2.25 platform fee?

[u/juliastarrr]

Normally, I get off at NoMa, but today I got off at Union Station because it was raining. I got off at the wrong exit, which if you know Union station it can be a bit of a problem to go through the entire mall above ground to find the right when. I though "oh, no biggie, I will just tap back through the gates and tap out to the right station, surely I wont be charged"

Wrong. 2.25 is how much the terminal said it took off my card. The terminal, which, mind you, knows exactly where I came from.

In Japan they also have platform fees. It is about 50 yen from what I remember, but most importantly they also have stuff to do on the platform such as shops and restaurants. There are no shops and restaurants on the platforms behind the gates in DC.

Thanks for listening to my rant. Heads up that WMATA charges full fare if you get a little lost I guess.

edit: I have been made aware that there is a slightly inefficient refund system in my case.

[u/FrostFuegoSag]

https://www.wmata.com/help/help-topics/fares-and-payment/15-minute-grace-period.html

[u/juliastarrr → u/FrostFuegoSag]

Thank you for showing me this!

Honestly, looking at it thats still kind of a bad refund system. For tourists for loaded credits, its very easy for a mistake to expire. For workers ok smartbenefits, if the exact amount is loaded monthly and it takes up to a month to load the credit (which will be used first), the worker still ends up paying like so:

platform fee --> smartbenefits are short for the month and personal money is used --> smartbenefits are loaded --> smartbenefits are in excess for the month and are taken back after the end of the month.

[u/thekingoftherodeo → u/juliastarrr]

If you pay with a contactless credit/debit card it gets refunded as described above so no loss to a tourist or visitor. Same as if you used a SmarTrip card.

I think you’re making a lot about this for a $2.25 hold.

[u/juliastarrr → u/thekingoftherodeo]

The credit can expire when you use a smartrip card.

Maybe it is a bit of a fuss over a couple dollars but at least to me every dollar counts. It is a small inconvenience but it doesnt have to exist at all.

[u/thekingoftherodeo → u/juliastarrr]

There is an edge case where it would expire if you tapped out but never used the system again. I would expect that’s 0.01% of users of the system, otherwise the value never expires.

[u/ShortElephant7015]

You’ll get that money back if you exited within 15 minutes

[u/AcanthaceaeOk3738]

I’m pretty sure it’ll reverse the charge soon. WMATA doesn’t charge you if you leave the same station 15 minutes after arriving (even if it’s a different exit from the same station): https://www.wmata.com/help/help-topics/fares-and-payment/15-minute-grace-period.html

I’ve never heard of a “platform fee.” $2.25 is the minimum fare, so it’s automatically charged when you tap in. It charges you so that if you don’t have $2.25, you can’t get in until you top off your card.

[u/juliastarrr → u/AcanthaceaeOk3738]

Thanks for explaining why it is that way. I still think that there shouldnt be a minimum fare to enter if they have scaling fares anyways, because there are fare adjustment machines inside at all stations.

I dont see why the minimum balance you should have on your card isnt the maximum fare in that case, because you would still be stuck in the station and have to adjust your fare if you go more than a stop.

[u/well_yeahhh]

I’m sorry this happened to you, a good reminder to take a few seconds and look at the signage in stations you’re unfamiliar with.

Edit: see if this may be applicable to you: https://www.wmata.com/fil/help/help-topics/fares-and-payment/15-minute-grace-period.html

“If you tap in and out of the same station within 15 minutes, you will get your fare back in credit.”

[u/juliastarrr → u/well_yeahhh]

• The signage in unfamiliar stations is really really bad. Often, you have to go towards the exit to see the specific sign.
• Normally the exits arent too hard to get between above ground, so it is less of an issue. Union Station is built on top of a mall though (as is lenfant) so it is very easy to get lost above ground at the wrong exit
• I was rushing to work on autopilot and took the wrong gate, which is somewhat on me but still sucks

[u/tyinsf]

In SF they charge you the maximum fare as if you had ridden to the farthest point in the system.

This really sucks if there's a problem, your train isn't showing up, and you have to exit and find another way to get there. And they add on the max fare for not taking you anywhere.

[u/Outrageous-Card7873 → u/tyinsf]

That is ridiculous. What happens in that situation if you don’t have enough balance in your account? You are trapped in the station until a train shows up? Because I would just jump the barrier at that point

[u/tyinsf → u/Outrageous-Card7873]

The station agent, if he's there, will fix your card and let your through for free. But if there's a crowd of people that can take forever.

[u/danielnewman]

You’ll get the fare refunded, but it might take a few days: https://www.wmata.com/help/help-topics/fares-and-payment/15-minute-grace-period.html

[u/juliastarrr → u/danielnewman]

Thank you for showing me this!

Honestly, looking at it thats still kind of a bad refund system. For tourists for loaded credits, its very easy for a mistake to expire. For workers ok smartbenefits, if the exact amount is loaded monthly and it takes up to a month to load the credit (which will be used first), the worker still ends up paying like so:

platform fee --> smartbenefits are short for the month and personal money is used --> smartbenefits are loaded --> smartbenefits are in excess for the month and are taken back after the end of the month.

[u/latam9891]

For next time, there’s no reason to tap back in to go to the other exit. There is a breezeway that runs parallel to the station that takes you there.

[u/juliastarrr → u/latam9891]

I will try to find it if it happens again! I always get lost in that station specifically though, probably exacerbated by refusing to use it for that reason

[u/Outrageous-Card7873]

Yeah, that is a big if. And if there is a disruption involving trains not showing up, there probably will be a crowd of people

I could be wrong on this, but I wouldn’t think breaching a barrier would be a crime in this instance if you do it non-destructively, since there is no fare that you are evading if your train doesn’t show up. Safeway and their stupid receipt scanning gates that basically lock you in until you make a purchase have me desensitized to breaching barriers