Getting your card and adding value
You can get a card online, or through one of our retailers. You can set your card up for Autoload so that your pass is automatically reloaded each month when it expires. Otherwise, you can add your pass as needed at one of our retailers, Clipper ticket machines (located in the Muni Metro stations) or through the website or Customer Service Center.

Please note that when you add a pass through the website or the Customer Service Center or set up Autoload for the first time, it can take 3-5 days before the pass is available to be added to your card. This is because the pass or cash that you add to your card is stored on your card, not on a server. Adding a pass or cash to your card through the website means that the information about your order needs to be sent out to the devices located at each bus yard, and then transmitted to the card readers on each bus individually at the end of each day. Once this process is complete, the next time you use your card, the card reader will load the pass to your card, where it is then stored for use.

If you add value (passes, cash, etc.) to your card at a Clipper ticket machine or one of our retailers, the value is loaded onto your card at that time, and available for use immediately.

Transit benefits
You can also use Clipper with transit benefit vouchers or debit cards, or even with some online transit benefit programs, such as WageWorks. Learn more about how to use Clipper with transit benefits.

Use Clipper on Muni
To use your card on buses, light rail or historic street cars, locate the card reader at the entrance to the bus or street car and hold your card to the logo on the card reader until you hear a beep and see a green light. Clipper can be used on the cable cars only by customers who have a Muni monthly pass on their cards. The conductor will use a hand held card reader to verify that a pass exists on your card. When using Clipper in the Muni Metro stations, locate the card reader on top of the gates and hold your card to the Clipper/Muni logo until the gates open.

Clipper will automatically track and apply transfers for you, so you do not need to use paper transfers.

Download the "Clipper on Muni" brochure for more information.