How to Pay for BART (Quick Scoop)

You can pay for BART mainly in two ways: with a Clipper card or by tapping a contactless bank card/phone at the gate (Tap and Ride).

Main ways to pay

  • **Clipper card (most common) **
* Load **cash value** onto a Clipper card (adult, youth, senior, etc.).
* You must have at least about the minimum single-ride amount loaded (for adults this is a bit over two dollars) to enter the system.

* Tap your Clipper card on the reader when you enter and **tap again when you exit** so BART can charge based on how far you traveled.
  • **Tap and Ride: contactless card or phone **
* BART now lets you just tap a **contactless credit or debit card** (Visa, Mastercard, AmEx, Discover) or a mobile wallet like Apple Pay or Google Pay right at the gate.

* No registration or setup with BART is required; if your card/wallet works for contactless purchases, you can use it to ride.

* Each rider needs their **own** card or phone—no sharing a single tap device for multiple people through one gate.

* Just like Clipper, you tap in and tap out so the system can calculate your distance-based fare.
  • **Fares and proof of payment **
* BART fares are **distance-based** , so longer trips cost more.

* Fares went up in 2026, so expect slightly higher prices than in previous years.

* You are required to have valid proof of payment while in the paid area (tap record on Clipper or Tap and Ride).

Simple step‑by‑step example

  1. Decide if you want to use a Clipper card or just tap your contactless bank card/phone.
  1. At the gate, take the card/phone out of your wallet so only one card is read.
  1. Tap on the Clipper reader where it says to tap; when it beeps and the gate opens, walk through.
  1. When you arrive at your destination, tap again at the exit gate; BART charges you for the distance you traveled.

Quick HTML table of options

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Method</th>
      <th>What you use</th>
      <th>Key points</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Clipper card</td>
      <td>Reloadable transit smart card</td>
      <td>Load cash value, must have minimum balance, tap in and out for distance-based fare.</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Tap and Ride</td>
      <td>Contactless bank card or mobile wallet</td>
      <td>No Clipper needed, each rider uses their own card/phone, tap in and out at gates.</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

TL;DR: Bring either a loaded Clipper card or a contactless bank card/phone, tap in at your origin station, tap out at your destination, and BART automatically charges the correct distance-based fare.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.