You can now use an iPhone or Apple Watch to pay for your daily commute in the Bay Area. Apple and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission have launched support for Clipper, the Bay Area’s all-in-one rechargeable transit card, on these devices. It offers a contactless way to pay for bus, train and ferry rides on BART and 23 other card-based transit services.
Apple first announced its partnership with Clipper in February, but has not yet had a release date for compatibility. Now, you can add a card by opening the Wallet app, choosing the Clipper option, and then choosing “Existing Transfer Card.” You can also charge your card using Apple Pay. As long as you turn on Express Transit, you’ll be able to pay for travel by keeping your device next to a Clipper reader – you don’t even have to use Face ID / Touch ID, wake up / unlock your device, or open any app.
That being said, you can only pair one Clipper card with one device at a time, although you can move it between devices when needed. You must also have an iPhone 8 or later with iOS 14.3 or an Apple Watch Series 3 or later with watchOS 7.2 or later.
Alfredo Pedroza, President of the TCM, said in a statement:
“Last year taught us the importance of paying contactless fares, and this is another way for Clipper to deliver on its promise. With the launch of Clipper today on the iPhone and Apple Watch, we offer more safety and convenience to travelers, drivers, station agents and transit operators. “
MTC has also launched a new Clipper mobile app for the iPhone, giving you a way to manage Clipper cards, plan trips to the Bay Area, and purchase transit agency passes for use on your Apple device. Android users will soon be able to pair their cards and phones as Clipper comes to Google Pay in May.
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