SAN FRANCISCO — If your usual Muni routine is to open MuniMobile, buy a single ride and activate it when the bus turns the corner, that routine changes Tuesday.
Beginning Sept. 1, 2026, MuniMobile will no longer sell new single-ride tickets. The app itself is not shutting down on Sept. 1. Other fare products remain available for now, and SFMTA expects the broader retirement of MuniMobile to happen gradually through mid-2027. SFMTA’s MuniMobile guidance.
What happens to a MuniMobile ticket you already bought?
It does not disappear Tuesday. SFMTA says single-ride tickets purchased before Sept. 1 remain valid for 30 days from purchase. The Sept. 1 change concerns buying new single rides.
How do you pay for a single Muni ride after Sept. 1?
SFMTA lists four main alternatives: pay using Clipper, tap a chip-enabled debit or credit card at a Clipper reader, pay cash when boarding, or buy a fare at a Muni Metro ticket vending machine. Cash riders need exact change.
For an occasional adult rider, the bank-card option may be the simplest. A physical contactless card can be tapped directly on the reader, and a supported bank card in a phone’s mobile wallet can also be used.
Do not use a bank card if you need a discounted fare
Contactless bank-card payment charges the standard adult fare. Youth, seniors, riders with disabilities and income-qualified riders do not receive their applicable discounted Clipper fare simply by tapping an ordinary bank card. Riders seeking those discounts need the relevant discount-program Clipper card.
Can one credit card pay for two people?
No. Clipper says each rider paying by contactless bank card must use a separate card or mobile device. That is a small but important difference from MuniMobile, which has allowed one user to buy tickets for multiple people.
What about the Clipper app on your phone?
Another point of confusion: the Clipper app itself is not the thing you hold against the fare reader. The app manages an account and value. If you want to pay by phone using Clipper, set up a digital Clipper card in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet, or tap a supported bank card stored in your mobile wallet.
What stays in MuniMobile after Sept. 1?
Muni-only Day Passes, individual cable-car tickets, Lifeline passes and 1-, 3- and 7-day Visitor Passports remain available in MuniMobile through 2026 under SFMTA’s current timetable. The agency expects to move away from MuniMobile entirely by mid-2027.
Why is SFMTA retiring MuniMobile?
Money is part of it. SFMTA says decommissioning the standalone app should save approximately $3 million over the next two fiscal years, as more fare functions move into the next-generation Clipper system.
For riders, the immediate date is simpler: Monday, Aug. 31 is the last day to buy a new single-ride ticket in MuniMobile. Starting Tuesday, Sept. 1, use Clipper, a contactless bank card, cash or a Muni Metro vending machine instead.
The change arrives just after Muni’s Aug. 29 service update. Riders can also use our live transit page for current service information.