# Senior transit fares and cards



## Willbridge (May 6, 2022)

tonyH said:


> Hi, Thank you for the information, I will try the 65+ As it will be a good discount on $1200 fare. Keep you all posted as to the outcome. The veterans was a bit cheeky of me as i have not really contributed to the USA.


Veterans' and active duty deals are usually quirky, even in one's own country. And due to the rule that discounts can't be compounded, once I turned 65 that was a better deal than hunting for veterans' discounts.

Some American states have rude restrictions on senior fares on transit systems. These are adopted for political reasons, sometimes just to subvert the Federal mandate requiring senior fares by adding complications.


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## zephyr17 (May 6, 2022)

Willbridge said:


> Veterans' and active duty deals are usually quirky, even in one's own country. And due to the rule that discounts can't be compounded, once I turned 65 that was a better deal than hunting for veterans' discounts.
> 
> Some American states have rude restrictions on senior fares on transit systems. These are adopted for political reasons, sometimes just to subvert the Federal mandate requiring senior fares by adding complications.


I got senior transit cards on New York MTA and Los Angeles Metro as well as the senior ORCA card where I actually live in Washington.

The only place I've run into where I couldn't get the senior discount was Philadelphia. They only do it if you have Pennsylvania, New Jersey, or Delaware ID.


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## MARC Rider (May 6, 2022)

zephyr17 said:


> The only place I've run into where I couldn't get the senior discount was Philadelphia. They only do it if you have Pennsylvania, New Jersey, or Delaware ID.


That must be something new. I have a SEPTA senior Key Card and I got it on the basis of my Maryland Driver's license. True, I had to go to SEPTA HQ at 13th and Market and sit around and wait my turn to get my picture taken, but there was no restriction due to my residence. And it is one of the great transit deals around.

Even before I got the card, the attendants in the subway station would pass you through free if you showed them your Medicare card.


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## MARC Rider (May 6, 2022)

MARC Rider said:


> That must be something new. I have a SEPTA senior Key Card and I got it on the basis of my Maryland Driver's license. True, I had to go to SEPTA HQ at 13th and Market and sit around and wait my turn to get my picture taken, but there was no restriction due to my residence. And it is one of the great transit deals around.
> 
> Even before I got the card, the attendants in the subway station would pass you through free if you showed them your Medicare card.


Here's what SEPTA says:

SEPTA | Senior Citizens 

_"Seniors living outside Pennsylvania must obtain a Senior Fare Card upon arrival to be eligible for free or reduced fare travel."_

If you arrive by Amtrak at 30th St., you get a free ride on Regional Rail to Jefferson Station, which is pretty close to SEPTA HQ at 1234 Market St. Apparently, you now need an appointment to obtain a new card or renew your old one. However, they have no restrictions on your state of residence. 

It is true that if you're traveling to or from Delaware (Wilmington or Newark) or New Jersey (Trenton), your ride isn't free, but rather it's half the normal weekday fare.


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## zephyr17 (May 6, 2022)

MARC Rider said:


> That must be something new. I have a SEPTA senior Key Card and I got it on the basis of my Maryland Driver's license. True, I had to go to SEPTA HQ at 13th and Market and sit around and wait my turn to get my picture taken, but there was no restriction due to my residence. And it is one of the great transit deals around.
> 
> Even before I got the card, the attendants in the subway station would pass you through free if you showed them your Medicare card.


This was November 2021 at the SEPTA customer counter at 30th St Station, one of the locations where the website said Senior cards could be obtained.

It could be that Maryland was included in the list. I do recall NJ and Delaware struck me because New York (where I was staying) seemed pointedly excluded. I do know my Washington drivers license most certainly did not cut it.

Maybe I should have tried to convince them it was from Washington, DC


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## joelkfla (May 6, 2022)

zephyr17 said:


> This was November 2021 at the SEPTA customer counter at 30th St Station, one of the locations where the website said Senior cards could be obtained.
> 
> It could be that Maryland was included in the list. I do recall NJ and Delaware struck me because New York (where I was staying) seemed pointedly excluded. I do know my Washington drivers license most certainly did not cut it.
> 
> Maybe I should have tried to convince them it was from Washington, DC


I was contemplating a trip to Philly & Pittsburgh, so I called SEPTA just last month, and the very nice lady on the phone said nothing about it being restricted to those states, just that I had to make an appt. and get it in person. As I understand it, the free senior fare is funded by the state of PA, not the local agency. I even was able to find a local system near Pittsburgh who sent me a PA Senior ID by mail in return for photocopies of my FL DL & my passport, which should be accepted in Pittsburgh, but maybe not in Philly.


MARC Rider said:


> If you arrive by Amtrak at 30th St., you get a free ride on Regional Rail to Jefferson Station


How does that work?


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## zephyr17 (May 7, 2022)

Well, I am just going by what the person said at the SEPTA customer service center person said at 30th st station. Who refused to sell me a senior discount based on my Washington ID.

Based on the responses of this thread, it is clear that SEPTA subscribes to Amtrak's customer service philosophy of doing whatever is easiest/whatever they feel like doing.


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## PaTrainFan (May 7, 2022)

joelkfla said:


> MARC Rider said:
> If you arrive by Amtrak at 30th St., you get a free ride on Regional Rail to Jefferson Station
> 
> 
> How does that work?



You must use your Amtrak mobile ticket to flash on the reader at the gate. I am not sure what they do if you have only a paper ticket.


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## Deni (May 7, 2022)

Metra, CTA, and Pace Bus in Chicago are annoying because you have to have an "RTA-issued Reduced Fare Permit" to get the senior fare. I don't think there is a residency requirement (but I could be wrong) but it is essentially a de facto residency requirement since visitors to Chicago are not going to jump through the hoops to apply for that. You should just be able to show ID to get the senior fare.


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## Trollopian (May 7, 2022)

zephyr17 said:


> The only place I've run into where I couldn't get the senior discount was Philadelphia. They only do it if you have Pennsylvania, New Jersey, or Delaware ID.



Pittsburgh too. Yinz know, that big city at the other end of Pennsylvania.

From PortAuthority.org - Discounted Fares: "Senior Citizens age 65 or older who present a Pennsylvania Senior Citizen ID Card or a Senior ConnectCard at the time of fare payment ride free. Effective January 1, 2020, Medicare cards will not be accepted. The Senior Citizen ConnectCard allows seniors to ride Port Authority and other public transit vehicles for free across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania." Medicare cards, which are on flimsy cardboard, were easy to fake. A valid Senior card is easy to get at multiple locations around the state, er, Commonwealth, though it might not be worth the time if you're just visiting for a couple of days.


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## bratkinson (May 7, 2022)

zephyr17 said:


> The only place I've run into where I couldn't get the senior discount was Philadelphia. They only do it if you have Pennsylvania, New Jersey, or Delaware ID.


As a tourist in the large cities served by Amtrak, I typically go for an unlimited 1-day pass on SEPTA. That way I can ride almost non stop until I have to get back to Springfield MA. As I'm typically only riding for a single day at a time, this works best for me. 

Like SEPTA, one has to get a senior ID for METRA, I've found. And they are sticklers at the ticket window. A couple of times I've been joyriding in CHI, they had an all day pass for a very good price. If I recall, PDX MAX and light rail allow one to select 'senior fare' on the ticket machines. Works great. 

I've been working on riding all the mass transit options on all routes (except buses) on the east coast during my retirement. So, with a few exceptions, all my transit joyride trips are limited to single day only and that within the time window between my arrival and departure on Amtrak.


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## Willbridge (May 8, 2022)

Denver RTD operators and fare inspectors can ask for i.d. but rarely do.

Las Vegas requires a "resident" i.d., but didn't blink when I applied with a Denver address to see what would happen. They even mailed a notice to me in Denver when they changed card formats.


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## west point (May 9, 2022)

Willbridge said:


> Denver RTD operators and fare inspectors can ask for i.d. but rarely do.
> 
> Las Vegas requires a "resident" i.d., but didn't blink when I applied with a Denver address to see what would happen. They even mailed a notice to me in Denver when they changed card formats.



Non residence applications may pass depending on who enters the data. Especially contract workers who might not be anywhere close to the agency.


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## MARC Rider (May 9, 2022)

NJT and Metro-North/LIRR let anyone buy senior fare tickets on the app. I guess the conductor has the right to ask for ID when you show the ticket. They've never asked me, but my hair is nice and grey. 

I have a NYC senior MetroCard for the subway and buses. I had to provide a passport photo and send a notarized copy of my Maryland driver's license, as I ordered it by mail. I'm not sure if I've yet saved the cost of the photo, notary, and UPS shipping of the application. 

Before the pandemic, I used to be able to buy a senior light rail ticket in Baltimore from the ticket machine. Again, the tickets are checked onboard, and I suppose the inspector can ask for more ID, if needed. On the Baltimore Metro, they don't have senior tickets in the vending machines, but the attendant will give you one on payment of the fare. MARC requires you to register for senior fares, which requires an online application that includes your driver's license or state ID number. Not clear whether they accept out of state ID. I can now buy all the senior MARC tickets I want on the app. When I was working, I got a senior monthly pass when I turned 65, but I forget what I had to do to get it. The real hassle was changing my transit subsidy, which involved coordinating WMATA (my Senior SmartTrip card), MARC, the local Agency that handled the transit subsidy (Commer Direct? or Commuter choice?), and the Federal Agency I worked for. Getting the Senior SmartTrip card involved a trip to the sales office at the Metro Center station (which fortunately was only a block from my office), and showing them my driver's license. My Maryland license was, of course, no problems, so I don't know what their policy is on Senior cards for people living outside of MD, DC, or VA.

I haven't bothered to get a senior card for Boston or Chicago. The Boston one would involve another trip to the Charlie Card store at the Downtown Crossing Station. The Chicago one looked like it had so much red tape that it wasn't worth the bother for a place that I might only visit once every 2 years or so.

I started using Amtrak senior fares when I turned 62. Then they jacked up the minimum age when I was 63 or 64, so I had to go back to regular fares until I turned 65.


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## joelkfla (May 9, 2022)

MARC Rider said:


> I haven't bothered to get a senior card for Boston or Chicago. The Boston one would involve another trip to the Charlie Card store at the Downtown Crossing Station. The Chicago one looked like it had so much red tape that it wasn't worth the bother for a place that I might only visit once every 2 years or so.


In 2019, Chicago was just a matter of downloading an application PDF and mailing it in with an appropriately sized selfie and a photocopy of my DL. 

But now, in case you go back to Chicago:

*RTA Launches Fare Programs Online Portal*
On January 18, 2022, the RTA launched *Fare Programs Online*, a web-based online customer portal that allows people with disabilities and seniors to apply for, replace, and renew *Reduced Fare and Ride Free Permits*. The portal can be accessed at *Fares.RTAChicago.org*. This marks the first time these services are available online. Read more in a *press release* or on the *RTA blog*.


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## Willbridge (May 9, 2022)

west point said:


> Non residence applications may pass depending on who enters the data. Especially contract workers who might not be anywhere close to the agency.


I walked over to the transit center downtown from Fremont Street and registered for the pass with clerks who appeared to be with the transit district. And when Las Vegas changed pass formats they mailed a notice to my address in Denver.


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## AmtrakMaineiac (May 10, 2022)

MBTA in Boston has a Senior Charlie card that gives you half fares. It used to be that you had to go to the office at Downtown Crossing to get one but you can now get them online. I would consider getting one but I only use the T a couple times a year when I take the Downeaster to visit family so not sure if I'll go to the trouble.


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## joelkfla (May 11, 2022)

Apparently, even Miami now offers online applications. A few years ago, I made a day trip to Miami to ride Brightline, Metro, and MetroMover, and spent about an hour waiting for my application to be processed, sitting in a dingy government office reminiscent of Beetlejuice.


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## Asher (May 16, 2022)

flitcraft said:


> The walk from King St. Station to the International District Light Rail is quicker if you can leave the station via the second floor exit onto the plaza. For a while, that exit was closed, so I would inquire of someone at the station.
> 
> Also, I happened to walk by that route last week and a small homeless encampment of two tents between King St Station and the I-District light rail station had been removed. The mayor has been making a priority to get homeless tent-dwellers into shelter, which has definitely reduced the street homeless population recently.
> 
> Note that if you are a senior, the fare for light rail to the airport is one dollar--a bargain!



Can you explain the process for getting that senior fare for someone from out of town..
Thanks for any info.


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## flitcraft (May 16, 2022)

anumberone said:


> Can you explain the process for getting that senior fare for someone from out of town..
> Thanks for any info.


This is how the process worked a couple of years ago; I assume it still works that way, or at least I hope it does.

Click on this link for a senior reduced fare card: Instructions - REDUCED FARE PORTAL

It should link to an application, which you can upload together with a PDF or JPEG of a government-issued ID with photo like a drivers license or passport. 

Wait and you get your senior ORCA card in the mail. 

Caveats: This was all in the Before Times, so things may have changed. Also, ORCA is in the process of transitioning to new-improved ORCA cards, so things may take longer due to current cardholders applying for the new cards. My old one will continue to work till it runs out of banked funds, so I'm not bothering about replacing it at this point.

And, be aware that fare enforcement has shut down completely. Riders are supposed to tap their cards at the stop where they get on, but Sound Transit has discontinued the use of fare-police onboard, so at the moment and for the foreseeable future, public transit payment in Seattle is completely on the honor system. Now, I'm not in any way suggesting that people evade the fares. Though, if you were so inclined, there would be no way anyone would catch you, at least till the middle of next year, when they expect to have a fairer, kinder fare enforcement system in place.


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## BCL (Jul 26, 2022)

PaTrainFan said:


> You must use your Amtrak mobile ticket to flash on the reader at the gate. I am not sure what they do if you have only a paper ticket.



Just checking this topic since I've been interested in fare cards. I'd think that anything that could read a QR code could probably also read the code on a standard Amtrak ticket.


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## joelkfla (Nov 1, 2022)

Seniors 65 & over ride free on all transit operated by agencies in PA, but SEPTA requires that you get a SEPTA Senior Fare Card. They are easy to get in about 20 minutes at SEPTA HQ about a block from City Hall. Currently, as a holdover from the pandemic, an appointment is required, which can be made online via a link on the SEPTA website. Any state's DL is acceptable for ID when obtaining the card.


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## Bob Dylan (Nov 5, 2022)

joelkfla said:


> Seniors 65 & over ride free on all transit operated by agencies in PA, but SEPTA requires that you get a SEPTA Senior Fare Card. They are easy to get in about 20 minutes at SEPTA HQ about a block from City Hall. Currently, as a holdover from the pandemic, an appointment is required, which can be made online via a link on the SEPTA website. Any state's DL is acceptable for ID when obtaining the card.


Not much use to those of us who live out of State, wonder why this can't be done online, it's 2022,not 1972?!!


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## Mystic River Dragon (Nov 5, 2022)

Bob Dylan said:


> Not much use to those of us who live out of State, wonder why this can't be done online, it's 2022,not 1972?!!



I may be wrong, but I think at one time this was limited to residents of NJ and Delaware, so it was easy to just go and get it in person on a day when someone might be visiting Philly anyway.

Perhaps they don’t want to be swamped with online requests from people who get the card and then never come to Philly to use it.


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## joelkfla (Nov 5, 2022)

Bob Dylan said:


> Not much use to those of us who live out of State, wonder why this can't be done online, it's 2022,not 1972?!!


It only took about 20 minutes, and it's right in Center City with direct access from the 13th St. El station. If you're going to be in Philly for a few days or if you're planning return trips, IMHO it's worth the time to set an appointment first thing in the morning and get it (IIRC they open at 8 a.m.)

Sure, it would be nice if it were available online, or even by snail mail, but it ain't.


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## railiner (Nov 5, 2022)

Mystic River Dragon said:


> Perhaps they don’t want to be swamped with online requests from people who get the card and then never come to Philly to use it.


I can understand that, but suppose they charged a nominal fee, say just to cover costs…that might eliminate that problem, and yet make it convenient for out-of-town customers to obtain it?


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## AmtrakBlue (Nov 5, 2022)

railiner said:


> I can understand that, but suppose they charged a nominal fee, say just to cover costs…that might eliminate that problem, and yet make it convenient for out-of-town customers to obtain it?


Do other cities offer easily obtainable discount cards to out-of-towners? Some may, but not all do as far as I can tell.


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## PVD (Nov 5, 2022)

Sometimes the permanent cards are a pain, but they have a way for a cash customer to show ID and get the break....

NYC has a mail in option as well as mobile units all over the city in addition to a few fixed locations, but the above works for onesie twosie


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## railiner (Nov 5, 2022)

AmtrakBlue said:


> Do other cities offer easily obtainable discount cards to out-of-towners? Some may, but not all do as far as I can tell.


Offhand, I don't know. And I'm not motivated to research it any further. But encouraging out of town people to visit and spend money could be beneficial to the local economy, right?


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## AmtrakBlue (Nov 5, 2022)

railiner said:


> Offhand, I don't know. And I'm not motivated to research it any further. But encouraging out of town people to visit and spend money could be beneficial to the local economy, right?


I suspect most don’t because the cards are probably subsidized with taxpayer money.


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## joelkfla (Nov 5, 2022)

AmtrakBlue said:


> Do other cities offer easily obtainable discount cards to out-of-towners? Some may, but not all do as far as I can tell.


I think I got SF Bay Area, Chicago, Boston, & NYC all either by online application or by downloading a PDF and mailing it in. Washington DC & Philly were in person, but I just got the DC area VRE commuter rail card by online application, since I'll be staying near Reagan Airport and the Metro bridge across the Potomac is closed for reconstruction, resulting in a 45-minute trip to downtown the long way around.

Miami was in person a few years ago, but they recently switched to an online system.

Pittsburgh was kinda weird. They only issue cards in person, but the website says they honor any PA senior ID card. I was able to find a small agency in a county neighboring Pittsburgh which accepts mail applications, and I got a handwritten card back.  I didn't get to test it because my trip was canceled by the postponed SM resumption. But now that I have the Philly SEPTA card, they should accept that as well when I try again in the spring.



AmtrakBlue said:


> I suspect most don’t because the cards are probably subsidized with taxpayer money.


I don't think I've run into a single agency that denied senior discount cards (where required) to out-of-staters. They're just not all set up to handle online or mail-in applications. Miami has free transit for locals only, but offers a 50% discount card for non-local seniors.


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## Bob Dylan (Nov 6, 2022)

AmtrakBlue said:


> I suspect most don’t because the cards are probably subsidized with taxpayer money.


Most, if not all, Cities and Ststes "Stick it to Tourists" by putting Taxes and Fees on stuff that Tourists need such as Hotel Rooms,Rent Cars,Toll Roads, Airports etc.


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## Trollopian (Nov 6, 2022)

joelkfla said:


> Pittsburgh was kinda weird...



That's a pretty good all-purpose statement.


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## City of Miami (Nov 6, 2022)

I have 3, DC, Philly & NYC. I had Miami but let it lapse. DC & Philly I applied in person, MTA online and mail in incl providing a sized selfie (for that I had to go to the library and resize my phone selfie and print it out on ordinary paper). My last couple of trips I've avoided subways and used buses. They're much less crowded and the scenery is better. They take a little longer but often get me closer to my destination cutting down on walking which my feet now really appreciate. $1.35, 2 hour transfers to anything including trains and ferries! Good Deal.


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## BCL (Nov 7, 2022)

AmtrakBlue said:


> Do other cities offer easily obtainable discount cards to out-of-towners? Some may, but not all do as far as I can tell.



The Clipper program in the San Francisco Bay Area primarily has senior/youth discount cards issued primarily through mail, online, or FAX applications. They'll require a scan/image/photocopy of proof of age. This says 5-18, but I obtained my child's card before turning 5 (when any fare requirement started for any covered agency), where it was set up to automatically apply any youth fare based on DOB.

https://www.clippercard.com/ClipperWeb/discounts.html

But there are some locations that can issue such cards in person. Some locations (like senior centers) are limited to specific types. I obtained my child's youth Clipper card when I was working near the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority headquarters. I had to search around the building but found it. I brought my child's California ID with DOB as proof of age. A designated employee had to be called in and then I had to wait a few minutes for him to come back with a card. One would need to enter a location and select "Staffed Location" from this dropdown menu.

https://www.clippercard.com/ClipperWeb/locations​*Staffed locations*​​Buy an adult Clipper card, get a Youth or Senior Clipper card or load value on any card. Call ahead for days and hours. Card replacement services available at select locations.​
San Francisco gets a lot of tourists, so a primarily location would probably be at the Ferry Building or near a Cable Car turnaround. The first one on this list is near the Market/Powell Cable Car turnaround and I think their biggest business is selling Cable Car tickets.

SFMTA Powell and Market Public Transit Kiosk​899 Market Street​San Francisco, CA 94103​Phone: 415.701.2311​​SFMTA Presidio Sales Kiosk​949 Presidio Street​San Francisco, CA 94101​Phone: 415.701.2311​​Clipper Customer Service Center at Embarcadero BART/Muni Station​298 Market Street​San Francisco, CA 94105​​Clipper Customer Service Center at Bay Crossings​1 San Francisco Ferry Building​San Francisco, CA 94111​


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## BCL (Nov 7, 2022)

AmtrakBlue said:


> I suspect most don’t because the cards are probably subsidized with taxpayer money.



All public transportation is subsided though. But providing discounts as an incentive to visit would seem to be something that many transit agencies would encourage.


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## joelkfla (Nov 7, 2022)

BCL said:


> The Clipper program in the San Francisco Bay Area primarily has senior/youth discount cards issued primarily through mail, online, or FAX applications. They'll require a scan/image/photocopy of proof of age. This says 5-18, but I obtained my child's card before turning 5 (when any fare requirement started for any covered agency), where it was set up to automatically apply any youth fare based on DOB.
> 
> https://www.clippercard.com/ClipperWeb/discounts.html
> 
> ...


Single ride cable car tickets are at attraction prices, not transit prices. IIRC, last time I was in SF there was a 1-day pass available only on the Muni app which included the cable cars and all other Muni vehicles, whose price was about the same as a round trip on the cable cars.


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## BCL (Nov 7, 2022)

joelkfla said:


> Single ride cable car tickets are at attraction prices, not transit prices. IIRC, last time I was in SF there was a 1-day pass available only on the Muni app which included the cable cars and all other Muni vehicles, whose price was about the same as a round trip on the cable cars.



That's $13, but it's only available on the MUNI app. It's $24 to get a paper version or add to a Clipper card. They've got a lot of things that are a bit odd, including the same $5 adult non-Cable Car day pass whether one gets one at the farebox or on the MUNI app. Nearly everything else (other than Cable Cars) they run has a surcharge for paying at the farebox except for that. And I don't believe Cable Cars have fareboxes; it's either a handheld Clipper scanner or one has to buy a paper ticket.






1-Day Visitor Passport


Whether you're here for a day or for several weeks, SFMTA makes it simple for visitors to get around the city with ease. A Visitor Passport can be purchased at ticket kiosks, on Clipper® and sales locations for 1, 3, or 7 consecutive days of unlimited rides on Muni, Muni Metro, historic...




www.sfmta.com





But back to the subject of senior fares, there is no senior day pass or passport (which includes Cable Cars). Senior discounts on Cable Cars only apply from 9 PM to 7 AM. For visitors, it would require a calculus as to whether or not it would be worth it to do single rides with a senior discount or just get the pass. Not sure about MuniMobile though - how they handle senior fares.






Fares


With multiple ways of paying, buying your Muni bus, rail or cable car tickets is easy. And because paying with cash slows the system down, we reward you with a lower fare for paying by other means. MuniMobile®: The SFMTA’s official ticketing app, MuniMobile lets you buy tickets instantly through...




www.sfmta.com


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## joelkfla (Nov 7, 2022)

BCL said:


> And I don't believe Cable Cars have fareboxes; it's either a handheld Clipper scanner or one has to buy a paper ticket.


No farebox because there's no door! (OK, technically there is a door to the cabin, but not to the outdoor seats.) Those conductors have to be pretty talented, reaching over people's heads to collect fares while the car is bouncing up & down.


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## BCL (Nov 7, 2022)

joelkfla said:


> No farebox because there's no door! (OK, technically there is a door to the cabin, but not to the outdoor seats.) Those conductors have to be pretty talented, reaching over people's heads to collect fares while the car is bouncing up & down.



I've used a bunch of these transit agencies that use Clipper. San Francisco Bay Ferry allowed people to buy paper tickets on board but I think there's a slight discount for adult fare using Clipper. For youth and senior fares I think there's no discount for Clipper. But when I've ridden San Francisco Bay Ferry there was typically an employee with a handheld scanner and not one installed at the dock like they have with Golden Gate Ferry.


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## Willbridge (Nov 7, 2022)

BCL said:


> The Clipper program in the San Francisco Bay Area primarily has senior/youth discount cards issued primarily through mail, online, or FAX applications. They'll require a scan/image/photocopy of proof of age. This says 5-18, but I obtained my child's card before turning 5 (when any fare requirement started for any covered agency), where it was set up to automatically apply any youth fare based on DOB.
> 
> https://www.clippercard.com/ClipperWeb/discounts.html
> 
> ...


I signed up for mine at the Ferry Building. It all went very smoothly.


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## BCL (Dec 16, 2022)

Not sure if this fits into any neat category, but I'm wondering about transferability. I'm looking into the rules of transferability with "adult" cards. Obviously senior and child cards are registered to a specific user and often have the DOB programmed into the card in order to automatically calculate discounted fares or to offer specific passes.

I looked up what it is with our local Clipper card system. I'm thinking that with passes, those aren't transferrable (obviously each agency has its specific rules), but standard fare cash value should be transferrable - i.e. I can let a friend borrow mine and either use the cash value or let them add their own cash value in order to avoid the $3 fee for a new card. But their rules clearly state that a child or senior card are only for the use of the registered user.









The Bay Area's all-in-one transit card


Clipper is the all-in-one transit card used for contactless fare payments throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.




www.clippercard.com



6.1.1 The Cardholder can register his/her Adult Clipper® Card with the Clipper® Customer Service Center by providing a valid name, address, phone number and email address (if available).​6.1.2 All Youth and Senior Clipper® cards, as well as RTC Discount Cards and cards loaded with the Clipper® START(SM) discount, are automatically registered, not transferable, and can be used only by the person identified in the Clipper® customer database.​
Since I'm traveling to the LA area I'm looking into the rules for TAP. I have two - one that I got for my child and one for myself. Since my child wasn't a student at an area school, we couldn't get a special child TAP card, where I believe it may be free transportation. I called up their service center, and they said I should have no problem using someone else's non-discounted TAP card - at least for cash fares or for loading passes if I'm going to be the only user of that pass. There's about $1.50 value left on my kid's card, which should be enough to ride Big Blue Bus from LAX to Santa Monica. My own card only has 50 cents left, but I intend on loading a 7-day LA Metro pass and adding some stored value to it later for express bus surcharges and use on other transit agencies. I am a bit confused about their policies though.



Cardholder Agreement

*1.2* Cardholder – The person who is the bearer of the Card is deﬁned as the “Cardholder”. All Cards are non-transferable, can only be used by the person associated with the speciﬁc card, and must be retained by the Cardholder for the duration of the trip.​


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