Plastic Clipper Cards All stations have Clipper vending machines, except SFO where only paper tickets are sold as of October 2022. Funds are immediately available when added using a vending machine at BART. There is a one-time $3 fee to purchase a plastic Clipper card from a BART station vending machine.

In 2026, a physical Clipper card costs $3.00. However, for most travelers, the "pro-move" is to use Mobile Clipper on your iPhone or Android device, which has a $0.00 issuance fee. To get started with a mobile card, you simply download the Clipper app or add a new card directly to your Apple or Google Wallet and load it with a minimum of $2.00 in value. For those who prefer the plastic card, they can be purchased at transit vending machines, select retailers like Walgreens, or the Bay Area's various transit customer service centers. While the card itself costs $3, it pays for itself quickly; using Clipper often provides a $0.25 to $0.50 discount per ride on Muni and BART compared to paying with cash or a standard paper ticket, making it the essential high-value tool for navigating the San Francisco Bay Area's transit network.