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6d ago

BART to Launch Contactless Tap-to-Pay for Bank Cards and Mobile Wallets

Riders tapping bank cards or mobile wallets will receive a 30-minute window that waives the $6.40 excursion fee.

FILE: Fare evasion turnstiles at the Embarcadero BART Station in San Francisco in February 2025.
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Starting next week BART riders will be able to tap a credit card at payment turnstiles. For years, the only way to tap was using the Clipper Card.
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Overview

  • Starting Aug. 20, BART fare gates will accept contactless taps of major bank cards and mobile wallets including Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, Apple Pay and Google Pay.
  • Contactless rides will incur full adult fares only, so passengers eligible for youth, senior and disabled discounts must continue using Clipper cards.
  • A built-in 30-minute grace period on contactless taps prevents the $6.40 excursion fee previously charged for non-travel entries.
  • Riders should tap a single card or adjust their mobile wallet’s express transit settings to avoid 'card clash' when multiple payment methods are present.
  • The Metropolitan Transportation Commission plans to expand tap-to-pay to other Bay Area transit operators in the weeks following BART’s rollout.