1. What to do if your card isn't tagging properly 

If tagging on is unsuccessful, your cash value could be deducted or you could be subject to citation. To avoid this, don’t assume your tag was successful at a Clipper card reader. Pay attention, and if the card reader beeps three times and flashes red when you attempt to tag on, your card was not accepted. What should you do?

First, try another Clipper card reader and make sure to hold your card flat against the Clipper logo on the reader. Watch our video to learn how to tag on and off with your Clipper card.

Second, if you are still unable to tag on successfully, remove it from any plastic holder and ensure it isn't next to another card, such as your Stanford ID, then try to tag on again. 

Do you have a new Clipper card and wonder if the passes are active? When you receive a Clipper card directly from Stanford Transportation, your transit passes are active when you receive it.  However, if you purchased your Clipper card from a retail location, please allow three to five days for passes to be activated after Stanford Transportation uploads the passes. You may also want to  confirm that the provider or Clipper activated the card when you purchased it. You can call Clipper at 877.878.8883 to confirm.

2. Transit passes extended; no action required

Caltrain Go Pass and VTA SmartPass

No action is required on the part of current Go Pass and SmartPass holders. The extension will be applied to your pass(es) automatically. Stanford Transportation will provide further updates about Go Passes and SmartPasses in early 2022, prior to the expiration of passes.

AC Transit EasyPass

Stanford-issued AC Transit EasyPasses will be extended through 2022. This means that university, SLAC, and hospital employees who currently have an EasyPass, or are eligible for one, will continue to enjoy free, unlimited travel on AC Transit in 2022 as long as they remain active at Stanford and continue to meet the eligibility requirements.

No action is required if you currently have a Stanford-issued AC Transit EasyPass on your Clipper card. The extension for 2022 will be applied to your EasyPass automatically.

3. Your Clipper card continues to be valid as long as you remain eligible

If you already have a Stanford-issued Caltrain Go Pass, VTA SmartPass, and/or AC Transit EasyPass on your Clipper card and if no aspect of your eligibility for the pass(es) has changed, your passes remain valid, and no action is required. 

Even if you are not commuting, you do not need to take any action. Your SmartPass and/or Go Pass remain valid through May 2022 or March 2022, respectively. Your EasyPass is valid through 2022. If and when you are riding Caltrain, please remember to tag on and off to avoid a citation. 

4. Request a new Clipper card if your Stanford affiliation has changed 

Changes in affiliation can result in a deactivation. Here’s what you need to know:

• If you switch affiliations (e.g., postdoctoral scholar to employee or hospital employee to university employee), the Stanford-issued pass(es) on your Clipper card will be deactivated even if you continue to be eligible for Stanford-issued transit pass(es).
• It is your responsibility to request new passes and a new card if you wish to continue using your transit pass(es), since we do not have a way to identify your change in status. 
• To request your new transit pass(es) after a change in Stanford affiliation, please fill out our request form. 
• Your pass(es) must be preloaded to a new card. We are unable to put your pass(es) on your original Clipper card. 

If you have questions, please contact us at commuteclub@stanford.edu.

5. Consider loading cash value to your Clipper card 

Your transit pass(es) will not appear under “passes” in your Clipper account. The best way to test if your pass(es) are active, is to try tagging on at a clipper card reader.

In the event that the transit pass(es) on your Clipper card do not work when you tag on, we recommend that you have cash value loaded onto your card as a backup and to avoid a potential citation. 

Please note that your transit pass(es) automatically supersede any cash value loaded onto your card. Cash value should not be deducted when you tag on with a Clipper card that has active transit pass(es). However, it is a good practice to check your charges in case your tag-on was unsuccessful.

We recommend that you check your Clipper statements frequently and carefully. If you believe that you have been or are being charged, check your transaction history in the Clipper portal: 

• Log in to the Clipper portal. If this is your first time using the Clipper portal, you will have to register your Clipper card before logging in. 
• Select “More Options” under the relevant Clipper card.
• Click “View Activity.”
• Select the date range that you would like to review.

Please note that if you plan to use it to pay fares on Bay Area Transit services for which you do not have an associated transit pass, your Clipper card must have cash value loaded. 

Benefits-eligible employees may use pre-tax dollars through the payroll deduction program to help reduce out of pocket expenses for transit fares. 

If you have verified your transaction history and found that your pre-loaded cash value is being deducted, please contact us within two weeks of the erroneous charges at commuteclub@stanford.edu or 650.736.9923.