[From now on, BART accepts payment with credit or debit cards. Photo Credit: Yujun Lee]

Starting from Wednesday, August 20th, 2025, the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) will allow riders to pay fares by tapping contactless cards, known as the Tap and Ride system.

The new payment system accepts contactless physical cards from Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover, and mobile payment methods such as Apple Pay and Google Pay. 

Prior to the launch of the Tap and Ride method, riders could only use the Clipper card, which is used as a transportation payment method all over the San Francisco Bay Area, or pay by cash or card at Clipper vending machines located at respective stations. 

The same payment structure applies to other Bay Area transit agencies such as Muni, AC Transit, CalTrain, SamTrans, VTA, and more, where users can either use the Clipper Card system or use individual agencies’ payment systems, either physically or via individual mobile apps.

Among the 27 transit agencies in the San Francisco Bay Area, BART has become the first agency to adopt the Tap and Ride system, meaning that passengers wanting to ride other public transit in the region will still need a Clipper card for payment.

Because of this, transferring between BART and other Bay Area transit networks still creates the inconvenience of having to switch payment methods.

Ironically, this inconvenience was the reason why the Clipper payment system was initially established.

The Clipper card system began in 1993, under the name Translink, with the goal of using a single  card between just two agencies: BART and County Connection.

After years of development, it was launched in 2002 with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), a government agency responsible for transportation in the San Francisco Bay Area, taking charge of the system. 

By 2009, only five agencies had adopted the system, but following the rebranding to the current name “Clipper” and as more agencies joined, the Clipper card is now used by 24 transit services.

Though Clipper simplified the payment system for Bay Area residents who use multiple transit services, because it is only used in this region, it is often complicated for riders who live outside the region or who don’t have a Clipper card due to their infrequent transit usage.

Additionally, adopting payment via tapping a physical card or using mobile payment methods has become a global trend.

For example, the London Underground began accepting contactless cards in September 2014 and the New York Metropolitan Transit Authority followed suit in May 2019.

“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,” BART General Manager Bob Powers said, explaining the benefit of the new change.

The MTC will focus on encouraging other agencies in the region to adopt the system as well.

MTC Chair and Pleasant Hill Mayor Sue Noack said, “This early rollout of contactless bank card acceptance on BART is an example of MTC’s commitment to making transit fare payment easier for riders across the region.”