Tap into transit: Don’t have Clipper? Now you can simply use a bank card for your BART fare

by Andres Jimenez Larios, Bay City News August 20, 2025August 19, 2025

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie demonstrates the new Tap and Ride payment system at the Embarcadero BART station on Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025. BART is implementing the new system that allows travelers to pay with their bank cards or mobile payment methods. "The new system will make BART simpler to use, especially for our visitors who might not ride BART every day, but who want to come to San Francisco," the mayor said.(Andres Jimenez Larios/Bay City News)

Inside San Francisco’s Embarcadero station, Mayor Daniel Lurie, BART general manager Bob Powers, and several other local officials on Tuesday announced a new payment system that will allow travelers to use credit and debit cards directly at fare gates.

Starting Wednesday, riders on BART are now able to use their bank cards in a new Tap and Ride fare program that removes the need to use a Clipper card when tapping into and out of the metro system.

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