SF and DC transit now lets you pay for each ride with a credit card!
Over the past month, DC and San Francisco Bay Area transit agencies have made some big announcements that make taking transit much easier.
Any card that has the tap logo (the little radio waves) can now be used to pay for transit in many cities. There is no uniform placement for this logo, so check the front and back of your card.
What’s new?
Over the past few years, many transit systems around the world have begun to roll out “Open Payment” systems. Instead of having to buy a MetroCard or figure out a complicated fare structure, you simply tap your credit or debit card on the turnstile, and the appropriate amount is charged for each trip.
In the past month, big updates have just rolled out for two of the country's biggest transit systems:
In the San Francisco Bay Area: This week, Clipper finally launched the "Next Generation Clipper." You can now hop on BART, Muni, Caltrain, ferries, and more by tapping your credit/debit card or iPhone directly on the reader. Other changes are being rolled out slowly, like discounted transfers between agencies like BART, MUNI, and ferries.
In Washington DC: WMATA has fully launched Open Payment. They call it Tap. Ride. Go. Metrorail was launched this past summer, but last month MetroBus was added. And Montgomery County Ride On users don’t even have to worry about this because rides are now completely free!
What does this mean?
To pay with Express Transit mode, simply tap the top of your iPhone (not the middle and not the front) to the card reader.
Simply put, you no longer need a transit card to ride. You can walk up to a bus or subway gate and pay the fare exactly like you pay for groceries or a coffee—by tapping your credit or debit card. Just make sure that if tapping is required to exit, you use the same card.
If you have an iPhone or Apple Watch, it’s even smoother because, let’s be honest, you are probably already holding your iPhone in your hand. You don't even need to wake up your phone or open an app. Thanks to a feature called Express Transit Mode, you just hold the top of your iPhone near the reader, and beep—you’re through. It works even if your iPhone runs out of battery (for up to five hours!).
Why you might want to use this (especially tourists!)
One Less Card to Carry: If you're visiting DC or SF, you don't need to figure out how to buy a local card or leave a few dollars of unused fare on it forever.
No More Vending Machines: Forget standing in line to add $5 to your card while your train pulls away or trying to guess how much you should add to a card. Your Visa, Mastercard, Discover, or American Express is always ready.
Emergency Backup: Left your Clipper card on the kitchen counter? No problem. You’ve likely got your phone or credit card in your pocket.
How to set it up
If you wish to use a physical card, there is nothing to do. Just pull the card you want to use out of your wallet and tap it on the reader. This is particularly useful if some trips are for business or are tax-deductible. Use a personal card for personal trips and use a business card for business trips.
To use iPhone or Apple Watch, you should designate an “Express Transit Card” in Apple Wallet, which allows you to pay without using Face ID or even waking it up. Head to Settings (or the Watch app) > Wallet & Apple Pay > Express Transit Card and select the card you wish to use.
Avoid Card Clash (a warning even if you plan to continue using your transit card!)
In the past, you could keep your Clipper or SmarTrip card in your wallet, and hold your wallet to the reader to pay. If you try doing that now, you might end up charging multiple cards at once. Going forward, remove the card you want to use from your wallet and tap just that card.
For this reason (and others), I also recommend against using a wallet case on your iPhone. You might try to pay with your iPhone, but accidentally pay with one or more cards in your wallet.
There might be reasons to stick with a transit card
While this new system is fantastic for many, sticking with a transit card makes more sense for some people (which of course can be migrated to Apple Wallet to thin your physical wallet):
Senior and Youth Discounts: The new “tap any card” system charges the full adult fare. If you get a discount because of your age (Senior/Youth) or income level (Clipper START), you must stick with your registered Clipper or SmarTrip card to get that lower price.
Monthly Passes: If you buy a monthly pass (like a Muni "M" pass), you still need your transit card. The credit card tap is strictly "pay-as-you-go."
Pre-Tax Benefits: If your employer helps pay for your commute (like with Commuter Checks or SmartBenefits), those funds are linked to a transit card, not your credit card.
Parking: For now, you still need a SmarTrip card to pay for parking at Metro stations in the DC area.
What about children?
Of course, if traveling with children, they probably do not have their own credit cards. If you have multiple credit cards yourself, you can tap a different one for each person, and as long as they remain with you, you’re good to go! Just make sure you use the same cards as you exit the system if you are required to tap out. If that’s not workable for you, they’ll need to continue using traditional transit cards. And check the rules. Metro allows children 4 and younger to ride for free, and MUNI allows anyone 18 and younger.
It’s not just us!
We are actually catching up to the rest of the world. "Open Payment" is already making travel easier in cities like:
Portland, OR
New York City
Chicago
Boston
Philadelphia
Miami
San Diego
Vancouver
Toronto
Ottawa
Mexico City
London
Lyon
Lisbon
Amsterdam
Stockholm
Milan
Rome
Brussels
Sydney
And there are probably more!
Need help setting it up?
If you want to make sure your iPhone is set up correctly for Express Transit mode, or if you want to move your physical Clipper or SmarTrip card into your iPhone so you don't have to carry the plastic one anymore, grab an appointment on my website! I’d be happy to walk you through it.
Safe travels, and happy tapping!
