobility for every rider.” 

About Metro 

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), known as Metro, is the region’s leading public transportation provider, serving a population of approximately four million people across Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia within a 2,054-square-mile jurisdiction. With a network of six rail lines, 98 stations, 125 bus routes, and a door-to-door paratransit service, Metro is the second busiest transit system in the United States with a $5 billion operating and capital budget. Since 2022, Metro has completed multiple transit-oriented development projects that have brought $15 million in tax revenue to the region from housing, office, and retail space in our community. Safety and security are a priority at Metro. Over 30,000 cameras monitor the system, and Metro is currently at an 8-year crime low with fare evasion down 82%. In 2025, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) named Metro the Transit Agency of the Year in recognition of industry-leading ridership growth, record high customer satisfaction, a newly redesigned bus network, expanded rail service, and improved customer experience.