Waymo will now pay Bay Area riders back a bus fare when they pair a robotaxi trip with public transit. Under a transit rewards program announced Tuesday, riders who use the same Visa card for a Waymo ride and a transit fare within two hours of each other automatically get $2.85 in Waymo Cash, the price of a San Francisco bus ride.

Riders link their Visa card in the Waymo app, and the credit applies to trips on any of the 27 Bay Area transit agencies that take contactless Visa tap-to-pay. Waymo employees get it first, with a public rollout over the following weeks and other cities later.

Waymo Credits Riders a Bus Fare When They Connect a Robotaxi Trip to Transit

Third try, with payment data this time

Waymo has tried transit discounts before, in San Francisco in 2024 and Los Angeles in 2025. Those pilots tied credits to trips to or from particular stations. Bringing in Visa lets Waymo confirm that a customer actually paid for a robotaxi ride and a transit trip close together, The Verge noted. The setup is modeled on the region's transfer discount, which cuts fares for passengers switching between agencies.

The company also signed a deal with Caltrain to lease 40 parking spaces at its stations, where robotaxis can wait for arriving commuters. "This is a model we hope to replicate with additional transit agencies," Waymo said. California's state transportation agency, CalSTA, praised the effort to reward people for choosing transit.