SamTrans Mobile vs METRO Splash Pass
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SamTrans Mobile
This app allows users to purchase and use bus fares directly from their mobile device. Avoid carrying cash or searching for exact change by paying securely with a debit or credit card. Tickets can be bought instantly and activated when boarding.
- Pay bus fare with phone
- Buy single or group fares
- Use debit/credit card
- Instant ticket purchase
- Activate tickets before boarding
- Store tickets on device
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The official SamTrans Mobile ticketing app lets you use your phone to pay your fare on any SamTrans local or express routes. Just download the free app, register your debit/credit card in our secure system, and we’ll get you where you need to go. WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH THIS APP: * Pay bus fare using your phone without having to carry cash or worry about exact change. * Buy and use fares instantly using a debit/credit card for a single fare or multiple fares for a group of riders. Mobile tickets must be used within thirty days. HOW IT WORKS Tickets: 1. Go to Buy Tickets 2. Choose mode of travel 3. Add tickets to cart 4. Checkout 5. Activate ticket when bus arrives 6. Show ticket to driver COMMON QUESTIONS How do I pay for my tickets in the SamTrans Mobile app? Debit or credit (American Express, Visa, MasterCard, and Discover) cards are accepted. Can customers use a commuter debit card? Yes, provided you have funds in your account. If the card is denied, it will take three to five business days before the funding will appear back on your card. If I am having a problem loading the application, who should I call? Please call customer service at 1-800-660-4287. All problems should be directed to customer service which is available: weekdays 7am – 7pm, weekends & holidays 8am – 5pm. Do I need an internet connection to buy or use tickets? You will need an internet connection to buy and activate bus passes. However, if you save the purchased tickets in your device, you will not need to have internet connection to activate them. IMPORTANT REMINDERS: - Don’t uninstall the SamTrans Mobile app or erase your phone while you have active tickets on it. This will cause you to lose your tickets. Your tickets are stored on your phone (which makes it possible to use them without a cellular network or a wireless Internet connection). Before uninstalling the app or resetting your phone move tickets to the cloud (See Frequently Asked Questions for info). - Activate your ticket right before boarding - Show your ticket to the driver upon boarding - Watch your battery level. You cannot board without showing your ticket.
METRO Splash Pass
Pay for bus rides directly from your phone using a credit or debit card. Avoid the need for exact change or visiting ticket machines to purchase passes.
- Credit/debit card payment
- Mobile pass purchase
- No exact change needed
- Convenient ticketless travel
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- No more need to carry cash in exact change to ride the Hwy 17 Express - just pay with a credit or debit card - No need to go to a TVM or order a 31-day pass by mail - just purchase directly on your phone
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ratings volume: SamTrans Mobile at 138 against METRO Splash Pass's 18. SamTrans Mobile also leads on iOS requirement (10.0 vs 15.6). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 3.6 for SamTrans Mobile against 3.5 for METRO Splash Pass. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SamTrans Mobile has 138 ratings behind it against 18, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 35% of SamTrans Mobile's written reviews are positive against 40% of METRO Splash Pass's.
SamTrans Mobile ships an update every 6 months, METRO Splash Pass every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SamTrans Mobile | METRO Splash Pass |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.6 (138 ratings) — better | 3.5 (18 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 34.8% of reviews | 40.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 138 — better | 18 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months — better | Every 9 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 10.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 87 MB | 65 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Bytemark, Inc. | Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District |
Customer experience
SamTrans Mobile
METRO Splash Pass
In-app purchases
SamTrans Mobile
No in-app purchases
METRO Splash Pass
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is SamTrans Mobile free?
Is METRO Splash Pass free?
Which has better reviews, SamTrans Mobile or METRO Splash Pass?
Do SamTrans Mobile or METRO Splash Pass have ads?
Which is updated more often, SamTrans Mobile or METRO Splash Pass?
Other comparisons
