Update 4:18 p.m.: Metro says fare transactions in stations and online “have resumed processing credit and debit cards” so that customers can now add value to their SmarTrip cards. A Metro spokesperson tells City Desk that the agency is still working to “[diagnose] the cause of equipment malfunction”; station managers and signs will alert riders that the machines are functioning again.

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If you’re low on cash and running out of money on your SmarTrip card, beware: Metro currently can’t process credit and debit card transactions at its station machines and online.

“Due to an equipment malfunction, Metro’s fare vendors in stations are not accepting credit or debit cards to add fare value to SmarTrip cards,” a rider advisory reads. “Some vending machines may accept credit card transactions less than $20. This outage is also affecting online fare purchases.”

A spokesperson for Metro says she couldn’t specify what’s behind the outage. She adds that the agency hopes to have more information before the p.m. rush-hour. The problem appears to have begun early this morning, during the a.m. rush hour:

Time to find your nearest ATM!

Photo by Darrow Montgomery