Clipper® customers can pay for rides on Caltrain with a Monthly Pass, 8-ride Ticket or cash. Customers using monthly passes or 8-ride tickets on their Clipper cards must always have $1.25 in cash value on their card. For more information on the minimum cash requirement, please click here

Customers with a monthly pass or 8-ride ticket loaded onto their Clipper card can now purchase one monthly parking permit per month at a Caltrain ticket vending machine by choosing "Clipper monthly parking" from the "Select ticket type" screen and entering their 10-digit Clipper card serial number (located on the back of the Clipper card). The ticket vending machine will then verify that you have either a monthly pass or 8-ride ticket on your card. You can pay for your parking permit with cash or credit/debit cards. Please allow two days between purchasing a monthly pass or 8-ride ticket from a retailer or ticket machine and purchasing a monthly parking permit from a Caltrain ticket vending machine. The vending equipment used by retailers does not report the sale of the Caltrain pass or ride book in real time, but provides it once daily to the Caltrain ticket vending machines.

Customers who qualify for an Eligible Discount fare on Caltrain must obtain one of the following cards, based on their eligibility for the fare:

  • Youth
  • Senior
  • Regional Transit Connection

Customers can apply for youth or senior cards in person at most transit agency offices, including the San Mateo County Transit District office, 1250 San Carlos Ave. in San Carlos. It is open on weekdays between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. You can download the application form here and bring it with you.

Customers who have disabilities or are Medicare cardholders need to obtain an RTC card. The RTC card is also a Clipper card. Application forms can be obtained here. Customers can present their applications at the San Mateo County Transit District office listed above, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Monthly Pass and Monthly Pass Plus Muni: When you load a Monthly Pass, you'll receive unlimited rides within the zones specified, just like a paper Monthly Pass. Monthly Passes can be purchased on the 21st of each month for the coming month through the 9th day of the valid month. The monthly pass plus Muni allows customers unlimited rides on Muni (except cable cars) for the valid month.

Zone Upgrades (for monthly pass): If you will be traveling outside the zones of your monthly pass and would like to use a zone upgrade, purchase a paper zone upgrade at the Caltrain ticket vending machine prior to boarding. The upgrade and your Clipper card are your proof of payment.

8-ride tickets: Instead of purchasing the paper 8-ride tickets, they will be stored on your card and deducted each time you ride. 8-ride tickets are valid for 60 days from the date of purchase.

If you are stopping off in one of the zones covered by your 8-ride ticket, do not tag off until you have actually completed your trip. You must complete your trip within four hours, otherwise, you will be charged the full cash fare for your ride. Zone upgrades are not available for 8-ride tickets, so if you need to travel outside the zones indicated on your ticket you will either need to purchase a paper ticket, or pay with cash on your card.

Cash value: Cash on your Clipper card works just like cash on all transit agencies accepting Clipper. Load cash onto your Clipper card, and the fare for each trip will be deducted from your cash balance. Clipper will automatically calculate any appropriate transfers or discounts.

Transfers: Customers who have a monthly pass (two or more zones for adult and youth customers, or one zone for Senior/Disabled passengers) receive local fare credit on all VTA Local and Limited Stop Buses, Light Rail and Historic Trolley routes. Customers with an adult monthly pass will need to pay a fare upgrade on Express routes with cash value on their Clipper card. Fare upgrades cannot be paid to the driver. If you do not have enough cash value on your Clipper card to pay the upgrade fee, you will be required to pay the entire cost of the ride with cash.

Employee Transit Benefits

Clipper works with a variety of transit benefit programs, including Commuter Check® and WageWorks®. Whether you receive paper vouchers or commuter debit cards, or you redeem your transit benefits online, you can use your benefits to add value to your Clipper card. Find out if your transit benefit program works with Clipper and how to apply your benefits to a Clipper card here.