Caring for SmarTrip Cards
Sunday, December 9, 2007; Page
Metro has issued about 2.5 million SmarTrip cards since 1999. About 1.5 million are in active use. They are accepted on Metrorail, Metrobus and eight regional bus systems.
Here are some tips from Metro about the reusable electronic card:
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¿ To avoid damaging the electronic chip and printed antennas along the edges of the card, don't bend, flex or punch a hole in the card.
¿ If the card lies flat and has no visible signs of damage but still doesn't work, tap the card on the round SmarTrip target on a fare machine. If the small LED light is green, the card is working but might not have registered an entry or exit from the fare gate.
¿ The cards appear to be more sensitive in cold weather. In winter, there are more reports of damaged and defective cards than in warmer months. There were 1,120 damaged cards in February, compared with 646 in June. Said Greg Garback, Metro's SmarTrip manager: "Don't scrape the ice from your windshield with it."
