Clipper Card 2.0: Free & Discounted Multi-Agency Transfers San Francisco Bay Area
Discounted BART transfers, free MUNI transfers, discounted Golden Gate ferry transfers, discounted AC transit transfers, discounted Caltrain transfer & more.
Sign up for my free weekly email newsletter with manually curated news, food/drink recs, events and more each week, usually sent on Sundays. No AI, no ads, no spam. Over 24,000 subscribers have discovered Eddie’s List already - are you next?
Related reads on Eddie’s List:
Clipper Card 2.0 - Free & Discounted Transfers
On December 10, 2025, Clipper Card will introduce another improvement that will offer free multi-agency transfers utilizing Clipper Card systems.
Users will only pay the first leg of the fare (within a 2 hour window). Transfers across agencies will be capped within the Cipper Card eco-system will receive up to a $2.85 per this recent BART press release (I will update this article once I get confirmation of the discount).
Why Is This Important?
This can be a huge game-changer as it will encourage more folks to take public transportation instead of driving, especially if traveling in pairs or groups as it can often be cheaper even after factoring gas and tolls.
Currently, most people have to pay full fares when connecting across multiple agencies (with the exception of some MUNI transfers, see below).
Discounted Transfers BART, Caltrain & MUNI
Sample Itinerary #1
From San Francisco To Lake Merritt Ride via MUNI & BART
Current Price: $7.10: $2.85 for Muni Ride + $4.25 for BART Ride
Ride Under New Rollout: $4.25 ($2.85 for MUNI Ride + $1.40 BART transfer)
Savings of $2.85
Return Ride From Lake Merritt To San Francisco via BART & MUNI
Current Price: $6.60 each way ($4.25 for BART Ride + $2.35 for MUNI Ride)*
MUNI offers a $0.50 discount when transferring to MUNI from another agency within a specified timeframe.
Ride Under New Rollout: $4.25 ($4.25 for BART Ride + free MUNI ride transfer)
Savings of $2.35
The current round-trip price is $13.70, but after the rollouts, it will be $8.50. It might not seem that much, but if you are a daily commuter, that could be a savings of $104 a month (based on 20 rides per month).
Please Note:
These prices with the above scenario are valid with agencies that accept Clipper Card or contactless payment
Roll-out of new system will begin with contactless bank cards on December 10, 2025 and then roll-out of Clipper card is 8-12 weeks, however, people can expedite the process per the BART press release on October 21, 2025:
“For faster transition to the new system, customers may initiate the upgrade by logging into the Clipper website, using the Clipper mobile app, or calling the Clipper customer service center to speak with an agent who can start the upgrade process.”
Since MUNI does not accept contactless bank cards, one would not receive the free transfer to/from BART if using said payment method.
You must complete your ride within 2 hours start to end
Discounted Transfers AC Transit, Golden Gate Ferry & MUNI
Sample Itinerary #2
From San Francisco To Jack London Square via MUNI & AC Transit
Current Price: $9.35 each way ($2.85 for Muni Ride + $6.50 for AC Transit Ride)
Ride w/ New Rollout: $6.50 ($2.85 for MUNI Ride + $3.65 AC Transit transfer)
Savings of $2.85!
Return Ride From Lake Merritt To San Francisco via AC Transit & MUNI
Current Price: $6.85 each way ($6.50 AC Transit Ride + $2.35 for MUNI Ride)
Ride Under New Rollout: $6.50 ($6.50 AC Transit Ride + $0.00 MUNI ride transfer)
Savings of $2.35!
For daily commuters, this can mean a savings of $104 a month (based on 20 rides per month).
*Currently, MUNI offers $0.50 discounts on transfers when transferring to MUNI from another agency within 2 hours so this new system will offer an additional $2.35 off which would come to a $2.85 savings (total).
IMPORTANT NOTICE!
Please be sure to register your Clipper Card online!
Sources:
https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2025/news20251021-2
https://www.futureofclipper.com/
Bay Area Public Transportation Agencies That Accept Clipper Card
Some of the regional lines that accept Clipper Card:
BART
SFMTA (MUNI)
AC Transit
Golden Gate Transit (Ferry, Bus)
Caltrain
SamTrans
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA)
San Francisco Bay Ferry
County Connection
SMART (Sonoma Marin Area Rapid Transit)
Sonoma County Transit
If you would like to support my efforts with creating and upkeeping free guides like this for everyone, you can buy me a coffee below.
Discounted BART transfers, free MUNI transfers, discounted ferry transfers, discounted AC transit transfers, discounted Caltrain transfer; MUNI to BART transfer price, MUNI to Caltrain transfer price, MUNI To AC Transit transfer price, BART to AC Transit transfer price, MUNI to Golden Gate Ferry transfer price. Samtrans transfer discount, free public transportation transfers San Francisco Bay Area