SFMTA Reminds Muni Senior Discount Pass Customers to Switch to Clipper This Month

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), which oversees all surface transportation in the City, including the Municipal Railway (Muni), today reminds Muni customers who use the monthly discounted Senior Pass that they must load next month’s pass on the reloadable Senior Clipper card. As of June, paper Senior passes will no longer be available.

“We want to make the transition to the Clipper card as convenient as possible for our customers,” said Nathaniel P. Ford Sr., Executive Director/CEO. “We will continue to reach out to the community and work with our City partners to help our customers make the switch.”

Last August, the SFMTA launched an extensive, tri-lingual "Time to Switch" marketing and outreach campaign to inform its customers of the change from the paper pass to the reloadable, plastic Clipper card. As a result, the agency has successfully transitioned 100 percent of its “A” Fast Pass® and Disabled discount pass customers, 100 percent of the 66,000 “M” pass customers, 20 percent of Youth pass customers and 30 percent of Senior pass customers to the Clipper card.

The remaining 17,000 Senior pass customers have until June 3 to make the change. Most of these customers have already received their cards but have not started using them yet. To date, nearly 30,000 seniors have applied for their Senior Clipper card. Seniors, who have not yet applied for their card, may show proof of age and receive their Senior Clipper card from at any of the in-person events being held by the SFMTA. Seniors who already have their card, may also attend the events to learn how to load and use their card.

While seniors as well as youth are required to prove their age when they apply for the Clipper card, no legitimate Clipper card representative will ever ask for an applicant’s social security number. The SFMTA has been made aware of an ongoing criminal effort to collect social security numbers from seniors by persons posing as Clipper representatives. This matter has been referred to SFPD for investigation and the SFMTA will continue to provide any assistance necessary to apprehend the culprits.

The SFMTA has held numerous outreach events throughout the City at Muni Metro stations, pass sales locations, community centers, neighborhood events and at Walgreens stores. At these events seniors may receive their Senior Clipper cards and also learn how to load them. These events will continue throughout May with Clipper staff at the SFMTA Customer Service Center at 11 South Van Ness each weekday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. A list of the other event dates, times and locations are below.

While seniors as well as youth are required to prove their age when they apply for the Clipper card, no legitimate Clipper card representative will ever ask for an applicant’s social security number. The SFMTA has been made aware of an ongoing criminal effort to collect social security numbers from seniors by persons posing as Clipper representatives. This matter has been referred to SFPD for investigation and the SFMTA will continue to provide any assistance necessary to apprehend the culprits.

Monthly Muni passes loaded on a Clipper card work the same as they always have; however, instead of throwing the passes away at the end of the month, customers will reload their Clipper cards again and again, saving Muni time and money – and helping the environment.

The Clipper card offers customers a number of other advantages as well. Customers can sign up for balance protection, in the event their card is lost or stolen. They can also apply for automatic reload, which will replenish the cash value on their card when it dips below a certain amount or load the next month’s pass when the previous month’s pass expires. In addition, transfers are automatically stored on Clipper cards, eliminating the need for paper transfers. Clipper is also good on Muni’s fellow transit systems, BART, AC Transit, Caltrain, Golden Gate Transit and Ferry, SamTrans and VTA, allowing customers to ride throughout the Bay Area with just one transit card.

In April, there were approximately two million Muni customer boardings using a Clipper card. This represents a 233 percent increase since last June (the month Clipper was launched).

For more information on the Clipper card, please visit www.clippercard.com. Muni customers can learn more about using the Clipper card on Muni and the transition to Clipper by visiting www.sfmta.com/clipper.

Senior Clipper Card Events

During these events, seniors (65+) may sign up for Senior or Youth Clipper cards by completing an application and showing proof of age. Seniors will receive their card on-site. In the past, seniors applying for a Senior Clipper card had to wait up to 10 days to receive the card by mail.

Please see below for date, place and time of these events.

• Monday, May 2 
  
  Walgreens 1899 Fillmore Street 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  
  Walgreens 2050 Irving Street 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  
  Powell Muni Metro Station 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Tuesday, May 3 
  
  Walgreens 730 Market Street 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  
  Walgreens 88 Spear Street 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  
  West Portal Muni Metro Station 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Wednesday, May 4 
  
  Walgreens 1979 Mission Street 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  
  Walgreens 965 Geneva Avenue 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  
  Powell Muni Metro Station 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Thursday, May 5 
  
  Powell Muni Metro Station 7 a.m. to 10 a.m.
• Friday, May 6 
  
  Powell Muni Metro Station 7 a.m. to 10 a.m.
• Saturday, May 7 
  
  Cinco de Mayo- Delores Park 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Sunday, May 8 
  
  Sunday Streets – Mission 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Friday, May 20 
  
  West Portal Muni Metro Station 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Monday, May 23 
  
  Presidio Sales Kiosk, 949 Presidio 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  
  Walgreens 1301 Market Street 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  
  Walgreens 116 New Montgomery 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Tuesday, May 24 
  
  Presidio Sales Kiosk, 949 Presidio 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  
  Walgreens 135 Powell Street 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  
  Walgreens 200 West Portal Avenue 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  
  Powell Muni Metro Station 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Wednesday, May 25 
  
  Presidio Sales Kiosk, 949 Presidio 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  
  Walgreens 670 Fourth Street 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  
  Walgreens 4645 Mission Street 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  
  West Portal Muni Metro Station 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Thursday, May 26 
  
  Presidio Sales Kiosk, 949 Presidio 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  
  Walgreens 456 Mission Street 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  
  Walgreens 498 Castro Street 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  
  Powell Muni Metro Station 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Friday, May 27 
  
  Presidio Sales Kiosk, 949 Presidio 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  
  Walgreens 2690 Mission Street 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  
  Walgreens 1189 Potrero Avenue 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Sunday, May 29 
  
  SF Carnaval 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Tuesday, May 31 
  
  Presidio Sales Kiosk, 949 Presidio 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  
  Walgreens 3398 Mission Street 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  
  Walgreens 1344 Stockton Street 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  
  Photo Focus 110 Stockton Street 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  
  Powell Muni Metro Station 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.