How to Use Smart Benefits

Use your Smart Benefits Dashboard

The Smart Benefits Dashboard lets you see your Smart Trip card’s upcoming benefit status and monthly benefit, as well as the contact information for your Smart Benefits administrator.

To access your dashboard:

  1. Log in to your Smart Trip account.
  2. Select the Smart Trip card you use for Smart Benefits.
  3. Select Manage Smart Benefits.

If your organization supports Smart Benefits self-service, you can submit online requests to your Smart Benefits administrator to change your benefit status or monthly benefit amount. If the buttons or links to make changes are enabled, select them and follow the prompts. To learn more,  view a brief video. Remember to submit changes by your organization’s monthly deadline.

You can also use the dashboard to allocate your Smart Benefits to regional transit providers that do not accept the Smart Trip card.

Take advantage of transit allocation

You can allocate your Smart Benefits transit benefit to pay for rides on eligible vanpools, MARC, VRE, MTA Commuter Bus, and Metro Access. To learn more, watch this brief video.

Once you set up a transit allocation in the Smart Benefits Dashboard, your transit provider is automatically paid each month. You have until 11:59 pm ET on the 21st of each month to set up or change your transit allocation for the upcoming month’s benefits.

Click a link below for instructions on how to set-up a transit allocation that's right for you.

Mobile ticketing: VRE, MARC, and MTA Commuter Bus

Step 1
Access your Smart Benefits Dashboard. In the Transit Allocation section, select Add Transit Provider, then select VRE or MTA Mobile Ticketing. Follow the prompts to set up your allocation.

Step 2
Open a mobile ticketing app account with  VRE or MTA CharmPass. Enter your Smart Trip card number to link the account to your Smart Benefits allocation.

Paper passes: VRE, MARC, and MTA Commuter Bus

You have two options for paper passes: ticket-by-mail or in-store pick-up.

Ticket-by-mail

VRE, MARC, and MTA Commuter Bus use CommuterDirect for ticket-by-mail delivery.

Step 1
Access your Smart Benefits Dashboard. In the Transit Allocation section, select Add Transit Provider, then select CommuterDirect. Follow the prompts to set up your allocation.

Step 2
Open a CommuterDirect account. Enter your Smart Trip card number to link the account to your Smart Benefits allocation.

In-Store Pick-up

VRE, MARC, and MTA Commuter Bus: In the Transit Allocation section of the Smart Benefits Dashboard, select CMTRStore/MARC TVM and enter your allocation. You must open a CommuterStore account using your Smart Trip card number.

VRE-only stores: In the Transit Allocation section of the Smart Benefits Dashboard, select VRE and follow the prompts to set up your allocation. Read more information.

Vanpool passengers

Step 1
List of Vanpools that Accept SmartBenefits.

If your vanpool operator has multiple routes, contact them in advance to get the driver’s name for your route.

Step 2
Access your Smart Benefits Dashboard. In the Transit Allocation section, select Add Transit Provider, choose Vanpool, and follow the prompts to set up your allocation.

Metro Access passengers

Step 1
Have your Metro Access ID number ready.

Step 2
Access your Smart Benefits Dashboard. In the Transit Allocation section, select Add Transit Provider, choose Metro Access, and follow the prompts to set up your allocation.

Step 3
Set up a Metro Access EZ‑Pay account. You will need your Metro Access ID and Smart Trip card number.

Claim your transit or parking Smart Benefits

How to claim or use your benefits

To claim or access your transit or parking benefits, use your Smart Trip card just as you would when paying a fare or parking fee. The appropriate amount is deducted from your Smart Trip account’s transit or parking purse.

You can use your card at:

  • A Metro Rail fare gate
  • A bus farebox
  • A Metro parking target

Beginning on the first of each month, a new benefit amount is available for use.

How transit, parking, and Stored Value work together

  • Transit funds cannot be transferred between purses.
  • Transit benefits cannot be used for parking.
  • Parking benefits cannot be used for transit.
  • Transit and parking benefits cannot be transferred to your personal Stored Value purse.

Your personal Stored Value purse can be loaded with additional funds and may be used for either transit or parking.

When you pay:

  1. Charges are deducted from your transit or parking benefits purse first.
  2. If those funds are exhausted, payment is deducted from your Stored Value purse.

What happens to unused benefits

Your employer determines how unused benefits are handled. Unused benefits may be:

  • Credited back to your employer’s Smart Benefits account, or
  • Rolled over to your transit or parking benefits accounts for future use.

Note: SmartBenefits do not load to your Smart Trip card if you plan to use transit service providers that do not accept Smart Trip cards such as vanpools, MARC, VRE, MTA Commuter Bus, or Metro Access. 

Smart Benefits and Smart Trip cards

Employees get the convenience and security of using Smart Trip cards. With a registered Smart Trip card, there are no worries about demagnetized or damaged paper cards or lost cards.

Learn more about replacing a Smart Trip card.

When employees replace a lost Smart Trip card, they must provide the serial number of their new registered Smart Trip card to their employer so that Smart Benefits can be reassigned.