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Clipper on VTA

ATTENTION VTA CUSTOMERS

VTA’s Day Passes are now available on Clipper® ! Printed day passes are no longer sold on board buses, or at light rail ticket machines. 

Clipper makes it easy to receive a day pass. Just load your Clipper card with Clipper Cash, then tag every time you ride VTA bus or light rail.* You’ll be charged for the rides you take, but your total fare for the day can’t go higher than what you pay today for a printed day pass. So you don’t need to pay up front for the day pass, but you are guaranteed to get the benefit of a day pass when you need it. Clipper will automatically give you the best fare deal for every day that you ride. We call this the “Day Pass Accumulator” because you just pay as you go until you’ve paid for your day pass!

HOW TO GET A CLIPPER CARD
If you don’t already have a Clipper card, here are several ways to obtain a Clipper Card:

• Order a Clipper card on-line at ClipperCard.com 
• Visit a local Walgreens or other participating Clipper retailer (a complete list can be found at ClipperCard.com/retail
• Visit a VTA Ticket Office at either of these two locations:

VTA River Oaks Headquarters
3331 North First Street and River Oaks, San Jose 95134 (Bldg. B - Lobby)
8 am - 4:30 pm Monday - Friday

VTA Downtown Customer Service Center
55-A West Santa Clara Street San Jose, 95113
9 am - 6 pm Monday - Friday
Youths age 5 through 18 and Seniors age 65 and over are eligible for a free Youth or Senior Clipper card. Riders using these cards automatically receive Youth or Senior fare discounts. Proof of eligibility is required when submitting an application. You may apply via mail, email, fax or in person. For more information go here: http://www.vta.org/getting-around/Fares/Clipper-Youth-Senior-Disabled
Persons with qualifying disabilities can apply for a Regional Transit Connection (RTC) Clipper Card. Holders of the RTC Clipper Card automatically receive appropriate Senior/Disabled fares. For more information go here: http://www.vta.org/getting-around/Regional-Transit-Connection-RTC-Card

 HOW TO ADD VALUE TO A CLIPPER CARD

You have several options to load your Clipper card with Clipper​^​ Cash: 

• Go to ClipperCard.com and add value on a one-time basis using a credit or debit card. Or even better, sign up for the Autoload feature which automatically adds value to your card once your balance falls below $10.
• You can load Clipper value using cash, credit, or debit cards using the Ticket Vending Machine at any VTA Light Rail station. 
• You may visit VTA’s Downtown Customer Center or River Oaks Administrative Office. 
• Value can be added at any Bay Area Walgreens or other participating Clipper retailer (a complete list can be found at ClipperCard.com/retail

HOW THE DAY PASS WORKS ON CLIPPER

This is how it works for ADULTS:

1. Load your Clipper card with Clipper Cash.
2. Tag your Clipper card every time you board a VTA bus or light rail vehicle*. Clipper will automatically deduct appropriate fare from your card’s Clipper Cash balance.
3. Once you’ve paid the equivalent of $6.00 in fare for the day, you have earned a day pass and all your local bus or light rail rides for the rest of that day will be free of charge. Clipper will automatically cap your day’s fare at $6.00, so you may see Clipper deduct less than the standard fare if you’re close to the daily maximum. If you are eligible for a transfer credit (such as a transfer from AC Transit or BART to VTA), the value of the transfer credit will count toward your day pass.
4. Once you have paid the equivalent of $12.00 in fare for the day, you have earned an Express day pass and all your rides on any VTA bus or light rail vehicle will be free of charge for the rest of that day. Please note – Clipper does not provide any credit towards Express Bus fares until $12.00 in Clipper fares have been paid. Day Pass fare upgrades are not available on Clipper. 

This is how it works for SENIOR/DISABLED/MEDICARE and YOUTH riders:

1. Load your Clipper Card with Clipper Cash.
2. Tag your Clipper Card every time you board a VTA bus or light rail vehicle*. 
3. Once you’ve paid the equivalent of $2.50 in fare for the day (Seniors/Disabled/Medicare) or $5.00 (Youth), you have earned a Day Pass and all your rides on any VTA bus or light rail vehicle will be free of charge for the rest of that day.

NOTE FOR LIGHT RAIL CLIPPER RIDERS

If you are using VTA Light Rail, tag your Clipper card ONLY ONCE at the beginning of your light rail trip. Your payment is good for 2 hours on light rail only. If you need to transfer from one light rail route to another light rail route to complete your trip, do not tag before boarding the second light rail vehicle. 

More Clipper Information

• Youth, Senior & Disabled Clipper information
• Use Your Card
• Loading
• FAQs
• Contact

Bank Account Information

It is not required to have a bank account to use Clipper. However, Bank On San Jose is part of a first-ever statewide initiative to provide opportunities for Californians without bank accounts to access financial services that can help them build assets and become more financially stable. Bank On San Jose provides opportunities for individuals to open checking and personal savings accounts, build a credit history, gain access to lower-cost sources of credit, and invest in their future. For more information please visit the Bank On San Jose website.  

Downloadable Fact Sheets

You can download the following fact sheets in the following languages:

• Spanish
• Korean
• Vietnamese
• Tagalog
• Chinese