Now you can use your iPhone or Apple Watch to pay for your Bay Area commute. Apple and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission have already provided support for the Bay Area Clipper rechargeable all-in-one transit card on these devices. In this way, you can use the bus, train, and ferry card, and 23 other bus services that can use the card to pay in contactless BART.
Apple first announced the establishment of a partnership with Clipper in February but has yet to release a supported date. You can now add a card by opening the Wallet app, selecting the Clipper option, and then selecting “Transfer Existing Card.” You can also load the card with Apple Pay. As long as Express Transit is enabled, you can pay for the ride by holding the device near the Clipper reader; You don’t even have to use Face ID / Touch ID, activate/unlock the device, or open any apps.
That is, you can only pair the Clipper card with one device at a time, although you can move it between multiple devices when necessary. Also, you must have an iPhone 8 or higher with iOS 14.3, or an Apple Watch Series 3 or higher with watchOS 7.2 or higher.
MTC President Alfredo Pedroza said in a statement: “Last year taught us the importance of contactless fee payment, which is another way that Clipper delivers on this promise. With the release of Clipper on the iPhone and Apple Watch today, we will provide more safety and convenience for passengers, drivers, station agents, and bus operators.”
MTC has also launched a new Clipper mobile app for iPhone, which allows you to manage Clipper cards, plan trips in the Bay Area, and purchase a shipping agent pass to use on your Apple device. Android users will soon be able to pair their cards with their phones because Clipper will join Google Pay in May.