TAP LA vs CA DMV Wallet
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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
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.
- Digital driver's license and ID
- Secure data sharing
- Age verification
- Airport TSA screening
- Online identity verification
- Fraud and identity theft protection
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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
Verdict
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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
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.
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.
| Parameter | TAP LA | CA DMV Wallet |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 1.9 (852 ratings) | 4.8 (148K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 11.7% of reviews | 52.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 852 | 148K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 5 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | — | #74 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 13 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 84 MB | 172 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority | California Department of Motor Vehicles |
Customer experience
TAP LA
CA DMV Wallet
User reviews
TAP LA
From 852 App Store ratingsWhat 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 ratingsWhat 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
TAP LA
No in-app purchases
CA DMV Wallet
No in-app purchases






