There are many ways to pay for transit in the Seattle region. ORCA cards allow for transfers between connecting rides within 2 hours. All other forms of payment require separate payment for each leg of a journey.

• ORCA card

• ORCA cards may be loaded with value with debit/credit card, cash, or check
• Please see the section below for more information on ORCA card

• Cash (buses and ferries)

• Please have exact fare ready to pay to the driver
• Drivers do not carry change, but you may overpay if needed

• Ticket

• Paper tickets may be purchased from ticket vending machines or ticket booths using debit/credit card or cash
• Cash payment not available for Seattle Center Monorail tickets

• Transit GO ticket app

• Valid only for:

• Sound Transit Link light rail, Sounder regional rail and ST Express bus
• King County Metro bus and water taxi
• Kitsap Transit bus and fast ferry
• Seattle streetcar

• Purchase individual tickets or day passes on the app in advance of riding
• Activate tickets when boarding – tickets that are purchased but not activated are not valid for travel

The easiest way to pay a transit fare in the Seattle region is with an ORCA card. An ORCA card is valid for all forms of transit and for all operators*. An ORCA card is the only way to pay for transfers between different services – as long as you transfer within 2 hours, your original fare will be credited toward the next leg of your journey. Other forms of payment do not allow for transfers, so a fare must be paid for each separate leg**.

* Exception – ORCA regional day or monthly passes not valid as payment on WSF

** Exception – paper transfers are only available on Kitsap Transit upon request for riders paying with cash and transferring at transfer centers and points only for the next connecting bus or local foot ferry. Kitsap Transit paper transfers are not valid on Kitsap Transit Fast Ferries (to/from Seattle) or for transfers to/from other operators.

How to purchase an ORCA card

ORCA cards may be purchased from ticket vending machines at all Sound Transit Link light rail and Sounder regional rail stations, ferry docks at Bainbridge Island, Bremerton, and Seattle’s Pier 50, selected transit centers, and selected retail locations. Digital ORCA cards are also available through Google Wallet for Android devices, enabling tap to ride with Google Pay.

Regional Reduced Fare Permit (RRFP) Senior ORCA cards are available online to people ages 65 and older. Youth ORCA cards are available online to youth ages 6 to 18. Please allow time for ORCA card processing and shipping.

How to add value to an ORCA card

ORCA cards may be loaded with cash value as an “E-purse” for use on all forms of transit in the Seattle region. Daily or monthly passes can also be purchased to be loaded onto an ORCA card. Adding value can be done online at myORCA.com, through the myORCA app, with debit/credit cards or cash at ticket vending machines, or with debit/credit cards through Google Wallet. For a complete list of all payment methods for adding value to an ORCA card, please see: ORCA – How to load.

How to use an ORCA card

Simply tap your ORCA card or device with a digital ORCA card to the yellow card reader when entering a paid fare area of a station, or when boarding a vehicle. When transferring, please tap your ORCA card when entering the next station or boarding the next vehicle.

Tapping off is only required when alighting for riders on Sound Transit Sounder regional rail. All other forms of transit only require one tap when starting each leg of the journey.

For more information on ORCA card, please see: ORCA.