Starting Monday, public transit riders in the Seattle area will be able to pay fares by simply tapping a smartphone, smartwatch or contactless bank card on ORCA validators. The new "Tap to Pay" system will be available on Sound Transit, King County Metro, Community Transit and other operators—timely ahead of the influx of visitors expected for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The ORCA (One Regional Card for All) system, launched in 2009 as a unified smart card, has historically played a key role in integrating more than 10 regional transit operators, including buses and light rail. It simplifies travel by allowing passengers to transfer easily between different modes of transportation run by different agencies without buying separate tickets.
Accepted payment methods include Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express cards, as well as mobile wallets Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay. The adult single-ride fare will be $3, and the two-hour transfer window between modes will remain in place. Each card or device may be used for only one passenger.
It’s important to note the new system has limitations: it will not work on Washington State Ferries, the Seattle Monorail, or on special DART routes, paratransit and on-demand services. Ferries and the monorail are excluded due to technical and administrative challenges. The ferries are run by a separate state agency with legacy reservation systems that would require upgrades to integrate, and the monorail, as a small tourist attraction, lacks resources to update its equipment. Negotiations about future integration of these important network elements are ongoing. Riders eligible for reduced fares through ORCA Lift or senior programs must still use their physical ORCA cards.
When fares are inspected, passengers who paid using "Tap to Pay" will need to provide the last four digits of their card number to confirm payment. Notably, Android users have been able to use digital ORCA cards in Google Pay since June 2024, while iPhone owners do not yet have this functionality—work is underway to implement it.
Based on: Credit card ‘Tap to Pay’ starts Monday on Seattle-area ORCA transit