Clipper FAQ
Where can I buy a Clipper card?
All BART Stations have Clipper vending machines which accept cash, credit cards and debit cards as
payment. You can add cash value to Clipper cards at all BART ticket machines. Clipper cards can be
ordered online at www.clippercard.com. Many retail outlets throughout the region also sell Clipper
cards.
How do I use Clipper?
When you get to the fare gate, simply “tag and go” to pay for your ride. The correct fare will
automatically be deducted. You must tag your card during every station entry and exit.
How much does a Clipper card cost?
There is a one-time $3.00 acquisition fee for a Clipper card. Clipper will waive this fee if the buyer signs
up for Autoload at the time of purchase online at www.clippercard.com. Youth and senior cards are
free.
Can I buy a discounted Clipper card?
You can get a 6.25% discount on BART rides ($45 for a $48 ticket or $60 for a $64 ticket) when you load
BART HVD (High Value Discount) tickets on your adult Clipper card. HVD tickets are only valid for fare
payment on BART. HVD tickets can only be loaded to your card through Autoload and participating
transit benefit programs. You cannot purchase HVD tickets at Clipper retailers or Customer Service
Centers, transit agency ticket offices or ticket machines. The HVD balance on your Clipper card cannot
exceed $250. Youth 5-18 years old get 50% off with a youth Clipper card. Seniors age 65 and over
get 62.5% off with a Senior Clipper card. Riders with disabilities may also receive a discount card through
the Regional Transit Connection (RTC) program.
How many Clipper cards can I buy at once?
Clipper cards are dispensed one card per transaction. Multiple Clipper cards can be purchased with cash
using multiple individual transactions. A credit card can be used up to five times over two days, up to a
rolling two-day limit of $115 to purchase more Clipper cards individually and to load value on your
Clipper card. You can use a debit card five times per day to purchase Clipper cards individually, so you
can purchase a maximum of five Clipper cards in a day with the same debit card.
Is there a maximum balance for a Clipper card?
The maximum amount of cash value that can be stored on any Clipper card is $300.
What are the rules for using cash to buy a Clipper card at a Clipper vending machine?
When adding cash value to Clipper cards in the BART system, only $20 bills and less are accepted. The
machines give up to $4.95 in change maximum.
Is there a minimum balance for a Clipper card?
You must have $2.00 in HVD ticket value or cash value on your Clipper card to enter the BART system
unless you are entering a San Francisco station with a Muni "A" Adult Fast Pass on your card. (Minimum
cash value requirement is $1 for youth and 75 cents for senior and RTC customers.)
Customers who are eligible for discounted fares can add any amount of cash value to their Youth, Senior
or RTC Clipper card. Clipper automatically calculates and deducts the discounted fare from the cash
balance on an eligible card when you exit the BART system.
How does autoload work and how do I sign up for it for my Clipper card?
Once autoload is set up, Clipper will automatically add value to your card whenever your cash value
balance or BART High Value Discount ticket balance falls below $10. You can sign up through the Clipper
website via this link https://www.clippercard.com/ClipperCard/manage.jsf
Can I use my Clipper card to pay the fare of a person traveling with me?
Clipper cards are for individual use. Each rider 5 years of age or older must have his/her own card.
Will I still be able to pay for my BART fare with magstripe paper tickets?
While magstripe paper tickets are being phased out at our stations, riders will still be able to use paper
tickets to enter or exit through select fare gates. Riders will also be able to add enough fare to a paper
ticket to exit a station using add fare machines located inside the paid area of each station.
How do I get a refund of the balance on my magstripe paper ticket?
Customers can claim a refund for a magstripe ticket with a remaining value greater than $1.00. A Station
Agent will help process a ticket refund request. Tickets can also be mailed along with the reason for the
refund request to: Refunds, BART Treasury Department, P.O. Box 12688, Oakland, CA 94604-2688.
BART’s Treasury Department will then process the refund. For more information, call BART Treasury at
(510) 464-6841.
Will I still be able to purchase the red paper tickets (for disabled/students) and the green paper tickets
(for seniors)?
Yes, the discounted paper tickets will still be available for purchase at the Lake Merritt Station BART
Customer Service Center, the Clipper Customer Service Center at the Embarcadero Station and at San
Francisco International Airport terminals. The tickets will also still be available by mail.
Will BART still issue paper tickets for school-sponsored field trips?
Yes, the discounted blue tickets will still be available for purchase through Group Sales.
I use balance on my paper ticket to pay for single day parking at my station. How will I continue to pay
for parking this way if paper tickets are phased out?
We are rolling out a pay by app feature later this year before we expand Clipper-only sales to other
stations. Parkers will be able to pay for their spot through our official app using a credit card, debit,
Venmo or Pay Pal. The four stations involved in the Clipper-only sales pilot program do not have parking
facilities.
Do I have to give out any personal information to use a Clipper card?
No, customers can use Clipper anonymously. Clipper cards do not require registration. Registration is
required for added benefits such as discounts, autoload and balance protection.
Why should I use Clipper?
Clipper is accepted by nearly all transit agencies in the region and saves money. Adult BART paper
tickets have a 50 cents surcharge on every trip, which equals $1.00 per round trip. With a one-time
acquisition fee of $3.00, a Clipper card pays for itself in just 3 roundtrips. Clipper is reusable and long-
lasting, unlike paper tickets that get worn and tattered. Clipper allows riders to set up accounts that
reload automatically so they won’t have to wait in line at add fare machines.
What if I use BART infrequently or am visiting the Bay Area for a short amount of time? Do I still have
to purchase a Clipper card?
Yes, there is still a one-time $3.00 acquisition fee for an adult Clipper card but Bay Area visitors save
money at multiple transit systems with Clipper.
In addition to the 50-cent per trip savings on BART, adult Muni customers who use Clipper save 50-cents
on single-ride fares.
Golden Gate Transit ferry adult one-way ride fares are between $4.50 and $6.00 less when using Clipper:
Sausalito Ferry ($13.00/cash, $7.00/Clipper), Larkspur Ferry ($12.50/cash, $8.00/Clipper), Tiburon Ferry
($13.00/cash, $7.00/Clipper).
Golden Gate Transit bus riders receive a 20% discount off the adult cash fare for intercounty travel and a
10% discount when traveling within Marin County using a Clipper card.
San Francisco Bay Ferry adult riders save $1.80 per one-way ride when paying with Clipper over cash
fare: ($7.20 cash fare/$5.40 Clipper fare)
AC Transit gives adult customers a 25-cent discount on local single rides and a 50-cent discount on a day
pass for using Clipper instead of cash.
Caltrain riders receive a 55-cent per one-way trip discount for using Clipper over cash fare paid at ticket
machines.
Why is BART shifting to a Clipper-only system?
The region has prioritized the use of Clipper as the Bay Area’s all-in-one transit card administered by the
Metropolitan Transportation Commission. Clipper has many advantages over paper tickets. Clipper
offers balance protection when registered. Riders can set up their Clipper card account to reload
automatically so they won’t have to wait in lines to add value. Paper tickets can jam our fare gates, so
Clipper usage means more open fare gates, shorter lines and less fare gate maintenance. Clipper usage
also reduces the paper waste of the magstripe tickers in the BART system.
