Metro News Release

For immediate release: May 13, 2004

Metro to combine SmarTrip, credit card into one

Metro may hook up with a national bank to issue a new SmarTrip card that also works as a credit card. A first-of-its-kind credit card/SmarTrip transit card was given preliminary approval today by Metro’s Budget Committee. A 30-month pilot project with Citi Cards would develop, test, issue and evaluate a jointly issued smart card based on SmarTrip and Citi’s Mastercard credit card. The full Metro Board is expected to vote on the project at its May 20 meeting. The combination card would cost Metro nothing, but would offer Metro customers the priceless convenience of a multi-function plastic card that could be used like a credit card or like a SmarTrip card to pay for transit trips and parking fees at Metro lots. It would look like a credit card and carry both the bank card and SmarTrip logos on it. Metro officials do not have an exclusive arrangement with any one bank card company and other entities could participate on the same terms, they said. Up to 10,000 cards are expected to be issued during the demonstration period with the bank card company picking up the costs for development and Metro providing the SmarTrip customer service. A market survey and customer feedback would be used to gauge consumer acceptance of the new in-wallet technology. Metro’s SmarTrip program was launched five years ago in May 1999. To date more than 400,000 cards have been sold.

News release issued on May 13, 2004.