SmarTrip - SmarTrip card management & benefits

Imagine the frustration of relying on a metro app that doesn’t even show the map of the metro line. Completely absurd! The payment feature through the phone? A total failure! Ended up buying a plastic card instead. If only I could give it zero stars. So many reviews echo the same disappointment. A serious wake-up call for the developers. A complete overhaul is desperately needed to create something truly useful.

It works great on the metro. I can use it without unlocking my phone, but buses are a different story. I need to unlock my phone for it to work.

When visiting the city, adding money to your Metro card online is not the way to go. Head straight to a kiosk instead. The funds load onto your card instantly there. I learned this the hard way. I tried adding money online, and it took days, even weeks. By the time it loaded, my trip was done. A Metro employee even said they wouldn’t refund me, but that wasn’t true. You can get your money back by emailing SmarTrip with your card numbers. The refund process takes time, especially if you live more than 100 miles away, but it’s possible.

It's really frustrating. You try to get things done, but the system keeps logging you out. Just when you get settled into working, it happens again. Constantly entering your credentials is a real hassle. It disrupts the flow and makes everything feel so much harder than it should be.

I wish I could give this app zero stars. The payment feature fails completely. I've attempted to load money onto my card and a pass but nothing happens. Metro deducts the money from my account every time, yet the funds don’t appear on my card. Customer service didn’t help at all. They suggested trying again or going to a train station to load the money. This experience with customer service was downright awful.

I expected everything to break based on the reviews. I was pleasantly surprised that it worked for the most part. However, one downside stood out. The basic UI design validates fields before moving to the next screen. It felt frustrating to find out my username was already taken two screens later while trying to accept the terms and conditions.

Use stations that have the new fare gates. If not, you'll find yourself stuck at the back of the line. The screen keeps flashing a checkmark, but the gate just says to touch your card repeatedly. Frustrating situation!

I got a new metra card and added it to my account. Nothing showed up, but I still saw a charge on my credit card. After I contacted the vendor, they fixed the issue. The app’s setup process felt a bit clunky. Once I got through that, it worked well. Scanning the digital card and reloading the value went smoothly.