Sound Transit: ORCA Smart Card

About ORCA - Buying ORCA - Using ORCA - Other valid passes - Ticket Vending Machines - Transfers

Rider News:

PugetPass and FlexPass moving to ORCA

ORCA has replaced many of the region’s transit passes.

Riders who purchase their own monthly transit pass online or by mail likely have already been converted to an ORCA card.
Riders who purchase passes in person now receive their pass loaded on an ORCA card.
Riders who get their transit pass from their employers are being converted to ORCA as their employers’ annual contracts come up for renewal.

Valid, unexpired PugetPasses and FlexPasses will continue to be accepted by participating agencies as the switch to ORCA continues through 2010.

ORCA has replaced most paper transfers

Sound Transit has switched to all-electronic transfers.
Community Transit has switched to all-electronic transfers
King County Metro Transit and Pierce Transit still offer paper transfers that are good within their own systems.
Everett Transit and Kitsap Transit eliminated paper transfers earlier in 2009.
Transfer policies for Washington State Ferries remain the same, with no transfers to or from Washington State ferries onto buses or trains.

Cash is stilled accepted by all seven of the ORCA partner agencies. Riders using cash instead of an ORCA card to transfer between different agencies' systems will pay the full fare for each leg of their ride.

ORCA cards cost $5, starting Monday, March 1

Starting Monday, March 1, a standard adult or youth ORCA card costs $5. Once you have an ORCA card, you can load between $5 and $300 on the card’s “E-purse” for trip-by-trip deduction, or load a monthly unlimited ride pass.

ORCA smart card

ORCA is accepted by the seven ORCA partner agencies, including Sound Transit, Community Transit, Everett Transit, King County Metro Transit (Metro), Kitsap Transit, Pierce Transit and Washington State Ferries. ORCA cards are also good for rides on the South Lake Union Streetcar and Intercity Transit express buses.

There are three different ways to use your ORCA card:

Put money into your ORCA card E-purse

An E-purse is a stored value used like cash to pay your bus or train fare. The fare for your ride is deducted from the E-purse on your ORCA card, allowing you to "pay as you go." The E-purse may also be used in combination with a pass. With an ORCA card, transfers between buses and trains are automatically calculated, and balances applied to the connecting trips, so paper transfers are no longer needed.

Use your ORCA card like a Regional Pass (PugetPass)

A regional pass lets you travel on all bus and train services in the region for a specific period of time. An ORCA regional pass works like a monthly PugetPass and is valid on Community Transit, Everett Transit, King County Metro Transit, Kitsap Transit, Pierce Transit and Sound Transit. The pass is valid for payment of trip fares up to the value of your pass.

Passes may be purchased from the 15th of the previous month to the 14th of the valid month. Example: A July pass may be purchased from June 15 to July 14 and is valid July 1-31. You can not purchase the current month's pass after the 14th.

Choose the pass value on your ORCA card based on the price of the trip you are likely to take, based on age, zones or distance. List of ORCA pass products here >>>

Use your ORCA card for a specific transit agency

Some transit agencies offer passes or products that cover multiple rides on their agency's transit services.

For complete information about ORCA, visit www.orcacard.com or call 1-888-988-6722/TTY Relay 711: 1-888-889-6368 during regular business hours. If you currently receive a transit benefit from your employer or other organization, ask them how to get an ORCA card.

How to get an ORCA card

There are many options for getting an ORCA card. The most convenient option for ordering or adding value to an ORCA card is online 24 hours a day, seven days a week at http://www.orcacard.com

Cards are also available by phone, by mail, or at Customer Service Outlets, Retail Outlets, or Ticket vending machines located throughout the region.

By phone at 1-888-988-6722 (TTY Relay:711/1-888-889-6368)
By mail, at a Customer Service office, or at a Retail Outlet
From a Ticket Vending Machine at any Sounder or Central Link station

Visit orcacard.com to learn more about how to get and reload a card.

Other valid passes

Other passes with the Sound Transit logo are honored for face value toward any fare on Sound Transit buses and trains. The U-Pass is valid for full fare on Sound Transit trains and buses, as well as PugetPass, FlexPass or GoPass with a face value of $4.75. If the per-trip value of your pass is less than the actual fare of the trip, you must pay the difference.

Note: King County Metro's Regional Reduced Fare stickers and Access passes are valid for fare on Central Link. School district-issued $0.75 PugetPasses are valid for full fare, only on Central Link light rail.

Law Enforcement Officers

On ST Express service operated by Community Transit and Metro, all commissioned police officers employed by law enforcement agencies in our service area can ride free, at anytime, by displaying a police badge or police identification card.

On ST Express services operated by Pierce Transit and on Sounder commuter rail, all commissioned police officers employed by law enforcement agencies in our service area can ride free, at any time, when in uniform.

How to use ORCA or PugetPass on buses and trains

On ST Express Bus

ORCA: Tap your card at the card reader located next to the bus driver. If the bus fare is higher than the pass value of your ORCA card, you must pay the difference using your ORCA card E-purse or cash.

PugetPass: Swipe your pass through the farebox or show your pass to the driver as you board or leave the bus as directed by the driver. If the bus fare is higher than the face value of your PugetPass, you must pay the difference at the farebox using cash. No paper transfer will be issued.

If you pay a reduced fare, you must show a valid Regional Reduced Fare Permit and proof of payment. Additional information about ST Express zone-based fares >>>

On Sounder and Central Link

ORCA: Tap your card at the reader located on the train platform before boarding the train. Present your valid ORCA card to the conductor or fare inspector upon request. When exiting, tap your card at the card reader at the station to complete your transaction and to ensure that the correct fare is deducted.

If you are using a pass on your ORCA card and the per-trip value of your pass is less than the cost of the fare for your trip, use E-purse to cover the difference. ORCA users can add E-purse value to the ORCA card at the TVM. Tap your card as you normally would and the correct fare will automatically be calculated and deducted.

PugetPass: Show your pass to the conductor or fare inspector upon request. If the per-trip value of your pass is less than the cost of the fare for your trip, you must purchase a pass upgrade at the ticket vending machine (TVM) prior to boarding. Show the upgrade to the fare inspector along with your pass.

If you pay a reduced fare you must show the conductor or fare inspector a valid Regional Reduced Fare Permit and proof of payment.

Using ORCA in the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel

Card readers and ticket vending machines are available on the mezzanine level of all Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel stations. Please tap your card at the reader prior to boarding Central Link light rail. When exiting, tap your card at the card reader to complete your transaction.

Learn More

ST Express bus fares, schedules and maps
Sounder fares, schedules and maps
Central Link light rail fares, schedules and maps

ORCA Smart Card - Transit Passes