Comparison

TAP LA vs CA DMV Wallet

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

TAP LA

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
Read full description

Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority ("LACMTA"), a government agency, is the owner and developer of this app. TAP is your ticket to ride transit in greater Los Angeles! It is accepted on 27 systems including LA Metro, providing a vast network of buses and trains. - Make your travel safe and easy with touchless payment and card management. - Add a new TAP card to your iPhone and Apple Watch and use your fare immediately. - Use your iPhone (8 and above) and Apple Watch (Series 3 and above) to tap with Apple Pay when boarding a bus or train. - Enjoy flexible payment options including credit/debit cards, account cash and Apple Pay. - Purchase a transit pass or Stored Value for any agency in Los Angeles County. - Manage multiple cards in your TAP account (iPhone 5 and above). - Add your TAP card to Apple Wallet, enable Express Transit and quickly tap and pay when you board. You don't even have to wake up your phone! - Supports reduced fares for seniors, students, persons with disabilities and low-income riders. - Transfer a TAP card in your account to your Apple Wallet and leave the plastic at home. - Access multimodal programs such as Metro Bike Share. - Use Trip Tools to plan trips, find nearby transit options, view real-time arrivals and save favorite destinations and stops. - Enjoy the benefits of a TAP account, such as Balance Protection, card management, discounts, promotions, transaction history and friendly customer service. - Accepted on 27 transit systems in LA County including: Angels Flight Railway Antelope Valley Transit Authority (AVTA) Baldwin Park Transit Beach Cities Transit Burbank Bus Carson Circuit Compton Renaissance Transit System Culver CityBus Foothill Transit Gardena GTRANS Glendale Beeline Glendora Transportation Division Huntington Park Transit Unlimited LA County Department of Public Works LADOT Transit Lawndale Beat Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) Long Beach Transit Metro Montebello Bus Lines Monterey Park Spirit Bus Norwalk Transit Palos Verdes Peninsula Transit Authority Pasadena Transit Santa Clarita Transit Santa Monica Big Blue Bus Torrance Transit

About

CA DMV Wallet

Securely present your California driver's license or ID on your smartphone. Confirm age or identity without revealing sensitive personal data like birth date or address. Use it for airport security and age-verified purchases.

Highlights
  • Digital driver's license and ID
  • Secure data sharing
  • Age verification
  • Airport TSA screening
  • Online identity verification
  • Fraud and identity theft protection
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Now live in Pilot Phase – California DMV Mobile Wallet Californians now have a secure way to present their driver’s license or identification card using their smartphones via a Mobile Driver’s License (mDL) digital credential. California DMV Wallet gives you the control of the driver’s license data you share with others. For example, when buying age-restricted items, the app can confirm you are of legal age without having to share your birth date or address. With mDL in your CA DMV Wallet, you can breeze through the TSA queue at the airports using your phone. You can also enroll in the TruAge program via the Wallet Marketplace to purchase age-verified products at a corner store near you (starting with select pilot locations in California and expanding nationally). The Wallet will soon be supporting online identity verification for government and commercial applications. Designed with California's diverse population in mind, the CA DMV Wallet open-source platform uses state-of-the-art encryption algorithms and security technologies to combat fraud and reduce identity theft while improving privacy, transparency, and access for all Californians with a smartphone. Important note: While the mDL can be used as an official state-issued ID, per the pilot scope approved by the California legislature, you must still have a physical driver’s license or identification card with you. For more information, please visit: https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/ca-dmv-wallet/ California DMV Wallet is free, easy, secure, and convenient

Screenshots

TAP LA4 screens
CA DMV Wallet4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: CA DMV Wallet at 4.8 against TAP LA's 1.9. CA DMV Wallet also leads on review sentiment (52% vs 12%) and ratings volume (148K vs 852). TAP LA's advantage is iOS requirement (13 vs 16.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

CA DMV Wallet holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 1.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CA DMV Wallet has 148K ratings behind it against 852, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 12% of TAP LA's written reviews are positive against 52% of CA DMV Wallet's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TAP LA ships an update every 5 months, CA DMV Wallet every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
TAP LA versus CA DMV Wallet: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTAP LACA DMV Wallet
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.9 (852 ratings)4.8 (148K ratings) — better
Positive reviews11.7% of reviews52.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings852148K — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 5 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank—#74 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS13 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size84 MB172 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperLos Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation AuthorityCalifornia Department of Motor Vehicles

Customer experience

TAP LA

All ratings838 ratings
Positive20.8%
Neutral3.1%
Negative76.1%
Written reviews299 reviews
Positive11.7%
Neutral2.7%
Negative85.6%

CA DMV Wallet

All ratings145,608 ratings
Positive95.1%
Neutral1.8%
Negative3.1%
Written reviews1,143 reviews
Positive52.3%
Neutral9.3%
Negative38.4%

User reviews

TAP LA

From 852 App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

CA DMV Wallet

From 148K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast and easy setup
  • 👍 Worked well for most users
  • 💡 Potential for digital ID convenience

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Scanning and authentication issues
  • 🔒 Security and privacy concerns
  • 👎 Lack of Apple Wallet integration

Bugs and requests

TAP LA

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Card registration and activation issues
  • Disappearing funds and balances
  • Inconsistent app performance

Requested features

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

CA DMV Wallet

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Buttons and UI elements not visible
  • Repeated authentication failures
  • Inconsistent app behavior across devices

Requested features

3 requests
  • Add support for Apple Wallet
  • Improve user interface and navigation
  • Expand acceptance at more locations

In-app purchases

None

TAP LA

No in-app purchases

None

CA DMV Wallet

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is TAP LA free?
TAP LA is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is CA DMV Wallet free?
CA DMV Wallet is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, TAP LA or CA DMV Wallet?
CA DMV Wallet is rated higher. TAP LA averages 1.9 out of 5 from 852 ratings, while CA DMV Wallet averages 4.8 from 148K ratings.
Do TAP LA or CA DMV Wallet have ads?
Neither TAP LA nor CA DMV Wallet shows ads.
Which is updated more often, TAP LA or CA DMV Wallet?
TAP LA ships an update every 5 months, and CA DMV Wallet every 5 weeks. Most recently, TAP LA was updated on November 3, 2026 and CA DMV Wallet on November 6, 2026.

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