Metro News Release
For immediate release: June 20, 2014
SmarTrip® cards now available at selected Walmart stores
Metro riders can now purchase new SmarTrip cards or add value to an existing card at four Walmart stores in the Washington region.
Walmart is the latest major retail outlet to offer shoppers the convenience of purchasing SmarTrip right where they shop.
The four Walmart stores that currently offer SmarTrip sales are:
- 6210 Annapolis Road, Landover Hills, MD 20784
- 99 H Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20001
- 5929 Georgia Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20001
- 1500 B Cornerside Boulevard, Vienna, VA 22182
New SmarTrip® cards can be purchased at the Walmart Customer Service counter for $10 ($2 for the card, preloaded with $8 in fare value). In addition, customers can add value to their card right in the store.
SmarTrip® is faster, safer and more convenient than paying with cash or using a paper farecard. On Metrorail, each trip taken with a SmarTrip® card cost $1 less than those taken with a paper farecard. SmarTrip® is also the only way to take advantage of cost-saving transfer options between Metrobus and Metrorail.
Today, more than 90 percent of all Metro riders already use a SmarTrip card to pay for their trip.
The plastic, reloadable SmarTrip® cards can be registered online to protect the balance in the event the card is lost or stolen. Metro’s newest feature, called Auto Reload, gives SmarTrip users the convenience of having value automatically loaded to their card anytime their balance drops below $10. It’s a “set it and forget it” feature that means riders always have value on their card without having to stop at a vending machine.
SmarTrip® cards are available for purchase throughout the Washington region from more than 300 retail outlets including Giant, CVS/pharmacy, and now Walmart. In addition to retail outlets, SmarTrip® cards may be purchased online, at Metro sales offices and commuter stores and through vending machines at all Metrorail stations.
News release issued at 12:55 pm, June 20, 2014.