At initial rollout, all customers will have access to two new features—paying adult fares using contactless bank cards on all Bay Area transit agencies and applying online for Youth and Senior Clipper cards.  

In addition to these two new features, there are more benefits available at initial rollout— including improved Customer Service and Contactless Bank Card Trip History.  

Yes. Clipper will be initiating card upgrades for customers in large batches so that the Next-Generation system’s new features and benefits are made available to all customers. This process will continue for a few months after initial rollout. However, Clipper customers can initiate card upgrades if they want early access to all of the Next-Generation system’s features and benefits. 

Whether customer-initiated or Clipper-initiated, to complete the upgrade process, Clipper customers need to tap their cards—plastic or mobile—to a Clipper reader. The first tap may take a couple of seconds longer than usual. NOTE: If customer-initiated, it will take 24 hours to process. 

To gain early access to the full list of Next- Generation Clipper features, Clipper customers can initiate upgrades to their existing plastic and mobile cards by doing one of the following:  

• Log on to the Clipper app (if cards are registered).  
• Log on to their account at clippercard.com (if cards are registered).  
• Call the Clipper Customer Service Center at (877) 878-8883 and talk to a customer service representative (if card is unregistered).  

After initiating the card upgrade process, simply tap your card to a Clipper reader the following day. This tap may take a couple of seconds longer than usual. Then the customer’s card conversion will be complete and Next-Generation features and benefits will be available. 

Simply remove your contactless bank card— credit or debit—Visa, Mastercard, American Express or Discover card—from your wallet and tap the Clipper reader on the platform or aboard the bus or light rail car to pay your adult fare. You can also use a bank card that is already stored in your phone’s mobile wallet.  

When paying with a contactless bank card, remember…  

• Riders can only pay adult fares using a contactless bank card.  
• Contactless bank cards will not provide discounted fares.  
• Plastic bank cards must be chip-enabled.  
• Mobile device users should select the card they want to use in their Apple or Google Wallet before tapping.  
• Each rider must pay with their own card. 
• Riders must use the same card to tap in and tap out (where applicable) throughout their entire journey. 

While you are eligible to receive transfer discounts and fare maximums (also referred to as fare capping, pay-as-you-go, or accumulator), contactless bank cards can only be used to pay adult fares. For transfer discounts and fare maximums, be sure to use the same card to pay all fares. To pay discounted fares, use the Clipper card provided by your discount program—such as your Youth, Senior, Clipper Access (formerly Clipper RTC) and Clipper START card. 

Find AC Transit fares here.

No, each rider must pay with their own card, and when riding dual-tap operators, riders must use the same card to tap in and tap out during their trip.  

Here are four ways Clipper users can access their Clipper balances 24/7:  

• Log into the Clipper app or clippercard.com website (if their card is registered)  
• Check their mobile wallet (if they have a mobile card)  
• Tap their card at a ticket machine  
• Call Clipper Customer Service at (877) 878-8883 

During the roll out of Next-Generation Clipper, AC Transit riders will receive one free local-to-local transfer within two hours of their first trip. As part of Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s (MTC) pilot program, riders will receive automatic discounts up to $2.85 when transferring from one transit operator to another within two hours. 

When tapping an upgraded Clipper card to a Clipper reader, the reader will simply display “Travel OK” without your card balance, just like when tapping a bank card.  

If you are still not sure and want to confirm that your card upgrade has been completed, please call Clipper Customer Service at (877) 878-8883. 

Riders can call the Clipper Customer Service Center at (877) 878-8883 or email custserv@clippercard.com if they are experiencing issues initiating their card upgrade and accessing the Next-Generation Clipper features and benefits. 

Formerly known as the RTC program, Clipper Access provides riders with qualifying disabilities discounted fares on fixed-route service in the Bay Area. Although the name has changed, customers do not need to get a new card. Their existing card will continue to work as before. For more information about Clipper Access, visit 511.org/transit/clipper-access