Same Smartrip card for both SmartBenefit program (transportation subsidy) and personal stored value (for parking)?

[Anonymous]

Franconia-Springfield
6880 Frontier Dr, Springfield, VA 22150

Park & Ride daily parking
Cost/day: Mon. - Fri. $4.95 / $8.95*

https://www.wmata.com/service/parking/parking-details.cfm?stationid=95

If I enroll in SmartBenefit program for public transportation (not parking), and I will pay metro parking on my own.

Right now, I mostly use the Metrobus($4.8 express bus, only running during weekday commute hours) for commuting, no parking is needed; however, sometimes I do need to take blue line train if I go to office late.

Physical Smartrip card: it has both SmartBenefit dollar and personal stored dollar(only $3 stored value, I bought this card for SmartBenefit program only). In order to get $4.95 parking rate, I think I should use the same smartrip card. Can I use SmartBenefit for public transportation and use personal stored value for parking within same smartrip card?

I have digital smartrip card (in google wallet, personal card, stored value only), it has about $260 balance, it has almost been inactive for years. Not sure if I am able to transfer its balance to physical smartrip card, so that I can use the money for parking.

[Anonymous]

I used the same Smartrip card with the transit benefit from my employer and my own money for parking. This was 3 years ago so I don’t know if the system has changed since the NZ

[Anonymous]

Yes. This is what I do. I was annoyed with the credit card readers not always working when you exit the parking garage so now I just load my smartrip with stored value that also has me federal transit benefit. Usually I load the card on my phone or the internet, which can take a few hours to show up on the card, but you can also use the kiosk for immediate loading.

[Anonymous]

I've always used one card. I get the calculated employer subsidy and I top off as needed for my own use that exceeds that.

[Anonymous]

I would just be cautious. I’m a federal employee, and we are allowed to add personal funds to the same card that houses our subsidy for public transportation. But unless something has changed, the card always draws first from the purse that holds the transportation subsidy - regardless of whether you’re paying for public transportation or parking - and only uses personal funds once the subsidy is all spent for the month. So if it’s a month where you don’t work enough days to spend the entire federal subsidy, you will end up using your subsidy to pay for parking, which isn’t allowed.

[Anonymous]

I do this - my card does not draw from the transit benefit for parking, only for riding the metro. I had the same worry initially but the transit benefit cannot be used for parking so it’s not an issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would just be cautious. I’m a federal employee, and we are allowed to add personal funds to the same card that houses our subsidy for public transportation. But unless something has changed, the card always draws first from the purse that holds the transportation subsidy - regardless of whether you’re paying for public transportation or parking - and only uses personal funds once the subsidy is all spent for the month. So if it’s a month where you don’t work enough days to spend the entire federal subsidy, you will end up using your subsidy to pay for parking, which isn’t allowed.

I’m a federal employee and it won’t use the subsidy money for parking. It will only use my own money. It separates it in two buckets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would just be cautious. I’m a federal employee, and we are allowed to add personal funds to the same card that houses our subsidy for public transportation. But unless something has changed, the card always draws first from the purse that holds the transportation subsidy - regardless of whether you’re paying for public transportation or parking - and only uses personal funds once the subsidy is all spent for the month. So if it’s a month where you don’t work enough days to spend the entire federal subsidy, you will end up using your subsidy to pay for parking, which isn’t allowed.

I’m a federal employee and it won’t use the subsidy money for parking. It will only use my own money. It separates it in two buckets.

Nice! I didn’t know this.

[Anonymous]

I'm a Fed and I choose to keep mine separate. Our agency HR screws up various withholdings often and Metro is, well, Metro. I don't want to ever be in a position where I have to explain my use of taxpayer money because wires got crossed. Same with my gov't travel card. But I'm risk averse and I also refuse to use my phone as my card. The thought of my phone going where thousands of other hands have touched and then being used next to my face grosses me out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would just be cautious. I’m a federal employee, and we are allowed to add personal funds to the same card that houses our subsidy for public transportation. But unless something has changed, the card always draws first from the purse that holds the transportation subsidy - regardless of whether you’re paying for public transportation or parking - and only uses personal funds once the subsidy is all spent for the month. So if it’s a month where you don’t work enough days to spend the entire federal subsidy, you will end up using your subsidy to pay for parking, which isn’t allowed.

I’m a federal employee and it won’t use the subsidy money for parking. It will only use my own money. It separates it in two buckets.

Nice! I didn’t know this.

Yes, private sector here. There are two buckets because the transit portion is tax deductible, the other not.