Waymo is offering transit discounts again, this time with Visa

Waymo has made several attempts over the years at offering transit discounts to its customers in the hopes of getting them to more frequently use the company’s robotaxis to connect with a train or a bus. The Alphabet-owned company announced the latest effort today, teaming up with Visa to offer a discount on robotaxi rides when they use Waymo to connect with transit. The new incentive is being rolled out first to customers in the San Francisco-Bay Area. When riders use a Visa credit card to take a Waymo trip and public transit within two hours of each other, the company will automatically put a $2.85 credit on their account that can be applied to future Waymo rides. It’s a similar program to one Waymo tested out in San Francisco in 2024, and in Los Angeles in 2025. The difference now is the involvement of Visa, which allows Waymo to verify when its customers are paying for robotaxi rides and transit trips in close proximity to one another. The program is modeled on the region’s public transit transfer discount, which utilizes SFMTA’s new tap-to-pay Clipper card system to offer discounted rides to passengers who use buses, light rail, and subway services. “Shared mobility is a team effort, and Waymo’s autonomous ride-hailing service can help people to more easily access public transit networks while enhancing transportation ecosystems,” Adam Lenz, head of sustainability and environment at Waymo, said in a statement. “We’re excited to partner with local transit agencies and further bridge the transportation gap for commuters, tourists, and everyone in between through Waymo’s new transit rewards program.” Some transportation experts worry that autonomous vehicles will siphon riders from buses and trains, which could eventually lead to service cuts. Most ridesharing customers don’t like transfering to another mode of transportation — they just want to get to their destination. And regular transit users, which tend to be more low-income, have difficulty affording many rideshare trips. Advocates also note that autonomous vehicles often position themselves as solutions to traffic congestion while also directly contributing to it. Waymo is sensitive to criticism that it’s not a true friend to transit. It cites surveys that show over 50 percent of its customers in its top cities also use transit as evidence that it can play nicely with subways and buses. In that vein, the company also announced dozens of dedicated robotaxi staging spaces at Caltrain stations, which the company says will help reduce wait times for commuters traveling to and from train stations. Waymo says it intends to expand both programs — discounts and dedicated staging spots — to more cities over time.