From WMATA.com

It's easy to buy SmarTrip®. Purchase your card online with your Visa, Mastercard or Discover card. The total cost of buying online is $30. That's because your SmarTrip® card will be mailed to you with $25 in value already on the card.

Purchase at Metro sales offices, retail outlets and commuter stores for $5. SmarTrip® cards are also sold for $10 (with $5 value loaded) through vending machines at all stations where parking is available.

In each of these scenarios they are charging $5 not $10+ for the plastic. The rest of the value is preloaded to the card.

So the dispute here is over $1.50? Come on. There are many things WMATA doesn't even break even on. Yet the moment you find something they're not selling at cost it's worth multiple blog posts of complaining. I say leave it as is. People like round numbers. Plus, while they are making some profit on the plastic that isn't going into shareholders wallets it's covering other expenses in the system. If you take care of your smart trip card this should only be a one-time purchase rather than recurring $1.50 they are slamming riders with.

by Paul on Dec 12, 2008 8:59 am • link • report

They do give some away (at homeless shelters, right?), and I don't see a problem with smartcard being sold somewhat above cost due to that.

Also its pretty convenient that you can put a ten in the machine and the card costs five bucks, and comes with 5 bucks on it.

by Kiran on Dec 12, 2008 9:09 am • link • report

There is also some value for the consumer in being able to replace the money if the card is lost/stolen. I've had one stolen and one that cracked in my pocket. If I lose a paper farecard, I lose the money. I'm fine with paying a little extra to have some insurance...

by Pat on Dec 12, 2008 9:13 am • link • report

While I don't have a DC One card, they appear to be free and also serve as SmartTrip cards:

http://www.dconecard.dc.gov/dconecard/cwp/view,a,1243,q,461170.asp

by Erik on Dec 12, 2008 9:22 am • link • report

One could argue that smartTrip card usage saves WMATA money. It should also be noted that the smarTrip card provides convienence to the passenger which has a value.

Oh the dilemma the central planning commitee faces with thorny problem. I suggest we (just this once) allow capitalist intrusion and let the market decide. Continue to charge $5 for the card. If people stop buying it, lower the price until they do. But don't lower it below the acquisition cost and potential savings to the system.

Once WMATA can figure out how to stop tracks from catching on fire and rails from bending in the heat, they can launch a blue ribbon commision of the finest economic minds to determine the best and most fair price for this card.

Until then, $5 seems like an ok price to me. I'm cheap and I had no problem with this charge.

by Tom on Dec 12, 2008 9:35 am • link • report

One could argue that smartTrip card usage saves WMATA money. It should also be noted that the smarTrip card provides convienence to the passenger which has a value.

Oh the dilemma the central planning commitee faces with thorny problem. I suggest we (just this once) allow capitalist intrusion and let the market decide. Continue to charge $5 for the card. If people stop buying it, lower the price until they do. But don't lower it below the acquisition cost and potential savings to the system.

Once WMATA can figure out how to stop tracks from catching on fire and rails from bending in the heat, they can launch a blue ribbon commision of the finest economic minds to determine the best and most fair price for this card.

Until then, $5 seems like an ok price to me. I'm cheap and I had no problem with this charge.

by Tom on Dec 12, 2008 9:36 am • link • report

I'm actually surprised it costs WMATA so much for each card. I always viewed the $5 cost more as a deposit. Since the cards will allow you one trip resulting in a negative value, so long as you have any money on the card, Metro can't really charge less than the maximum fare, currently $4.50, for a card.

If cards were sold for $3.50, people could buy empty cards (or cards with $5 on them and use them until they're at a nickel), take a maximum fare ride, and have a higher negative balance on the card than the card is worth. It wouldn't be worth it to anyone to put more money on the card, except convenience if the owner has registered the card, so you could expect many to be thrown away.

This would create the possibility of a modest discount for long-distance metro commuters, but would dramatically reduce WMATA revenue. Instead of getting $4.50 for a fare (at no marginal cost to Metro), Metro would get $3.50 for the card that cost them $3.50 to make.

Giving cards away to at-risk groups in DC makes sense, though, since they are much less likely to take long-haul Metro trips at rush hour. Furthermore, people aren't likely to throw away their SmartTrip cards since they get a discounted bus fare. Also, embedding the SmartTrip chip in ID cards also makes sense, because people aren't likely to throw away their ID to save $1. All these ideas make sense, and in the long-run, it probably saves Metro money to distribute SmartTrips to at-risk groups, but I don't think reducing the cost for everyone is a good idea.

by JohnOfCharleston on Dec 12, 2008 9:56 am • link • report

Just cost me $5 for the one I picked up yesterday.

As a side note, being able to use the machine right next to it to add value certainly helped.

by Froggie on Dec 12, 2008 10:48 am • link • report

*They do give some away (at homeless shelters, right?), and I don't see a problem with smartcard being sold somewhat above cost due to that.*

Sounds like a massive arbitrage opportunity.

by Tim on Dec 12, 2008 12:32 pm • link • report

"Sounds like a massive arbitrage opportunity."

To be a little more specific they have given tens of thousands to social service agencies. If one of those agencies decides to go around selling smartrips for a dollar less than WMATA, they could get some decent bank. However the card is worth something to at-risk groups and the odds of any decently run agency doing that is probably low.

I have no problem considering the $1.50 'premium' I paid (twice!) for smartrip as a tiny donation helping WMATA give those agencies that help the at risk a few cards.

by Kiran on Dec 12, 2008 12:54 pm • link • report

The discounted/free cards for the poor is a limited-time offer, they won't be around forever.

And yes, I agree with JohnOfCharleston that the $5 cost prevents people from just ditching the cards when they achieve a negative balance.

You also have to remember that Metro is also providing an additional benefit to SmarTrip users, namely that if you lose/damage the card, you can get the value back. Try doing that with a farecard.

by Adam on Dec 12, 2008 1:34 pm • link • report

Don't the paper tickets cost money? Since when are disposable items free?

by Jasper on Dec 12, 2008 3:44 pm • link • report

I also don't mind the $1.50 extra I've given to Metro.

When Atlanta converted their fare system from tokens and mag-stripe passes to an RFID system also manufactured by Cubic, they created two types of smart cards. One, called the Breeze *Card* is just like the SmarTrip. It's hard and plastic, and costs $5.00. They also created short-term Breeze *Tickets* which are meant to be used by tourists. These are made of paper, and aren't as sturdy. Each of these Tickets costs $0.50, which you don't get back--and you get charged with it every time you buy one.

Now that's a way to get people off of the paper farecards. Put a $0.50 surcharge on them. Each time you get a new one, you pay. But if you refill it, there's no extra charge.

Now, I for one, think that MARTA (or WMATA for that matter) shouldn't charge for the paper tickets, because it's tantamount to a fare increase, especially since the only way you can transfer is with either Breeze Card or Ticket.

However, the Cards and Tickets cost money to manufacture, and MARTA has to recoup the price somehow. When the new fare system debuted, MARTA gave the cards away for free (including postage) for almost a year. Mine didn't cost me anything, and while I'm only in Atlanta once or twice a year, it still works.

Note: When the system came out, I was still living in Atlanta.

But I don't think a small profit for WMATA is too high a price to pay. After all, SmarTrip comes with at least $1.50's worth of benefits in terms of cheaper bus fares (by $0.10), faster entry and exit from the system, and looking like a local when using one.

I've taken the bus at least 15 times since I got my SmarTrip, so I've already used up the $1.50 profit.

by Matt' on Dec 12, 2008 3:54 pm • link • report

I sure am glad I have a salary and make a decent living.

Because riding the bus for people who don't sure got a lot harder with the smart trip cards.

The reason is that without a card, you cannot transfer for free now (or soon).

Imagine the hassle you gotta go through to load $1 onto your card everytime you ride the bus. Or whatever the amount is to cover the negative balance.

To me, it's a shame. The bus used to take pennies. Sure, for readers of this blog, pennies are little more than a nuisance. But for many people, including me for many years, pennies were essential to get on the bus. And, since they changed the fare box, not only does it not take pennies, but it's more finicky than ever and takes longer to suck in the money than it used to. MUCH longer.

Again, another slight to those who have no choice but to pay cash.

Imagine the hold up to the line as someone fumbles with their dollar bill and nickles to load up their smart trip card. People are not going to be so patient.

Poor people hate Smart Trip cards. But who could not care less about them?

by Jazzy on Dec 12, 2008 8:37 pm • link • report

Everyone, especially WMATA, is missing the real money-making opportunity here. Metro needs to start issuing commemorative, limited-edition smart cards with pictures of Pandas or Obama (or Obama AND a Panda!). Tourists and collectors will snap them up at $10 a pop and never use them -- a free $6.50 for Metro every time. It's a no brainer, yet this simple idea continues to elude Metro.

by Cary on Dec 13, 2008 8:33 am • link • report

Interestingly enough, WMATA will be offering commemorative Obama Inauguration SmarTrip cards . These will go on sale for $10 in early January. They are printing about 35,000 of these.

Additionally, they will be loading the farecard machines with paper Obama Inauguration cards as well.

by Matt' on Dec 13, 2008 10:56 am • link • report

Wmata needs to get all the damn passes on to smartrip cards that should have been the first thing to do even before having them available to use on the buses.

If Wmata had the different bus and rail passes on them say a year ago metro could have got rid of everything but regular farecards for everybody saying the smartrip cards has a convenice where they dont have passes on them you pay ragular fare no discounts like with a bus or rail pass so until those are added smartrips wont be in massive use unless WMATA turned around and says one day that they require a smartrip to ride.

by kk on Dec 14, 2008 1:03 pm • link • report

What?

by Jazzy on Dec 14, 2008 1:28 pm • link • report

I'm also surprised by the cost.

They use similar plastic cards in Singapore (only they're blank white ones). You put a deposit of a couple of dollars into a machine, and then how much money you want to go toward fares, it dispenses the card, you use it and then when you're done, feed the card back into the machine and it gives you your 2 dollars back. Why is Metro's system so complicated?

by lou on Dec 15, 2008 1:32 pm • link • report

I hope the concept does not catch on. Imagine paying for a drink and getting charged separately for the glass. Will supermarkets try renting use of their shopping carts? Metro's move is one more step towards a meaner world.

by freetransfer on Jan 5, 2009 9:13 am • link • report

Is there any way to buy a short trip pass and have it reside on your Smartrip card? Or do we have to keep buying the paper passes, and no longer get a transfer discount when we go to the bus?

by Bill in Bethesda on Jan 5, 2009 11:44 am • link • report

Bill in Bethesda: Not currently, though WMATA is working on such a function to be delivered in the fall. Your options are as you said, either pay full fare with a Smartrip Card and get the transfers, or buy a paper pass and pay full bus fare.

by Michael Perkins on Jan 5, 2009 3:21 pm • link • report

Well, can I at least use my Smartrip card to buy the short trip pass? The machines don't seem to want to let me do that--if I'm stuck paying full fare all year (because my company removed the option of getting paper metro fare cards) it's going to cost me hundreds of dollars!

by Bill in Bethesda on Jan 5, 2009 5:29 pm • link • report

Bill, This question has come up before at my work since my company is also switching to Smartbenefits (which requires you to download your transit benefit onto Smartrip unless you're taking a limited number of transit providers that don't accept Smartrip). I'll have to ask WMATA on this one, but my guess is you're screwed.

You want to email me at michaelp@ggwash.org and I can email you directly with any answer I get?

by Michael Perkins on Jan 5, 2009 5:54 pm • link • report

Bill, it looks like the answer is for you to request Smartbenefits vouchers in the amount of the pass you want to purchase, and then purchase that pass with the vouchers, putting the rest of the value on your Smartrip card? The information I've been able to find doesn't say where you can exchange your vouchers for passes, I'm going to assume at the Metro Sales Office at Metro Center, not the most convenient option, for sure.

See this page for more information.

Also, you could try calling 202-962-1326 and selecting option 3 during working hours (before 4pm!). If you don't get a good answer on the first try, I've heard that calling back can get you different results.

Hopefully all this will become easier when the promised Smartrip upgrades happen by the end of 2009.

Good luck!

by Michael Perkins on Jan 5, 2009 8:31 pm • link • report

I am at a loss to the convenience of SmartBenefits vouchers... I just started working in DC 2 months ago, and I signed up for the SmartBenefits program at my job. At first, I was taking the bus and so I chose the vouchers option to receive my benefits. But now I have moved and I have been reloading my metro Smartrip card out of pocket because I cannot figure out how to use the $90 of SmartBenefits vouchers I have! This is a huge problem for me as I am really low on cash since being on unemployment previously.

I have researched online, called wmata, and walked all the way to the Metro Sales Office to resolve this issue to no avail. I was told by an employee of metro that my options are to ask my employer to exchange my vouchers for fare cards, which I asked, and they can't. Or I could purchase weekly passes, which would waste money as they expire after 7 days and I would only use it for 5.

Am I missing something? I called the 202.962.1326 during business hours, no on picked up, so I left a message...

by Pamela on Feb 26, 2009 9:27 am • link • report

Why are you uncritically accepting that these cards cost so much? 13.56MHz RFID cards can be bought by perfectly normal humans for $0.24 each -- try searching Google Shopping.

by Chris Combs on Sep 16, 2010 2:05 pm • link • report