Clipper Sails into Next Generation

Clipper®, the Bay Area's electronic transit-fare payment card, today began its long-awaited shift to a cloud-based system, with each of the nearly two dozen transit agencies that accept Clipper for payment now also accepting contactless credit and debit cards in addition to plastic Clipper cards and mobile Clipper cards in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet. Other new and improved features, products, and services that will make transit-fare payment faster and more convenient include:

• Instant value: Clipper's transition to a cloud-based system allows for instant availability of added value or passes on plastic and mobile cards no matter how value is added — eliminating wait time. An improved auto-reload function allows customers to customize both the reloading amount and the schedule for reloading.
• Free and discounted transfers: Riders who use more than one transit agency in a single trip (e.g., Muni to SamTrans) will only be charged full fare on the first operator. A transfer discount of up to $2.85 will apply on any additional transit agency the rider uses within a two-hour window.
• Managing multiple accounts: Clipper's transition to a cloud-based system will enable families to manage multiple registered Clipper cards through the Clipper app.
• Apply for youth or senior cards online: The new Clipper system will give youth and senior riders the option to apply for their discount program online in addition to applying in person or by mail.

"Launching the next generation of Clipper is such a huge achievement for the Bay Area, and one so many people worked so hard for so long to make happen," noted MTC Chair and Pleasant Hill Mayor Sue Noack at a Wednesday morning celebration at the Embarcadero BART-Muni station in San Francisco. 

The process of upgrading each of the millions of outstanding Clipper cards to the next generation system is expected to take eight to 12 weeks, so not all features will be immediately available to all customers. For faster transition to the new system, customers who have registered Clipper cards can initiate the upgrade by logging into the Clipper website, using the Clipper mobile app or calling the Clipper customer service center to speak with an agent who can start the upgrade process. Customers who have not registered their cards must call the customer service center to get a jump on conversion to the next generation of Clipper. 

The 'tap-and-ride' feature that allows riders to use a contactless bank card for fare payment includes mobile cards as well as traditional plastic credit or debit cards. 'Tap-and-ride' is expected to be a big time-saver for Bay Area visitors as well as local residents who can now use their contactless bank cards to board buses, trains and ferries with no registration or setup process required.

Customers who use a mobile Clipper card on an iPhone are advised to turn on the Express Transit feature, and those who use a plastic credit or debit card are advised to remove the card from their wallet or purse before tapping.  

'Tap-and-ride' allows just one rider per card and will apply full adult fares only. Students, seniors and people with disabilities who already have a Clipper discount card are encouraged to keep using their existing Clipper cards.