Metro’s SmarTrip launched today on iPhone and Apple Watch

From WMATA:

“Today, SmarTrip® — the way to pay for Metro and all regional transit providers in the Washington, DC area — is launching on iPhone and Apple Watch, giving riders new and unparalleled convenience. Riders can now add a SmarTrip card to iPhone and Apple Watch, and simply hold their device near the card reader to pay anywhere SmarTrip is accepted: all 91 Metrorail stations in DC, Maryland and Virginia; all Metro parking garages and lots; all Metrobus routes; and all regional bus providers, including ART, DASH, Fairfax Connector, Cue, Ride On, TheBus, Circulator, Loudoun County Transit, and Potomac and Rappahannock Transit/PRTC.

SmarTrip on iPhone and Apple Watch provides riders a “touch-free” experience and a safer way to pay. Riders do not need to touch card readers or vending machines, and with Express Transit, they can move quickly through stations and fare gates without the need to use Face ID, Touch ID, or wake their device.

Riders can easily view their stored value balance, passes and SmartBenefits in Apple Wallet on iPhone and Apple Watch, and can instantly reload funds with Apple Pay, removing the need to use a vending machine. Adding a SmarTrip card to an iPhone and Apple Watch is also easy and quick. A new card can be purchased directly in Apple Wallet, or a rider can transfer a physical SmarTrip or Senior SmarTrip card and its contents to their iPhone or Apple Watch.

“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,” said 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,” said 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.”