Previously on Aug. 20, 2025, the new Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Tap and Ride program officially began. Becoming the first Bay Area tap and pay system. It is branded as a contactless card/mobile payment for transportation.

BART General Manager Bob Powers was very proud to announce the program, “This is an especially important innovation for out-of-town visitors and infrequent riders who may not have a physical or digital Clipper card and want a simple way to use our service.”

While no longer needing to use clipper cards for BART, this becomes another transition from BART programs where in just 2019 BART shifted from paper cards to only clipper payments.

This new program comes with the benefits of requiring zero registration/set up process, while also including a 30-minute grace period to avoid a fare fee if someone would changed their mind after entering a station using Tap and Ride. All riders that do choose to pay with the newest program will be charged a full adult fare.

BART did mention that those riders whom are eligible for discounts such as clipper START, youth and senior discounts, must continue to use clipper cards. At the moment there is no further update until a wider roll out of the program is provided across the bay. While the expectation is to roll out the feature across other Bay Area transits, currently nearly two dozen other Bay Area transit agencies accept Clipper payments.

A possible issue for the new program will be that riders still cannot share cards. As regulation, it remains that one card is affiliated to one rider. In such, an inquiry arose when the thought of a possible family traveling with children, wanting to use BART. As a program promoted to assist and ease possible tourists and visitors, BART customer service states “children would need their own Clipper card to ride assuming they do not have their own credit/debit card.” Thus, limiting the full convenience of the new program.  

The Mayor of San Francisco Daniel Lurie was ecstatic about the new program, “Tap and Ride will make it faster and easier than ever to take BART into and around San Francisco, and it will help drive our city’s recovery.”

BART operates with over 100k riders daily. It is a massive public transportation that accounts for nearly half of all the Bay Area trips being paid using Clipper cards. Now with the Tap and Ride program implemented, they will accept most major credit cards, while also apple and google pay.