Spend Your MTBP Benefits

The word 'Spend' on a medium blue background

SmarTrip® Direct Benefits

On the first workday of the benefits period, benefits will be applied directly to your SmarTrip® card the first time you tap your card to a Metro Rail faregate (entry turnstile) or bus SmarTrip® card target. (*)(**)

When you tap your card on the target for the first time during the benefit period, the transit benefit balance displayed on the screen at the Metro faregate or Bus farebox will be your full monthly benefit amount. As you ride during the month, you will be using your benefits as you commute on mass transit.

* SmarTrip® card must have a history of use and a positive personal balance in order to load benefits. You do not need to spend personal funds to establish a history of use. You can tap your card on a "farecards and passes" machine along the walls of a Metro station at any point in the 3 weeks prior to benefits loading. After tapping your card, you will see your personal balance. Hit "press for cancel" and you are done.

** If a history is not established in the 3 weeks prior to benefits loading, benefits will still load, but they may take 3 to 5 days after first use to establish a history and start working.

 

SmartBenefits® on 3rd Party Transportation Providers

Commuters using 3rd Party benefits must first establish an account with the 3rd Party provider. See the Allocate Your MTBP Benefits page for the necessary instructions to set up your account.

Depending on your selected mode of transportation and the options you have selected, your fare media can be:

  • Mailed to your home address
  • Picked up at a Commuter Store location
  • Delivered to your vanpool provider
  • Delivered to your commuter bus operator and picked up from the bus conductor

Once you receive your fare media, use it as required by your transportation provider.

SmarTrip® cards cannot be used directly on the following modes of transit. You must use a transit benefit allocation or CommuterDirect.com for service on the following transit providers:

 

Riders of VRE and MARC

  1. You must first create an account with CommuterDirect.com to automatically move your benefit, or a portion of your benefit, from your SmarTrip® card to CommuterDirect each month (you only need to do this step once).
  2. Receive your pass in the mail each month or arrange to pick it up at a Commuter Store location.

Allocation Deadline is the 15th of the month prior to benefit delivery.

Contact:
CommuterDirect.com 703-228-7433 or
questions@CommuterDirect.com

 

Riders of MTA Commuter Buses: Dillon's Bus, Keller Bus, Eyre Bus, Martz (Maryland routes)

  1. You must first create an account with CommuterDirect.com to automatically move your benefit, or a portion of your benefit, from your SmarTrip® card to CommuterDirect each month (you only need to do this step once).
  2. Receive your pass in the mail each month or arrange to pick it up at a Commuter Store location.

Allocation Deadline is the 15th of the month prior to benefit delivery.

Contact:
MTA Commuter Direct at 410-967-2212 or
questions@CommuterDirect.com

 

Riders of Vanpools

  1. You must first create an account with WMATA SmartBenefits® Passenger Allocation System to automatically move your benefit, or a portion of your benefit, from your SmarTrip® card to your Vanpool provider each month (you only need to do this step once).
  2. Ask your Vanpool provider for specific information to identify your Vanpool in the allocation.
  3. Benefits will be delivered directly to the Vanpool’s account on the first of the month.

Allocation Deadline is the 21st of the month prior to benefit delivery.

Contact:
SmarTrip® Customer Service 888-762-7874 or
smartrip@wmata.com

 

Riders of Martz Group/National Coach (Virginia routes)

  1. You must first create an account with WMATA SmartBenefits® Passenger Allocation System to automatically move your benefit, or a portion of your benefit, from your SmarTrip® card to your Vanpool provider each month (you only need to do this step once).
  2. Pick up your pass from the conductor on the first of every month.

Allocation Deadline is the 21st of the month prior to benefit delivery.

Contact:
Martz Group 866-466-2789

 

Riders of MetroAccess

  1. Read the How to allocate SmartBenefits® to your MetroAccess account brochure.
  2. You must first create an account with WMATA SmartBenefits® Passenger Allocation System to automatically move your benefit, or a portion of your benefit, from your SmarTrip® card to your Vanpool provider each month (you only need to do this step once).
  3. Manage your SmartBenefits® utilizing MetroAccess EZ-Pay.

Allocation Deadline is the 21st of the month prior to benefit delivery.

Contact:
MetroAccess 301-562-5360 (Press 0 (zero))

 

Riders of Amtrak

Contact:
MTBP Program Office 571-256-0962 or
Transitpass@whs.mil

Amtrak does not provide a direct email address, but riders can get live customer assistance from the Amtrak Contact Us page.

* The "Allocate" step is only required if the transportation provider does not use SmarTrip® card readers.