A single ride fare on Muni is good for 120 minutes of travel, whether it be on a single route or a trip with multiple transfers across buses and light rail. You can save up to $0.50 per trip by paying with a Clipper® card or MuniMobile.
For information about discount fares, visit our Fares page.
Visitors may be interested in our 1, 3 and 7 Day Visitor Passes.
Residents may find Monthly Passes more cost-effective.
Paying With Clipper®
You can load cash value onto your Clipper card to pay for single rides. When you tag your Clipper card to the reader as you board a 120 minute transfer will be stored to your card. You must tag your card each time you board a vehicle.
Cash value can be added to your Clipper card from the Clipper online portal, at any Clipper retailer or at a Ticket Vending Machine located in every Muni Metro Station.
Tag One and Done
Tag your Clipper card only once after 8:30 p.m. and travel until 5 a.m. the next day. Unlimited late-night travel offer also applies to Limited Use ticketholders and Clipper users, but tagging multiple times will result in fare charges. Show activated Clipper card to Muni operator or Station Agent at a Metro booth or, if unattended, proceed through the faregate closest to the booth.
Note: Customers do not need to "tag" out of Muni Metro to exit. Fare gates have motion sensors and will open automatically. Simply walk through. This may be different from other transit services like BART and Caltrain, which do require customers to "tag" out.
Paying With Cash/Coins/Limited Use Ticket
Bring Exact Change
Change is not provided on bus or light rail vehicles. Stop ahead of time and pick up change along the way or load cash onto your Clipper card to avoid the hassle.
Customers paying cash at Muni Metro light rail stations must purchase a Limited Use Ticket from a Ticket Vending Machine (TVM) located outside of the faregates. Cash or credit/debit cards are accepted at these machines. Tap the ticket to the faregate reader for access. Tickets sold at TVMs expire 90 days after purchase.
Carry Your Fare Receipt ("Transfer") At All Times
When riding the bus, the driver will hand you a fare receipt (often referred to as a "transfer"). Keep this with you at all times, regardless of whether you plan to transfer to another route or not. If the driver does not hand you a receipt, remember to ask for one. Riding Muni without proof of payment can result in receiving a citation and heavy fine, so keep your receipt! This receipt must also be shown to a station agent when transferring to light rail in a Muni Metro station for faregate access. A Limited Use Ticket purchased from a TVM electronically records the transfer time.
Keep Track of the Time
Always keep track of the time on your receipt or ticket to be sure it's still valid. You must complete your trip within 120 minutes. Once your transfer expires, you must pay for another single ride fare.
Tokens
Tokens are only available to non-profit/government organizations for client services. If you have tokens previously purchased, they are still valid for travel. No surcharge is required. Customers paying with tokens at Muni Metro light rail stations must purchase a Limited Use Ticket from a Ticket Vending Machine (TVM) located outside of the faregates. Tokens are accepted at the Ticket Vending Machine (TVM). Tap the ticket to the faregate reader for access. Insert tokens directly in the farebox on board other vehicles for fare receipt. Not valid for Cable Car fare.
Contact Revenue.Sales@sfmta.com for more information on how to purchase tokens.
Inter-Agency Transfers
Transferring to and from Other Transit Agencies
The SFMTA provides a fifty-cent discount off an adult single ride for customers transferring to Muni from the agencies listed below when using a Clipper card (does not apply to Cable Car service). Some agencies also provide a reciprocal single ride discount for Muni customers transferring to their service. Please visit their websites or 511 for more information on their fare rules and discounts.
- AC Transit
- BART
- Caltrain (Zone 1)
- Golden Gate Ferry
- Golden Gate Transit
- SamTrans
- San Francisco Bay Ferry
Transferring from the Daly City BART station to Muni
You are eligible for two free rides on the 14R, 28, 54 and 57 Muni routes when transferring from the Daly City BART Station and paying your fare using Clipper. The first trip must be taken within 23 hours after exiting BART and the second within 24 hours after exiting BART for the free fares to apply. The free fares are stored automatically when you tag your Clipper card upon exit at the Daly City station. You must also tag your Clipper card upon boarding Muni for proof of payment.