OneCard FAQ

Your OneCard/ Gator Pass functions as your identification card for our University. It can be used in the University for the Following Services:

  • Photo ID card
  • Library card
  • Print/Copy card
  • Declining Balance card
  • Access card
  • Meal Plan card

OneCard serves as a J. Paul Leonard Library card for all students, faculty, and staff. It is also a door access card for residential students. OneCard has a campus declining balance feature that allows access to copy and print stations as well as the ability to make purchases with on-campus merchants. Visit the OneCard Merchants page to see the complete listing of where your OneCard declining balance card feature can be used.

The OneCard/Gator Pass also provides transit features through Clipper - your OneCard is also a Clipper card.  Clipper is the all-in-one transit card for the Bay Area. It can hold all transit passes, such as the SF University Pass for Muni, Higher Ed discount product for BART, Way2Go Pass for SanTrams or other products for all major Bay Area transit systems.

As part of tuition and fees, all students pay the Gator Pass fee each semester for a “Gator Pass”—this set of transit passes afford students a 50% discount on all BART rides to and from Daly City BART Station, as well as unlimited rides on the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA)’s Muni, with the exception of cable cars, and Unlimited rides on the San Mateo County Transit District (SamTrans).

You do not need to return your OneCard/ Gator Pass after you graduate. While you may have access to our OneCard amenities on campus, your Muni, BART, and SamTrans discount programs will be deactivated. Discounts will cease when you are no longer a student.

You can use your OneCard/ Gator Pass card immediately as a Clipper card, however, the transit benefit and OneCard functions will become active the first day of the Fall and Spring semester for all enrolled students. This benefit will continue to be activated on the first day of Fall or Spring semester in which you are enrolled as a student. The transit benefit will be active on all days (weekdays, weekends and holidays) throughout Fall or Spring semester, but will not be active over the summer term or during the January intercession term. OneCard/ Gator Pass will be active on the first day of semester for all students who have paid tuition and fees. Your transit discount will be valid until the last day of the final exams. The transit benefit is only valid for enrolled students in any given semester. You can view the academic calendar at: SF State Academic Calendar

You can learn more about the Clipper Card at www.clippercard.com. You can also use this website to register your Clipper Card, set up automatic load features and check your balance online.

Students are encouraged to register their cards with Clipper by visiting www.clippercard.com. Registering your card protects your balance should you lose your card and need to replace it. It also lets you access your transaction history, set up automated loading of additional funds, and choose to receive important Clipper updates. BART riders must load cash value on their Clipper card account in order to ride BART. Your Clipper number is printed on the back-side of OneCard/Gator Pass:

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Clipper Back/Login

Yes. Your Gator Pass can be used as a regular Clipper card. You can register it at www.clippercard.com, add value or buy transit passes and use it everywhere where Clipper card is accepted. Remember that starting from the first day of the Fall and Spring semester we will provide to all students who have paid tuition and fees Muni and Higher Ed discount product for BART. This will allow you to have unlimited rides on Muni (similar to the ‘M’ Monthly Muni Pass, but excluding cable cars), SamTrans, and 50% discount for your rides on BART to and from Daly City Station during the whole semester.

Yes. When riding Muni, you must tap your OneCard/ Gator Pass on a transponder when entering a station or boarding a vehicle. Failure to do so is a failure to pay, and may result in a fine. Find the Clipper card reader on the bus or at fare gates in stations or ferry terminals. Hold your card flat against the reader until you hear a beep and see a green light, or the fare gate displays “OK.” When riding BART, tap your OneCard/ Gator Pass on a fare gate when entering and exiting a BART station. The 50% fare discount will be applied for all rides to and from the Daly City BART Station during the semester. You may use your OneCard/ Gator Pass for any BART travel, but the discount will only be applied for travel to and from the Daly City BART Station. BART riders seeking the 50% discount must add Clipper cash value to their Clipper card to avail themselves of the discount.

Yes. The pass will work for the entire semester, including weekends and days when class may not be in session.

The discounted fares on Muni, BART, and SamTrans are only available during the Fall and Spring semesters. The Gator Pass will continue to function as a regular Clipper card between semesters.  If you have registered your card at www.clippercard.com then you can add value or purchase transit passes in between semesters.

Do not Board Muni, Bart, or SamTrans if your Gator Pass is not working! SFSU will not be held responsible for any citation you may receive if you board with a Gator Pass that isn't working. Contact the OneCard Office immediately so we can take a look at your OneCard to determine the issue.

Have you paid your tuition plus state and local fees?

Your transit discount/pass activation will be sent to Clipper when you pay your Gator Pass fee. After Clipper receives this activation it can take approximately one week for the various transit lines to download your new Gator Pass.

Was your state and local fees paid or waived?

The Gator Pass transit discount is funded by a part of the state and local fees, therefore the fees must be paid and not waived in order for you to receive the transit discount. Certain academic programs such as College of Extended Learning and other third party programs are exempt from the state and local fees, which means students in those programs are not eligible to receive the Gator Pass transit discount.

Was your card recently printed at the OneCard office?

Assuming you have paid your Gator Pass fee, your transit discount/pass activation will be sent to Clipper when the new card is printed.  After Clipper receives this activation it can take approximately one week for the various transit lines to download your new Gator Pass. 

Does your account have an Alert for "Gator Pass - No Action Required"?

If you paid your fees, your Holds & Alerts on your Student Center portal should say that you have a “Gator Pass - No Action Required” message. If it does not, you either have not paid your fees or your Financial Aid disbursement was withdrawn. Once you have paid your state and local fees the Gator Pass - No Action Required service indicator should appear on your account. As the indicator says, no action is required on your part and it is not a hold. This indicator will not prevent you from registering for classes.

Have you used your card at the Muni fare gates or the "M" line?

We recommend that you use the fare gates such as the ones located at West Portal station to download the product onto your OneCard/ Gator Pass. Muni fare gates are online and are connected to the transportation database directly whereas the trains and buses have to download the database whenever they return back to their station. Buses such as the "28" or the "57" take longer to receive information about your OneCard/ Gator Pass than the train system. The “M” line is also more up to date than the buses and we recommend trying to tag your card on the transponders inside the “M” line train to download your discount/pass on your OneCard/ Gator Pass. Once the pass downloads on your card it should work on any Muni system train, bus or trolley (except Cable Cars).

On the MUNI transponder, it should read that “TRAVEL OK PASS USED OK TO [END DATE]” (for Fall and Spring Semester). Alternatively, if you take Bart, it should charge your card a price reflecting a 50% discount from the normal fare. You can also register Gator Pass card and check your “View Recent Activity” report on www.clippercard.com.

No. High Value Discount (HVD) products do not work in conjunction with your Gator Pass for the duration of its activation time. Loading the HVD discount onto your OneCard will replace the Gator Pass transit benefit and the only way to reacquire Gator Pass is to replace your ID card.

No. Your OneCard/ Gator Pass is not transferrable; only you may use it. If someone else uses your card, it may be confiscated and you may be excluded from participating in the Gator Pass program. You may also be required to participate in the disciplinary process under Executive Order 1098, the university’s Student Code of Conduct procedures, which are available for review at the Office of Student Conduct. You may also face fines or other penalties for violating City and/or State codes or ordinances, such as the San Francisco Transportation Code, which, among other things, sets out fines for fare evasion or ineligible use of a transit pass.

Unfortunately, not at this time. In addition, employees taking classes at SFSU through a fee waiver program are not eligible, and do not pay the associated fee.

The answer is dependent on when you withdraw. If you withdraw from the university before completing 40% of the semester, you will receive a prorated refund based on the universities proration calendar. Thereafter, there will be no refund.

If you attend an official SF State orientation, you will have your photo taken at the SFSU Bookstore and your OneCard will be issued to you on the same day in the Cesar Chavez Student Center lobby.

If you are not attending an official SF State orientation, please view the Acquiring the OneCard tab on the OneCard website for instructions on how to obtain your OneCard. Please review the steps you need to take before coming to the OneCard office.

If you already have the old style OneCard its features and any balances you have will be transferred to the new Gator Pass. The old style OneCard will remain active until the end of the 2017 Summer session at which time it will be deactivated.

You may keep it. Just be sure not to carry both cards in the same wallet or case so that you aren’t double charged by Bart or Muni. Or, if you prefer, you can transfer cash value from your existing card to your Gator Pass Clipper card account via the Clipper Customer Service Center at (877) 878-8883. Clipper will charge an additional fee for each balance transfer. We advise you to use your balance making rides with your previous Clipper card before switching to use the new OneCard/ Gator Pass.

The Gator Pass fee is similar to other mandatory fees at the university: it is considered a cost of attendance and it is not a user fee.  Its assessment is not dependent on any one student’s use of fee-subsidized services and programs, but rather it is assessed based on an understanding that the related service enrich the student life and experience, help the university to provide additional services to the students, and generally create an environment conducive to the university’s pursuit of its mission. Therefore, while not every student will use the Gator Pass transit features, it is to the university community’s collective benefit to avail all the members of the student body with the opportunity to do so.

Gator Dollars are the campus currency associated with OneCard’s featured campus declining balance account. Generally, Gator Dollars are used for purposes like using copy machines and printers in the J. Paul Leonard Library, as currency in the Bookstore and vending/food locations across campus, amongst other places throughout campus. For a list of where you can use Gator Dollars, please visit the OneCard Merchants page. Gator Dollars cannot be used to increase value for your Gator Pass.

Cardholders can make deposits by logging into our secure online deposit feature. Use your SF State ID number and Password to log in. Once you are logged in, select the “Manage Account” link on the left, then select the “Add Funds” link and use a credit card to add value to your OneCard.

This portal gives you access to view your Gator Dollar and meal plan balances as well as make online deposits, see account history and activity, and print statements. You can also suspend your card if it is lost or stolen.

Parents and guests can also add value to a cardholder's OneCard account online. Cardholders can activate Guest Access by logging into their OneCard account and selecting the “Manage Account” link on the left, then the "Manage Guest Access" option. The Manage Guest Access option gives instructions for guest access. Students need to provide these instructions to their guests before they can use the Guest Access Website.

There are several AVS locations throughout campus:

Campus Map (PDF) or Campus Map (HTML)

J. Paul Leonard Library

  • Main Entrance (1st Floor)
  • Research Commons (1st Floor)
  • Study Commons (Ground Floor)

Student Services Building (SSB)

  • Main Entrance (1st Floor)

Please note that Add Value Stations do not provide change. Please deposit only the exact amount you intend to add to your OneCard. 

It is not possible to add money to Clipper account through AVS stations. Please visit César Chávez Student Center Main Entrance (Plaza Level) or nearby BART Station/Muni underground or login to your Clipper account at www.clippercard.com to add value.

Gator Dollars and Clipper cash are two separate accounts on your new OneCard Gator Pass.

Gator Dollars are the campus currency. Generally, Gator Dollars are used for purposes like using copy machines and printers in the J. Paul Leonard Library, as currency in the Bookstore and vending/food locations across campus, amongst other places throughout campus. For a list of where you can use Gator Dollars, please visit Merchants and Services page. Cardholders can make deposits by logging into our secure online deposit feature or at add value machines around campus.

On the other hand, Clipper Cash is a separate account to pay your transit. You may register your new OneCard/ Gator Pass on the Clipper website www.clippercard.com to view your transit balance on your account. In addition, you can add funds online as well as deactivate the card in case it gets lost/stolen. You can also add clipper cash at Muni and BART fare machines in most stations. We recommend you to register your Clipper card online, but it is not necessary for your transit discounts to become activated.

OneCard

Eligible Gator Dollar refunds are subject to a $20 administrative fee. Approved refunds will be paid by check through normal University procedures and may take up to four weeks to process.

The Gator Dollar refund request form can be found here: Refund Request Form

Refund Restrictions:

  1. Gator Dollar balances prior to the consolidation of Gator Dollars and BayBuck$ into one campus debit account are not refundable.
  2. Gator Dollar amounts deposited by campus departments and programs (such as Housing, Guardian Scholars, etc.) are non-refundable.
  3. Guest cards are non-refundable.

For your Gator Pass Clipper value, please contact Clipper at (877) 878-8883.

Gator Dollars acquired after January 16, 2013, do not expire and will be rolled over to the next semester and/or academic year. The same applies to BayBuck$ that were converted/transferred to Gator Dollars in January 2013.

The campus declining balance card feature is activated as soon as your OneCard is printed. All you need to do to use the campus declining balance card feature is add money to your Gator Dollars account.

You can add cash to your Gator Dollars account by using one of the many Add Value Stations (AVS) located on campus. Or you can use a credit card to add money to your Gator Dollars account using our secure online deposit feature.

The Gator Pass has real value as a transit card and as a campus OneCard, so please take care of it and keep it safe and secure. To limit your liability you must deactivate your card by suspending it online, or by reporting it lost or stolen to the OneCard office in person or by calling 415.338.3619 during office hours. Your campus accounts and privileges will be suspended upon reporting your card lost or stolen.

The OneCard office will help you disable the card and issue you a new card.

We are advise you to register your card at www.clippercard.com to be able to block further transactions on your Clipper account. If you have registered your Gator Pass with Clipper, you must also contact Clipper and report your card lost or stolen.  You will then be able to transfer cash value from your previous card to the new once it is assigned.

If you have your current OneCard in your possession, you can trade it in to receive a replacement, free of charge. Otherwise, to receive a replacement card, all students must pay an up-front administrative fee of $20 plus a card fee of $2.

Yes.  Any faculty, staff, or student may choose to identify themselves within the university community with a preferred first and/or middle name that is different from their legal name.  SFSU OneCard will allow our community members who wish to identify themselves within the university’s information systems with a preferred name to have their OneCard/ Gator Pass reflect that name instead of their legal name.​  The OneCard office recognizes that many students prefer to use first names other than their legal ones to identify themselves.  As long as the use of this preferred name is not for the purposes of misrepresentation, the OneCard office will print cards using preferred names. You can print and fill out the form at Registrar Name Change Form and bring it with you to the Registrar to change your primary (legal) name in the system or you can modify preferred name in Student Center at the Student Center by yourself.  After you have completed this, you are welcome to ask for the new card at the OneCard office.  The modification for a preferred name can only be done once per semester.

OneCard will not charge you for the new preferred name card as long as you have your previous card with you, otherwise there will be an administrative fee of $20 and a new card fee of $2 that will apply ($22 total).

For any questions about your Gator Pass, feel free to stop by our OneCard office located in the Student Services building from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you are unable to visit our OneCard office, please send an email addressed to onecard@sfsu.edu or you can call us at (415) 338-3619. Our OneCard employees will typically respond within one to two business day for email inquiries. Keep in mind that your Gator Pass also functions as your Clipper card. For more information about the Clipper card, please visit www.clippercard.com.

No. The Gator Pass will not work on the Clipper App. Registering your OneCard onto the Clipper App may invalidate your Gator Pass.