LAFAYETTE, CALIFORNIA – As a news and travel photographer, I ride BART multiple times per week. I have a Clipper card, of course.
But now, BART has officially rolled out a brand-new way to ride the rails. It bypasses the traditional Clipper system, is much simpler, and is absolutely perfect for out-of-town guests.
Heads up, though—there’s a potential mistake that could cost you or your guest big time!
Here’s a video showing exactly how to use the new system from one of my recent rides.
The new change involves updated fare readers that can accept chip-enabled credit cards or systems like Apple and Android Pay directly.
You no longer need to have a Clipper card as a way to pay for BART—you can put any credit card down on the reader, enter the train system, scan the same card when you exit, and be charged the proper amount.
Again, for folks who already have a Clipper card tied to their bank account or get one through work, this won’t make a huge change.
For out-of-towners, though, it’s a true game changer. When your guests arrive at SFO and want to travel out to the East Bay, you no longer have to explain the process of buying a Clipper card. They can walk right over to the BART station at SFO, tap their credit card, and get right on the train.
The modernization brings BART in line with the transit systems in big cities, many of which adopted the same system to encourage visitors.
There’s a potential issue with the system, though. If your visitor taps their entire wallet or bag to the reader, it’s possible they can have multiple cards mistakenly scanned at once.
This issue, called “card clash,” can result in them being charged for multiple rides when they only took one.
That’s why it’s important to tell your visitors to physically take their card out of the wallet, tap it on the reader, and put it back before they enter the system. They also need to remember to tap the exact same card when they exit.
Feel free to send them an article or my video explaining how to do it.
I hope the new system makes it far easier for your out-of-town guests to join you in the East Bay without having to spend a fortune on a cab!
