Bay Area visitors urged to use phones to pay for transit amid Clipper card shortage
SAN FRANCISCO – With the summer travel season in the Bay Area underway, transit officials are urging visitors to pay for transit with their phones, due to a shortage in physical Clipper cards.
"BART and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) encourage travelers to put a Clipper card on their mobile phones instead of obtaining plastic Clipper cards because global supply chain issues have depleted the inventory of plastic cards," the agencies said in a statement on Tuesday.
Due to the shortage, transit officials are waiving the $3 new card fee for customers who decide to use the mobile options. The $3 fee will apply for customers who opt to purchase a new physical card.
Clipper introduced its mobile options last year and is available through either Apple Pay or through Google Pay.
For Apple users, Clipper cards can be added directly through the Apple Wallet and is available on iPhone 8 or later or Apple Watch Series 3 or later. Meanwhile Android phones running Android 5 or later can use clipper through Google Pay.
Additional information can be found on the Clipper Card website.
