The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) launched a tap-to-pay program Nov. 18 that allows riders to pay Metrobus fares with credit or debit cards instead of SmarTrip cards.
The new “Tap. Ride. Go.” bus feature is an expansion of the Metrorail tap-to-pay system that launched in May, which has been successfully used for over six million trips to date. Many Georgetown University students expressed hope that the feature will make their daily bus rides more efficient.
Metro General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke said the change is part of WMATA’s wider efforts to improve D.C. public transit accessibility and productivity.
“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,” Clarke said at a launch event.
Riders who rely on SmartBenefits, a fee-free commuter benefits program, will still have to use SmarTrip cards, which include students who receive funds from the Hoya Transit Program, a Georgetown initiative that provides students with a monthly $50 WMATA credit.
Cecilio Sandoval (CAS ’26) said he has been slowed down before by SmarTrip complications and hopes the tap-to-pay feature will solve these issues.
“It saves me from having to refill/transfer funds to my SmarTrip card,” Sandoval wrote to The Hoya. “Most of the time I’m in a hurry, so I can’t check to see if I have funds on my SmarTrip card. I’ve missed a couple of rides (about five) before because I had to stand to the side to add money to get to my next stop.”
“I’ve already seen this system be successful for tourists navigating the Metro,” Sandoval added. “Would normally see tourists struggling to get SmarTrip cards from the machine, but now WMATA employees direct them to the tap-to-pay feature, and it’s done in less than five seconds.”
WMATA worked with software contractor Littlepay to reconfigure farebox contractor Cubic’s Tri-Reader devices to implement the new feature. Littlepay is continuing to work with WMATA to implement parking rollouts and create a “Discounts and Benefits Digital Registration Portal” for seniors, students, veterans and disabled riders.
In a press release, Littlepay CEO Amin Shayan said the tap-to-pay feature is a successful milestone that further optimizes the transit system.
“Hopefully this marks the end of an era of costly and disruptive system overhauls across the industry,” Shayan said in a press release. “We congratulate WMATA on having the confidence and foresight to challenge industry norms and set a new standard that saves taxpayers millions of dollars.”
Cindy Reyes (MSB, CAS ’26), a Capitol Applied Learning Labs (CALL) student, said the new tap-to-pay bus feature has already saved her time during her daily commute.
“I had to be on time for work after my class at Capitol Campus, so being able to just tap and pay at Union Station was convenient, since I had left my Metro card at home and didn’t have time to go pick it up,” Reyes wrote to The Hoya.
Reyes said she thinks the program will improve transportation efficiency for riders in the long run.
“I think it’s already having a successful start, as I saw other Metro users also tapping their phones to pay instead of having to purchase a Metro card and load it,” Reyes wrote.
WMATA has attempted to crack down on fare evasion since 2022, resulting in the installation of higher faregates and an increase in civil citations after emergency legislation was passed. Metro reported that the agency is currently seeing an eight-year crime low, with fare evasion down 82%. Clarke told the Washington Post that he is hopeful that tap payments will help mitigate fare evasion on buses specifically.
Sandoval said he believes the program might help address gate-jumping by reducing the time it takes to get through faregates.
“For some, it’s an inconvenience to have a SmarTrip card (physical or digital) or not having funds loaded onto their SmarTrip card,” Sandoval wrote. “This new system can’t guarantee a stop to gate jumping, but it could reduce the chances of it happening if you’re able to get through much faster with a simple tap from your phone.”
