Metro SmarTrip card can now be used on iPhone, Apple Watch

Commuters using Metro buses and trains to work can now add the SmarTrip cards to their iPhones and Apple watches. It’s a new touch-free method they can use to pay for their rides, just as they can at the supermarket.

More from Metro’s press release:

“We are excited to deliver a new level of convenience and simplicity for our customers. If you have an iPhone or Apple Watch, you already have everything you need to simply tap and go,” stated Metro General Manager/CEO Paul J. Wiedefeld. “In every step in the customer journey, SmarTrip on iPhone and Apple Watch makes it simpler, easier, faster, safer… just better.”

“Residents in the Washington D.C. area who rely on SmarTrip now have a safer way to pay for their rides using just their iPhone or Apple Watch,” stated Jennifer Bailey, Apple’s vice president of Apple Pay. “By adding their SmarTrip cards to their Apple devices, riders can take advantage of this ‘tap and go’ experience and also be assured that their transaction information is secure and private.”

To complement SmarTrip in Apple Wallet, Metro has also launched the new SmarTrip app in the App Store. In the app, Metro riders can add funds, check balances, set up Auto Reload, and even manage SmartBenefits from their employer. Money-saving passes, like Metro’s 7-day unlimited bus pass ($12), can also be purchased in the app and added to SmarTrip in seconds, eliminating the need make a special trip to a sales office, rail station, or retail store.

SmarTrip on iPhone and Apple Watch is a first of its kind in North America, the result of integration between Metro, Apple, and Cubic Transportation Systems, the company behind the SmarTrip system. The new mobile-based solution offers more accessibility options for riders with disabilities, and support for multiple languages is being introduced into the SmarTrip system for the first time. It is also expected to be an added convenience for visitors and tourists, replacing vending machines with the familiar devices they use all the time. And, when large-scale events resume, SmarTrip on iPhone and Apple Watch will mean never having to wait in line to add value or buy a card.

SmarTrip on iPhone and Apple Watch is now available on iPhone 8 and later as well as Apple Watch Series 3 and later. For more information, visit wmata.com/ApplePay.