Fare Types

SamTrans offers a variety of fare products for youth, seniors, customers with disabilities and adult customers.

Summer Youth Pass
The Summer Youth Pass is back.  This $40 pass allows unlimited rides on SamTrans all summer, from June 1 through Aug. 31, and is available to kids 17 and younger.  This pass is not available on Clipper.  Click here for details.

Monthly Pass
Monthly passes are valid for unlimited rides, seven days a week during the month for which they are issued. Passes are valid for any route which has the same ride value or less as shown on the pass. The ride value of any pass may be applied to any route with a higher ride value by paying the difference in electronic cash from the Clipper card.  Load Monthly passes on Clipper cards at Clipper retail outlets, online or at the SamTrans headquarters in San Carlos.

All Senior and Youth riders are required to complete an application to receive their Clipper card. 

Eligible Discount Pass ($25) - For use by senior, disabled and Medicare cardholder customers on any Local or Express route at any time. Bus operator may ask for proof of age, disability or to see Medicare card.

Youth Pass ($36) - For use by youth customers age 17 years and younger on any Local or Express route at any time. Bus operator may ask for proof of age.

Local Pass ($64) - For use by adult customers on any Local route at any time and on Routes KX, 391, 292 and 397 within San Mateo County and to Palo Alto.

Local/SF Pass ($96) - For use by adult customers on any Local route and on Routes 391, 292 and 397 when traveling out of San Francisco.

Express Pass ($165) - For use by adult customers on any SamTrans route.

Day Pass
Day passes allow SamTrans customers to ride Local routes all day using just one pass and are an attractive choice for customers who ride more than one bus during the day.  Introduced Jan. 1, 2012, Day passes are available for Youth, Eligible Discount and Adult customers and are valid on all fixed-route buses and carry a local-ride value.  The ride value may be applied to any route with a higher ride value by paying the difference in cash, tokens, Change cards or Local-ride value tickets.

Day passes are purchased onboard the bus, directly from the farebox.  Customers should let the bus operator know they would like to purchase a Day Pass before inserting payment.  The farebox then will issue a magnetic Day Pass that customers will “swipe” at the farebox on future rides that day.

 
Tokens
Discounted tokens are available at SamTrans headquarters in San Carlos, at Safeway stores in San Mateo County (except at 860 N. Delaware in San Mateo) and at the Safeway stores at 4950 Mission St. and 3350 Mission St. in San Francisco, and other SamTrans sales outlets.  The tokens may be used on all regular SamTrans bus routes and carry a local-ride value. 

Tokens have several advantages over cash fares, such as:

• Eliminate the need for exact change. Each token is good for one local ride. If multiple tokens are used for a higher-value route, a Change Card isn’t issued.
• Sold at a discount: adult tokens cost $16 for 10 and youth tokens cost $10 for 10 - a 20% discount compared to cash fare. Tokens are sold in packages of 10.
• Do not expire, allowing riders to purchase them in advance and use them over an extended period.

Local-ride Tickets
Local-ride Tickets are sold at SamTrans headquarters in San Carlos in packages of 50 for $100.  Each ticket is valid for a local ride.

Interagency Transfers
Certain Bay Area transit passes are accepted on SamTrans fixed-route service as a local-fare credit.  Click here to see the list of participating transit agencies.

Change Cards for Cash Customers
If a customer inserts more cash in the farebox than is needed, the farebox will issue a stored-value Change Card.  The value of the card is printed on the back and may be used toward the cost of future bus rides by dipping it into the farebox, which will deduct the appropriate fare and issue it back showing the remaining balance. If there's not enough value on the card to pay the required fare, the customer will need to put additional cash or insert another Change Card(s) into the farebox.

Change cards may not be purchased.  They may not be redeemed for cash, exchanged or refunded. Change cards expire one year from date of issue.

Multiple Change cards may be exchanged for one single Change Card at SamTrans headquarters on Mondays (if headquarters is closed, it will be the next business day). For your convenience, you may fill out the Change Card Consolidation Request Form and mail it to SamTrans.

Cash cannot be added when consolidating Change cards.  Change cards that have expired or aren't readable are not eligible for exchange or consolidation.

Group Travel
Travel together for field trips or with a big group of friends at a 20 percent discount over regular fares.  Click here for information.

Residential Pass (Pilot Program)  
SamTrans invites residential developments in its service area to participate in its pilot Residential Pass Program. The program allows all residents five years and older unlimited rides on all SamTrans routes for one low annual fee. Residents are issued a photo identification card with a validation sticker that’s used as a flash pass when they board a SamTrans bus. The R Pass is not available for purchase by individuals.

Participating developments enter into an agreement with SamTrans and pay an annual fee for every eligible resident regardless of how many residents will use the program. Under the current pilot program, participating developments pay the greater of $104 per eligible resident or $5,200 per year. The development has certain responsibilities for issuing and tracking the R pass stickers its residents receive, as well as having the resident complete an annual transit use survey.

If you’re interested in offering this great benefit to your residents or would like more information, call
650-508-7921 or e-mail tickets@samtrans.com.

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Refund Policy:  There are no refunds, exchanges or replacements on SamTrans tickets. However, if your magnetic ticket stops working, please fill out the Request for Replacement Form. Replacements may not be granted for tickets that cannot be verified due to the ticket being damaged, torn or bent.

4/26/13 - maw