Community Transit

Ride Smarter

Traveling the Puget Sound region by bus, train and ferry is even easier with ORCA - One Regional Card for All. The ORCA card works like cash or a pass, automatically tracking the value of different fares and transfers so you don't have to.

When boarding, ORCA riders simply tap their smart cards on a reader device typically located by the farebox on a bus or at a Swift, train or light rail station. The electronic fare system replaces about 300 various passes, tickets and transfers with a single card that works for all seven of the major public transportation agencies serving King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties.

Where to Buy ORCA

Adult customers can get an ORCA card and load transportation value or passes onto existing cards in the any of the ways listed below. Effective March 1, 2010 a $5 card fee will be charged for a standard ORCA card.

• Online. Online purchases require a valid Visa or MasterCard.It will take up to 7 business days for your card to arrive in the mail. If you are adding value to an existing card, it can take up to 24 hours for that value to appear on your card.
• Customer Service Office. Adult, youth (ages 6 to 18), senior (ages 65+) and disabled reduced fare ORCA cards. Most forms of payment will be accepted at customer service offices.
• By mail. Mail purchases may be made with a check, credit card or money order.
• By phone: 1-888-988-6722 or TTY Relay: 711 (1-888-889-6368). Phone purchases require a valid Visa or MasterCard.
• At ticket vending machines. Ticket machines are located at Everett Station (inside the building as well as on the train platform and just north of the Swift terminal), Mukilteo and Edmonds Sounder stations and at King Street and light rail stations in downtown Seattle. Ticket machine purchases require cash, Visa or MasterCard.
• At retail pass outlets. Retail locations can revalue existing ORCA cards; new cards are generally not available.

To pay a youth fare, customers must provide proof of age and buy their first ORCA card by mail or in person at a Customer Service Office.

To pay a reduced fare, seniors and people with disabilities need to first get a reduced fare ORCA card in person at a Customer Service Office. Current Regional Reduced Fare Permit (RRFP) holders can exchange their valid reduced fare card at any time for a new ORCA reduced fare card at no charge. A new reduced fare ORCA card costs $3.

Once you have your ORCA card, anyone can load a pass or E-purse value online, by mail, at an ORCA Customer Service Office or at a ticket vending machine. Please note that if you load value online or by phone, it will take about 24 hours before your pass or E-purse is available for use.

Why Get ORCA?

Cash is accepted on all of the transit systems. However, transfers are available only on ORCA. Paper transfers that cash customers used to get for trips between multiple agencies have gone away. That means if you pay your fare with cash and take a second bus or train, you will need to pay full fare again.

ORCA cards come equipped with an “E-purse” function that allows a rider to put cash value onto the card. With each trip, the correct fare amount is automatically deducted from the value on the card and if you need to take a second bus or train to complete your trip, the transfer credit is calculated as well. Riders can also take unlimited trips by purchasing a monthly pass on their ORCA card (just like the PugetPass, which ORCA has replaced).

Bblank ORCA cards won't work until you put fare value on the card. Effective March. 1, it  costs $5 to purchase an ORCA card ($3 for seniors and customers with disabilities) in addition to the fare value the rider puts on the card. Under normal wear, ORCA cards are expected to last three to five years before they need to be replaced.

Transportation systems participating in the ORCA program are:

• Community Transit
• Everett Transit
• King County Metro Transit
• Kitsap Transit
• Pierce Transit
• Sound Transit
• Washington State Ferries

Together, the agencies serve more than half of Washington’s population and carry more than 500,000 riders daily.

How ORCA Works

ORCA is a durable, plastic smart card containing a microprocessor. Passengers simply “tap” their ORCA card on a card reader on board buses or at Swift, train, light rail and ferry stations, and enjoy their ride. ORCA cards come with a pre-set fare type - either adult, youth or reduced fare. You can also pre-set the zone fare you usually pay - in case you board a bus that automatically charges two zones, but you only ride one zone, for instance.

With ORCA, customers have more options for paying their transit fare. Riders can buy and revalue ORCA cards online, by phone, by mail, and in person at transit agency customer service offices, ticket vending machines and select retail businesses around the region.

ORCA cardholders can check their accounts online, by phone or at ticket vending machines. You can also find out how much money is left on your card any time you "tap" your card on an ORCA reader to pay your fare - simply continue to hold your card next to the reader and it will display the current card value. Readers will beep twice and display a "low value" message when your E-purse value drops below $5.

Customers will have the option to register their cards, which allows them to restore their card value if it is lost or stolen. Registered cardholders can select an “Autoload” feature that can add value to a card when their E-purse is drawn down or when their monthly pass expires.

Customers are invited to report problems or offer comments on the ORCA system at 1-888-988-6722 (ORCA) and via www.orcacard.com.