The College Park-University of Maryland Metro station on April 30 became the seventh in the subway’s system to allow riders to tap a credit card or phone instead of a SmarTrip card to exit the garage or parking lot.

The contactless payment method, which Metro unveiled at a ceremony at the station, allows riders to tap a credit or debit card or mobile payment app when they pay for parking.

At the College Park station, riders and non-riders pay a flat $4.95 per day for parking Monday through Friday. Parking there is free on weekends and federal holidays.

Metro General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke said in a press release that expanding the system’s Tap. Ride. Go. program is “building a faster, more flexible experience” across the 98-station system.

Metro has allowed credit card and phone tapping for entering and exiting all stations since May 2025. The upgrade adds parking garages and surface lots. The system accepts major credit cards, as well as Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, Fitbit Pay and Garmin Pay.

Payment stations at the Tap. Ride. Go. Metro parking lots and garages offer commuters three ways to use their cards: swipe, insert or tap.

The Tap. Ride. Go. reader displays a circular target for tapping. The old magnetic strip reader still works but won’t accept a tap. Most readers will pick up the card’s information if the user hovers it within a couple of inches of the target rather than touching it.

Commuters may still purchase and use SmarTrip cards. In fact, commuters whose employers automatically pay their Metro fares have to.

And those age 65 and older who take advantage of half-price subway fares for seniors must use Senior SmarTrip cards, not credit cards. Riders can register for the senior program in person at six county libraries, including those in Greenbelt and Hyattsville.

On University of Maryland game days at SECU Stadium on campus, non-Metro riders pay $15 to park at the College Park station.

Metro has said it will phase in its Tap. Ride. Go. program for all stations.

College Park Mayor Fazlul Kabir, who spoke at the April 30 ceremony, said College Park “has long been a place where transportation, technology and community intersect.” He said the Tap. Ride. Go. program will make using the College Park Metro station easier and create “a more modern, user-friendly experience.”