Photo by sbma44.

In another step toward making paper fare cards a thing of the past, Metro will lower the price of SmarTrip cards to $2 this October.

When SmarTrip cards are currently purchased at Metrorail station dispensers, they cost $10: $5 for the card with $5 worth of fare money preloaded. When cards are registered online, the buyer is eligible for a $3 rebate.

The process will be simplified in October, and the rebate will disappear, according to a press release. Instead, SmarTrip cards purchased at a Metro sales office or commuter store will cost $2. Cards purchased at CVS stores, through station dispensers or online will cost $10, with $8 of preloaded fare money.

Last year, the agency added a $1 surcharge to each trip taken with a paper fare card. The fee seems to be having its desired effect. According to Metro, “SmarTrip is used for more than 90 percent of bus trips and more than 85 percent of rail trips.”