How to pay to ride Metro

Ways to pay

You can use your Smart Trip card or your contactless credit card to pay for Metro. Either tap the plastic card, or use your mobile wallet. 

Setting up and using your mobile wallet on Metro

For parking, you can tap your Smart Trip card, swipe a credit card, and at some locations you can also tap a contactless credit card or mobile wallet.

Cash

For rail, any cash must be loaded onto a Smart Trip card using a fare vending machine. 

Learn more about fare vending machines.

For bus, cash is accepted but must be exact change. 

When to pay

When riding Metro Rail, tap your card or phone at the faregates at both the start and end of your trip. If you're using a contactless credit card, remember to use the same card when you enter and exit. 

On bus, you only need to tap when you get on. 

For parking, you pay when you exit the garage.

To get a riders rate, you need to use the same card you used to ride.