Public transit users in San Francisco now have a new way to pay. The Clipper card, which is used for most public transit systems in San Francisco, now supports Apple Pay with Express Transit Mode. This was first announced back in February, and it’s now available to everyone.
The Clipper card is a reloadable smart card used for transit fare payment in the San Francisco Bay Area. It gives access to buses, rails, ferries, and trains from 24 different transit agencies, which includes BART and Muni.
Using the new Clipper mobile application, riders can manage their Clipper cards, add the cards to Apple Pay on iPhone and Apple Watch, and buy transit agency passes. You can also add value from directly inside the Apple Wallet application.
The support for Apple PayExpress Transit Mode is particularly notable. Apple Pay Express Transit enables users to quickly use their iPhone or Apple Watch to authenticate at contactless terminals without having to authenticate via Face ID or Touch or even unlock their phone. This significantly streamlines the experience for riders.
Transit riders who are enrolled in the Clipper START program and those who use cash to load their Clipper cards also can use the Clipper app, but cash payers will need to use a BART, Golden Gate Ferry, or SMART ticket machine or select Caltrain ticket machines to add value to iPhone or Apple Watch.
Apple Pay VP Jennifer Bailey touted the new partnership in a statement:
You can learn more about getting started with adding your Clipper card to Apple Wallet by heading to the Apple Pay website.
“We’re excited that customers across the Bay Area, our hometown, can now use Clipper on iPhone and Apple Watch and benefit from a safer, faster more convenient way to ride,” said Jennifer Bailey, Apple’s vice president of Apple Pay. “After adding their Clipper card to Apple Wallet, riders can simply tap and go for a contactless experience that also keeps their information private and secure.”
