Customers can now “Tap. Ride. Go.” with contactless credit, debit cards at Metrorail station faregates

Today, Metro launched a new, faster, and easier way to pay fares called “Tap. Ride. Go.”

Customers can now simply tap a contactless credit or debit card with the contactless symbol or mobile wallet/smartwatch virtual cards on rail station fare gates to pay for fares. SmarTrip cards (physical and mobile) will continue to be an option to pay for fares and parking.

Tap. Ride. Go. will be available for use on Metrobuses and at Metro parking facilities in the future. 

The new way to pay will greatly benefit tourists and occasional customers who want to avoid fare machines and SmarTrip cards altogether. Customers can simply tap in at a faregate with a contactless credit or debit card and tap out with the same card to pay for their fares.

“Our Board of Directors is proud to celebrate Metro’s latest transformative initiative,” said Metro Board of Directors Chair Valerie Santos. “The launch of Tap. Ride. Go. fits into our strategic vision of enhancing service efficiency and accessibility. We expect that open payment will offer increased convenience for our customers — especially visitors to our National Capital Region — making it easier to access Metro, simplify their travel experience, and explore the region. This innovation is designed to modernize the customer journey and elevate Metro to world-class standards for seamless transportation.”

Metro has been working on the Tap. Ride. Go. program since late last year.

“The launch of Tap. Ride. Go. directly aligns with our priorities of continuous customer improvements,” said Metro General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke. “Contactless payment is a world-class standard, and we are pleased to modernize our payment system, creating more accessibility and removing a friction point for those who may not be familiar with America’s Metro System. Instead of visiting a fare machine or buying a SmarTrip card, all customers have to do is tap, ride, and go.”

What customers need to know about Tap. Ride. Go.

• Customers must use the same card to tap in and tap out of the system.
• Each customer needs their own card. The same card cannot be used for multiple people on the same trip.
• Take out one card to tap at the faregate. 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.
• Any customer can use their contactless credit or debit card to pay at the fare gates, however those who have fare discounts or SmartBenefits will still have to use their designated SmarTrip cards.
• Free transfers from rail to bus will not be available until Tap. Ride. Go. launches on Metrobus fareboxes in the future.
• We encourage customers who use the system regularly to continue using SmarTrip cards and to register the card at smartrip.wmata.com to easily access their account information. 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 partners in launching Tap. Ride. Go.

Tap. Ride. Go. was launched with help from contractors Littlepay (software overlay), Cubic (tap target readers), and STraffic (faregates). 

“Littlepay is proud to partner with WMATA on this groundbreaking initiative. In just 5 months, our overlay solution has delivered bank card acceptance across Washington Metro at a fraction of the cost seen in other cities,” said Littlepay CEO Amin Shayan. “Hopefully, this marks the end of an era of costly and disruptive system overhauls across the industry. We congratulate WMATA on having the confidence and foresight to challenge industry norms and set a new standard that saves taxpayers millions of dollars.”

“We’re proud to have played an essential role in building Metro's vision for Tap. Ride. Go.,” said Peter Montgomery-Torrellas, President of Cubic Transportation Systems. “WMATA set a clear, high-priority timeline to enhance the rider experience with more flexible, intuitive fare payment options and this launch is a testament to that commitment. Leading the systems integration, the team at Cubic brought forward innovative engineering solutions and relentless focus to ensure the infrastructure was in place and on time. Congratulations to WMATA for launching this milestone moment for millions of customers across the region."

“STraffic is honored to partner with WMATA’s Tap. Ride. Go. initiative by providing advanced faregate solutions that support seamless, reliable, and efficient travel for customers across the region,” said STraffic America CEO Ken Cho. “Our ongoing partnership in WMATA's fare payment modernization effort reflects our commitment to accessing and applying worldwide innovations in public transit through reliance on open payment technologies.”

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

"Mastercard is proud to support Metro in delivering the next evolution of transit payments in the nation's capital," said Victoria Din, Senior Vice President, Public Sector, Mastercard. "With Tap. Ride. Go., customers gain a seamless, secure, and convenient payment experience, empowering residents and visitors alike to effortlessly navigate the city. Innovations like contactless, open-loop payments are essential to building smarter, more inclusive cities—and Metro is leading the way."

“Based just steps from the Silver Spring Station, we see every day how Metro’s investments keep the DMV moving,” said Jean-Louis Warnholz, CEO of Future, the fintech behind the FutureCard Visa Debit Card. “We’re excited to partner with Metro to reward customers with 5% cashback every time they ‘Tap. Ride.Go’ with FutureCard—and even bigger bonuses for commuters who rely on Metro every day.”

Customer Service

Self-service options for Tap. Ride. Go. are available 24/7 at the customer dashboard.

For other issues, Metro’s customer service team assists customers with questions, trip planning, and more via chat, email, phone, and our social media channels. Visit our contact page for more details.

Follow @wmata, @metrorailinfo, and @metrobusinfo on X or @wmata.com, @metrorailinfo.bsky.social, and @metrobusinfo on Bluesky for the latest service information.

Customers can call 202-GO-METRO (TTY 202-962-2033). Automated information available 24/7.

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