Introduction
Commuters living in the Washington Metro Area will need to directly elect their transit pass within their employer's commute website. This article describes the steps to take to enroll in the WMATA SmartBenefits Transit Pass benefit.
Note
In order to elect this benefit, you will first need to purchase a virtual or physical SmarTrip card and register the card on the SmartBenefits website. For information on purchasing your SmarTrip card, please visit the SmarTrip website.
Making Your WMATA SmartBenefits Transit Pass Election
To elect a WMATA SmartBenefits transit pass, log into your employer's commute website, then follow the instructions below:
1. Within your employer's commute website, navigate to the Benefit Elections tab in the left hand navigation menu.
2. The page will contain your Current Monthly Election Summary. This page will not list any active benefits until you have made a benefit election. Click the button to Enroll in Available Benefits.
3. On the Available Benefits page, you will see a list of all the commuter benefit options for which you are eligible. To see the details for the SmartBenefits Transit Pass Stored Value or SmartBenefits Transit Stored Value benefit, click the applicable row.
4. Read through the information about this monthly benefit, including the election date and payroll deduction date. If you are electing the SmartBenefits Transit Pass Stored Value option, click the drop down menu to explore the pass value options. Then decide whether and how much you would like to contribute from your paycheck as a pre-tax deduction. Anything you choose to contribute will be applied on top of any employer-provided subsidy. If you would like to elect this benefit, click Enroll.
5. Read through the information about this benefit. If you selected the SmartBenefits Transit Stored Value option, you may edit the amount listed in the Your Contribution and Employer Subsidy boxes. As a best practice, the sum of Your Contribution and Employer Subsidy amounts should be enough to cover your monthly transit commute costs.
As an example, if your monthly transit pass costs $200 and your employer offers a subsidy of $130, it would be recommended that you choose the full employer subsidy amount of $130 and add a personal contribution of $70. Take note of the listed parameters to ensure you're making elections that do not exceed the benefit guidelines. For additional detail, check out our Maximizing Your Pre-Tax Benefits article.
If you selected the SmartBenefits Transit Stored Value option and decide to change the amount of this benefit, you will need to go back to the previous page and select a different option from the drop-down menu.
6. Scroll down and enter your SmarTrip Card number. The card number you enter should correspond with your existing SmarTrip card (either virtual or physical), which will be funded based on your elections.
Finally, click the links to read the Terms and Conditions associated with this election. Check the boxes to agree and click Submit. You will be able to make edits to this election until the end of the election period.
After clicking Submit, you will be directed to the Elected Benefits page, which will contain a summary of your elected benefits. To make changes to this election at any point before the election period closes, click Edit. To cancel your election at any point before the end of the election period, click Cancel.
Your SmarTrip card will be funded by the end of the month.