Muni vehicles and station fare gates now accept plastic. You can tap a credit or debit card at Clipper readers to pay.
Paying your Muni fare is now even easier and more convenient. And it’s becoming less expensive to move throughout the entire Bay Area on public transit.
The next generation of Clipper card service is here. Clipper is the electronic fare payment system that all Bay Area transit agencies use. And this upgrade includes a host of new features.
- Tap a credit card, debit card or your phone to pay your fare
- Enjoy free or discounted transfers between transit agencies
- Buy a wider variety of Muni passes with Clipper
- Access money or passes loaded onto a Clipper card immediately
It will take some time for all the Clipper cards in circulation to upgrade to the new system. So, you may not be able to use all the new features right away. But you can log onto the Clipper website, use the Clipper app or call a Clipper customer service rep to speed up your card’s upgrade.
Tap to pay and enjoy the ride
You can now pay with a credit or debit card when you board Muni. All you have to do is tap your card at the readers on our vehicles and at our station fare gates. Just make sure your card can make contactless payments and that you take it out of your wallet or purse. Otherwise, you might accidentally charge more than one card.
Apple Pay and Google Pay also will work; just tap your phone.
Only the full adult Clipper fare can be paid by tapping a credit or debit card. If you pay any kind of discounted fare on Muni, you should continue to use your Clipper card.
Proof of payment works just like it does for Clipper cards. The devices our fare inspectors use will be able to confirm that you have tapped into the system when you use a credit card, debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. Every rider must have their own credit or debit card. And Muni’s two-hour transfer discount still applies.
Free and discounted transfers between transit systems
You now can save money on longer trips.
When you transfer from one Bay Area transit system to another on a single trip, that transfer will be free or discounted. For example, if you take BART into San Francisco and then hop on a Muni bus, your Muni fare will be free if you are paying with Clipper. If you take Muni to BART, the BART fare you pay will be reduced by up to $2.85.
Free or discounted transfers will be available on all Bay Area transit systems by the end of the upgrade transition period. But remember, the discount only applies when you pay with Clipper. And you have to transfer within two hours of the first ride of your trip.
This is a pilot program paid for by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. It will be reviewed in 18 to 24 months.
Muni Lifeline and Day Passes can now be loaded onto a Clipper card.
More Muni passes now on Clipper
Thanks to the upgrade, you can buy a Lifeline Pass on Clipper. This is a discounted monthly Muni pass for riders with low incomes. It previously was only available at eight in-person application locations or through the MuniMobile app. Now, if you qualify, you can enroll in the Clipper START program to get a Lifeline pass or discounted single ride tickets.
You can also now purchase a Muni Day Pass on Clipper. This pass is good for a day full of unlimited trips on Muni buses, trains and street cars. It does not include cable cars, but it lets you ride all our other vehicles from morning to night. The Day Pass previously had only been available through MuniMobile or by paying cash at a vehicle farebox.
No more waiting to access money on your Clipper card
Loading money onto your Clipper card occasionally has required a bit of patience. If you used the Clipper app or website to add funds to a physical card, you would have to wait a few days before the money would be available.
That delay has now been eliminated. Whether you add money online or at a Clipper fare machine, the money is available to use right away.
Changes to Muni Metro ticket machines
Our legacy Muni Metro Clipper ticket vending machines no longer accept credit or debit cards. They use equipment that is out of date.
But don’t worry. You can buy monthly passes at the Clipper website, on the Clipper app or at any retailer that sells Clipper cards. If you want to load cash value onto a Clipper card using a debit or credit card, you can do that online, at retailers or by using a BART ticket machine at the Civic Center, Powell, Montgomery and Embarcadero stations.
And since cash value or passes bought online will now be available immediately, your phone acts like a personal ticket vending machine!
Only riding Muni? You can buy a single or all-day pass at Muni’s new stand-alone Metro station ticket machines using cash or a debit or credit card.
SFMTA ambassadors will be available to help with the new machines at all our Muni Metro and Central Subway stations on weekdays until Dec. 17. They can answer your questions and make sure you are able to catch your ride as easily as possible.
How to learn more
You can find information about Clipper 2.0 on the Future of Clipper website. You can learn how the Clipper system works, overall, on the Clipper website. And a round-up of how to pay for your Muni ride can be found on our Fares webpage (SFMTA.com/Fares).