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BART pushes mobile Clipper amidst plastic card shortage

Mobile phone Clipper card
Lusen Mendel
Mobile phone Clipper card

If you’ve ever been frustrated waiting for a late bus, imagine how BART feels waiting for deliveries of much needed Clipper cards.

BART’s stock of plastic Clippers cards is running low due to global supply chain delays, and increases in new riders during the Warriors parade and Pride. Since December 2020, BART fares can only be purchased via Clipper, however riders can choose to use plastic cards of their phones.

Because of limited card supply, BART is encouraging visitors and new riders to set-up mobile Clipper cards instead. To go mobile, riders need not install a new app. Riders can set up a mobile Clipper card directly within Apple Pay and Google Pay.

One advantage of going mobile? It saves riders the $3 new card fee. It might even save riders who are more likely to forget their wallet, than their phone.

Lusen Mendel / they is a KALW Summer News Journalism intern and News Reporter for Crosscurrents.