Sign Up for a SmartBenefits Personal Account

What is the SmartBenefits personalized account service?

The CommuterStore and CommuterDirect are working with WMATA to make SmartBenefits (electronic employee transit benefits) available to riders via a personalized transit account. With the personalized SmartBenefits account, riders will be able to access their transit benefits at an Arlington County Commuter Store or through a mail order account with CommuterDirect to purchase tickets without having to use paper fare vouchers.

Who is eligible to have a SmartBenefits personalized account?

In order to be eligible for a Commuter Store or CommuterDirect personalized account, riders must:

• Work for an employer that participates in the WMATA SmartBenefits program
• Have or be willing to get a registered SmarTrip card, and
• Purchase VRE, MARC, or MTA Commuter Bus tickets from an Arlington County based Commuter Store or be willing to establish a recurring mail order account with CommuterDirect

Will I be able to access SmartBenefits at other transit vendors?

No, personalized accounts will only be available from an Arlington County Commuter Store, the Mobile Commuter Stores, an affiliated Commuter Store, or by mail through CommuterDirect.com.

How do I establish a SmartBenefits personalized account?

You can only register for a SmartBenefits personalized account if your employer has registered you in the WMATA SmartBenefits program. Once registered by your employer visit the link below and fill out the form to add SmartBenefits to your account:

https://www.commuterdirect.com/smartbenefits/.

When will I be able to use SmartBenefits at The Commuter Store?

You will be able to access your SmartBenefits at any of our Commuter Stores on the first business day after the 22nd of the month. If you have any questions, please contact us.

How do I use SmartBenefits at The Commuter Store?

You will be able to go into a Commuter Store and request to purchase tickets with funds from your personalized account, almost like using a gift card at a name brand store. Customers must present the SmarTrip card that is enrolled with The Commuter Store account and a valid photo ID.

Step-by-step video (2 minutes, 27 seconds)

How do I use Smart Benefits with CommuterDirect.com?

You will be able to purchase tickets by mail online at www.CommuterDirect.com. You will have to first set up a CommuterDirect account. CommuterDirect will then automatically apply your transit benefits to your CommuterDirect account. Once you identify your ticket needs, either through a recurring order or a One-Time Order, your tickets will be mailed. Recurring orders will be mailed between the 11th and 22nd of each month. If your transit benefit does not cover the full purchase price of your order, CommuterDirect will charge the remaining balance to the credit card you have on file with your account.

Step-by-step video (3 minutes)

How can I change my SmartBenefits contribution amount?

The instructions on this page are for customers who have SmartBenefits assigned to CommuterDirect.com.

Please note that these steps must be completed before the 15th of the month prior to the effective SmartBenefits month. If you complete these steps after the 15th of the month prior, your SmartBenefit allocation change will not be effective until the following month's SmartBenefits. In addition, to claim your SmartBenefits for the missed month, please visit any Metro station and download the funds to your SmarTrip card. You can only use those funds on Metrorail, Metrobus or any other public transportation that allows you to physically touch your SmarTrip card to a faregate or farebox.

Steps for Changing your electronic SmartBenefits Allocation:

1. Log into CommuterDirect.com
2. Click on the My Account tab
3. On the far right, please click on the SmartBenefits tab
4. Update the Employer Contribution Amount -- Only enter the amount of your transit subsidy you would like to go towards the purchase of your MARC/VRE train ticket.
5. Update the Starting Period to the month you want it to take affect for.
6. Submit your Request
7. Once you have changed your Employer Contribution amount, click the My Account tab
8. Click on your Renewable Order VIEW button.
9. Once the next screen appears, click the Edit Renewable Order button (the little blue button next to the product type)
10. Scroll down to the payment promise amount
11. Delete the current amount
12. Enter your updated amount
13. Scroll down and click the Update Renewable Order Button

If you need assistance in changing your SmartBenefits contribution amount, or have any other questions or concerns about the electronic SmartBenefits, please feel free to contact us at 703-228-7433 from 7:00am - 6:00pm Monday - Friday.

Is there any cost for me to participate in this service?

If you do not already have a SmarTrip card, you are responsible for the $2 cost of the card. You can also use an existing card in your possession as long as it's registered.

What happens if I do not use all of my allocated benefits in a given month?

SmartBenefits funds are intended to be applied to employees' commuting costs in the month the subsidy is issued. Unused funds may be returned to employers.

Federal employees: CommuterDirect.com has been instructed by the US DOT TRANServe office to provide a full refund of all unused Electronic SmartBenefit funds from all federal employee CommuterDirect.com and Commuter Store customer accounts. Funds that are not used before 2:00 pm on the 21st of each month for the current month's transit passes will be removed from your CommuterDirect.com and Commuter Store account.

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Office of the Secretary of Transportation
[Docket No. DOT-OST-2013-0213]
Notice of Transportation Services' OMB Designation, timely return of excess transit benefits to the Treasury, and stakeholder notification of the minimum internal controls
AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, DOT.
ACTION: Notice.

If you are not a Federal employee and you receive transit subsidy benefits through private or non-Federal agencies please disregard this notice.

In order to adhere to the new federal mandate, CommuterDirect.com will begin returning any unused carryover funds from previous years as well as any unused electronic SmartBenefits starting March 22nd, 2014. Every Electronic SmartBenefits account holder will continue, without interruption, to have their monthly assigned Transit subsidies funds added into their CommuterDirect.com and Commuter Store account each month on the morning of the 22nd.

An overview of the process can be seen below

• Transit subsidy funds added into your account during the current month can only be used for the following month transit needs. (Monthly, ten trips, one way and TLC's etc.)
• Funds that are not used before 2:00 pm on the 21st of each month for the current month's transit passes will be removed from your CommuterDirect.com account
• Funds that are not used before close of business on the 21st of each month for the current month's transit passes will be removed from your Commuter Store account
• These unused transit funds will be returned back to the United States Department of Treasury in one single combined deposit on the 21st of every month.
• Documentation to justify the monthly deposit will be provided to the United States Department of Transportation's TRANServe group
• CommuterDirect.com will adhere to this federally mandated policy effective January 22nd until further notice.

CommuterDirect.com recommends that customers use any unused funds (keeping in mind this will be a onetime only occurrence before these excess funds are removed permanently from your accounts) on March 21, 2014. Examples of fares that can be purchased without an expiration date or an extended expiration can be found on CommuterDirect.com. Clicking on to the specific Transit pass and reviewing its limitations. This will help you determine what passes you may be able to use beyond your regular monthly needs. Using these funds can be done by placing a one-time order in our system. These orders must be placed on the 21st of each month before 2:00pm.

Adhering to strict federal policy, CommuterDirect.com can not deviate from the above guidelines. These guidelines also apply to our Commuter Stores customers.

How do I change my benefit allocation or cancel my SmartBenefits account?

You can change the amount of your transit benefit allocation to your SmartBenefits account at any time online at www.smartrip.com/sbftp/vplpat.login with your SmarTrip card, username and password. If you reduce your allocation to $0, your account will simply no longer be funded. If you change employers, your previous employer will drop you from the SmartBenefits program, discontinuing additional funding to your account. If you are registered with CommuterDirect for a recurring mail order, you must also go to www.CommuterDirect.com and cancel or change your account status. Changes to personalized accounts must be made before the 15th of each month for the next month's benefits.

What do I do if I wish to cancel my account and I have an unused balance?

Transit benefits cannot be refunded once they have been placed into a Commuter Store or CommuterDirect personalized account. If you choose to cancel your account and there is a balance, you can exchange the remaining benefit for other transit tickets.

What do I do if I find an error in my SmartBenefits, Commuter Store or CommuterDirect account?

You can access your SmartBenefits account records through WMATA's SmartBenefits page to verify that transit benefits have been allocated as directed to either the Commuter Store or CommuterDirect. You should contact your employer if there is a discrepancy in the amount of the transit benefits allocated from your employer to WMATA.

You can also get an account history from The Commuter Store or CommuterDirect that contains the date, time and product purchased from your account for up to the previous six months.

When can I make a SmartBenefits promise on CommuterDirect.com?

CommuterDirect.com customers can set up a renewable order with a SmartBenefits promise at any time.

For one-time orders, SmartBenefits promises will only be accepted from the 1st to the 23rd of each month. Effective May 01, 2016, you will not be able to make a SmartBenefits promise toward your one-time order on the 24th through the end of the month. During this time, no adjustments can be made to your CommuterDirect.com or your WMATA SmartBenefits Allocation accounts. You can only place an order with the amount of benefits that has been applied to your account. Please note, you can only make adjustments to your WMATA SmartBenefits Passenger Allocation between the 1st and 21st of the month prior to the effective month. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your benefits, please contact a Commuter Direct representative at Questions@CommuterDirect.com or 703-228-7433 (TDD: 711).

Transportation Benefit Cap Increase in 2018

In 2018, the federal limit on transit/commuter accounts goes up by $5 per month, from $255 to $260. This includes parking, mass transit, and commuter highway vehicles. The monthly limit for bicycles remains at $20 per month.

CommuterDirect.com and Commuter Store customers should contact their employers prior to making any changes to their SmartBenefits Personal Account. It is at the discretion of your employer to authorize changes to your transit subsidy. If approved, your employer must update your benefits by the 15th of the prior month to take effect for the next month's subsidy.

If your monthly order does not exceed $255, no changes to your account will be needed. If your monthly order exceeds $255, you must update your SmartBenefits allocation before the 21st of the prior month to prevent your personal credit card from being charged.

If you have any active renewable orders in your account, you must also update the payment promise to prevent your personal credit card from being charged.