Thanks for the responses. The goal was to have one card that worked for three forms of transport since I'm moving about the Bay Area but it sounds like Clipper isn't the perfect solution. I'll be visiting the Bay Area about once a quarter so it's not an issue if there's value left on the card since I'll be able to use it on a future visit, and it's an advantage if that value isn't tied to BART, or Muni, or Caltrain. Sounds like I'll just get a paper ticket on arrival and then try and get a card later in my stay.

Normally I'd just cab to downtown SF, but this time my first stop is Pleasanton in the East Bay, and there's only me travelling, so a cab is pricey and I'm reckoning Bart is preferable to Supershuttle. I'm picking up a car later in my stay but don't need one for the first few days (and don't want to pay parking in SF when I'm there)...

wcj1, annoyingly you can't even buy a Clipper card online if you don't have a US credit card, I tried to get one sent to my Pton hotel, but the "USA" part of the cardholder address is hardcoded and it won't go through. Anyone would think SF didn't want international visitors...