The Facts

BART will launch contactless payment starting August 20, 2025, according to Ryan Fonseca at The Standard. It will allow riders to tap credit cards, debit cards, or digital wallets directly at station gates instead of needing a Clipper Card, which tourists and occasional riders are sure to appreciate. It also effectively ends the $6.40 "excursion fare" that riders would get hit with if they tapped in and tapped right back out again.

The Context

BART is the first Bay Area agency to implement the long-delayed Next Generation Clipper system, with plans to expand to Muni, Caltrain, and other regional operators.

The contactless rollout puts BART alongside major transit systems like New York's MTA, Chicago's CTA, and London's Transport for London, which have offered "open payment" options for years.

The GrowSF Take

Finally! For being the global center of technological innovation, we are sometimes way too slow to adopt great new technology.