# TAP LA vs Clipper Card

The clearest difference is rating: Clipper Card at 3.8 against TAP LA's 1.9. Clipper Card also leads on ratings volume (12K vs 850) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 13). TAP LA's advantage is review sentiment (12% vs 3%). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Clipper Card holds the better App Store score, 3.8 against 1.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Clipper Card has 12K ratings behind it against 850, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 12% of TAP LA's written reviews are positive against 3% of Clipper Card's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

TAP LA ships an update every 5 months, Clipper Card every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | TAP LA | Clipper Card |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.9 (850 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tap-la/id1505839730/reviews) | **[3.8 (12K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/clipper-card/id1534042451/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 850 | **12K** |
| Positive reviews | **11.7% of reviews** | 2.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | #203 | **#158** |
| Size | 84 MB | 61 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority](https://appshunter.io/developer/1353337562) | [Metropolitan Transportation Commission](https://appshunter.io/developer/577603960) |

## What reviewers say

### TAP LA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tap-la/id1505839730)

**Currently charting:** #203 Top Free · Travel (US App Store)

Pay for transit fares across Los Angeles with your mobile device. This app allows you to purchase passes, manage multiple cards, and use touchless payment on numerous bus and train systems. It also offers trip planning and access to multimodal programs.

**Highlights:** Touchless payment, Add TAP card to iPhone/Apple Watch, Purchase transit passes, Manage multiple TAP cards, Add TAP card to Apple Wallet, Trip planning tools, Reduced fare support

**Features:** Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- ✨ Convenient digital tap card
- 💳 Ability to load funds
- 🗺️ Trip planning functionality

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes and glitches
- 💰 Charges money without adding funds
- ⏱️ Slow load times and processing
- 🤷‍♀️ Confusing user experience
- 🚫 Doesn't work for tourists/visitors

**Reported bugs**

- Card registration and activation issues
- Disappearing funds and balances
- Inconsistent app performance

**Requested features**

- Allow multiple devices for one account
- Improve reliability of fund loading
- Provide more transparent transaction history
- Integrate with more payment methods


### Clipper Card

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/clipper-card/id1534042451)

**Currently charting:** #158 Top Free · Travel (US App Store)

Manage your transit card for contactless fare payments across the San Francisco Bay Area. Load value, plan trips with real-time information, and pay fares directly from your iPhone or Apple Watch.

**Highlights:** Pay fares with Clipper in Apple Pay, Manage transit accounts, Load cash value and transit passes, Plan trips with real-time info, Add/transfer cards to Apple Wallet, View account activity

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Convenient to add Clipper card to Apple Wallet
- 👍 Easy to manage Clipper card balance

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy app with frequent issues
- ⏱️ Slow to update card balance and transaction history
- 💳 Difficult to cancel auto-load or transfer card balances
- 🤖 Poor customer service and unresponsive support
- 🔒 Security concerns with lost/stolen cards

**Reported bugs**

- App freezes and crashes frequently
- Card balances not updating properly
- Issues with adding cards to Apple Wallet
- Inconsistent behavior when loading funds

**Requested features**

- Improve real-time sync of card balance and transactions
- Streamline process to cancel auto-load and transfer balances
- Provide better customer support and communication
- Enhance security features for lost/stolen cards
- Eliminate unnecessary fees


## Frequently asked questions

### Is TAP LA free?

TAP LA is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Clipper Card free?

Clipper Card is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, TAP LA or Clipper Card?

Clipper Card is rated higher. TAP LA averages 1.9 out of 5 from 850 ratings, while Clipper Card averages 3.8 from 12K ratings.

### Do TAP LA or Clipper Card have ads?

Neither TAP LA nor Clipper Card shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, TAP LA or Clipper Card?

TAP LA ships an update every 5 months, and Clipper Card every 3 months. Most recently, TAP LA was updated on October 25, 2026 and Clipper Card on October 28, 2026.

### Which is more popular, TAP LA or Clipper Card?

TAP LA currently peaks at #203 in the App Store charts, and Clipper Card at #158. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*