General Transit Discounts

Clipper Start

The Clipper Start Program is a pilot fare discount program providing eligible riders a 50% on single ride fares on every transit agency that accepts Clipper Cards. This includes BART, Caltrain, MUNI, SamTrans, AC Transit, Golden Gate Transit, WestCat, and VTA, among others.

In order to qualify for this program, you must:

  • Be a resident of the San Francisco Bay Area
  • Be 19-64 years old
  • Not have an RTC Clipper Card for people with disabilities
  • Have a household income of 200% of the federal poverty level or less

How To Apply:

  1. Go to clipperstartcard.com to create your profile and start your application
  2. Provide proof of identity and proof of income
  3. Get approved for the program
  4. Receive a personalized Clipper card in the mail to get your discounts

How To Add Funds To Your Personalized Discounted Clipper Card:

  • Online at clippercard.com
  • Automatically – by setting up Autoload at clippercard.com
  • Over the phone – by calling 877.878.8883
  • In person – at participating retailers, transit agency ticket machines and ticket offices, Clipper Customer Service Centers, and Clipper Add Value machines. 

Regional Transit Connection Card

The Regional Transit Connection (RTC) card allows those with eligible disabilities to pay the senior/disabled fare when riding BART, Caltrain, MUNI, SamTrans, AC Transit, Golden Gate Transit, and VTA. For further information about the program, see VTA's RTC page.

In Order to Qualify for the Program, You Must:

  • Meet one of the criteria listed on either the Basic or Medical application form
  • Apply in person at your local transit agency's designated site. For Santa Clara County, the designated sites are VTA Headquarters and the VTA Downtown Customer Service Center, both in San Jose.

How To Add Funds To Your Personalized Discounted Clipper Card:

  • Online at clippercard.com
  • Automatically – by setting up Autoload at clippercard.com
  • Over the phone – by calling 877.878.8883
  • In person – at participating retailers, transit agency ticket machines and ticket offices, Clipper Customer Service Centers, and Clipper Add Value machines. 

Amtrak Student Discount

Students aged 17-24 are eligible to receive 15% off all Amtrak tickets purchased at least 1 day in advance. To get the discount, purchase a qualifying ticket from the student discount page of the Amtrak website.