Buy a Seattle ORCA Card

The ORCA card (short for "One Regional Card for All") is a pass used to pay transit fares in the Puget Sound region of Washington. The card is the result of a joint initiative by several regional transit agencies, and provides a single, seamless method of payment for all of their transportation services. The card can be used to pay fares on buses, trains, ferries, and light rail services in the area. Learning how to buy a Seattle ORCA card is fairly straightforward. The process can be navigated online or through a fare vending machine.

Steps

Buy an ORCA Card Online

  1. Navigate your web browser to the ORCA card website. The simplest way to purchase a new ORCA card is through the website, which is located at ORCAcard.com. Click the "Get a Card" link to begin the process.
  2. Decide whether to order a registered or unregistered card. There are 2 options for ordering an ORCA card.
    • A registered card requires you to create an account on the ORCA website. You can then gain access to your card's balance and transaction history by logging in with your user name and password. A registered card also lets you set up an automatic reload from your bank account and can help protect your balance if the card is stolen or lost.
    • An unregistered card can be purchased without creating a user account. With this type of card, you cannot access your balance online or automatically reload the card.
  3. Purchase the ORCA card. After decided whether or not to register your card, click the appropriate link on the "Get a Card" page to order a card. You will be prompted to fill in your shipping and billing information, and will have to pay a 5 dollar fee per card. If you choose to buy a registered card, you will have to create a user name and password for the ORCA website. After paying, the ORCA card will be mailed to your shipping address.
  4. Add value to the ORCA card. Upon purchase, the ORCA card contains no value with which to pay fares. After purchasing the card, you will be prompted to add value if desired. This can be done initially with both registered and unregistered cards, but only registered cards can be reloaded online later. To reload a card, log in to your ORCA account and click "Add value."

Buy an ORCA Card at a Fare Vending Machine

  1. Locate a fare vending machine. ORCA cards (registered or not) can be reloaded at special kiosks called fare vending machines. You can also buy a new ORCA card from these machines. These kiosks are located in all Washington State Ferry terminals, as well as in the downtown Seattle transit tunnel stations.
  2. Follow the on-screen prompts to purchase and load the ORCA card. Purchasing a card is a matter of following the prompts; to pay for the card and load value, you will have to insert a debit or credit card. The card will be dispensed immediately after purchase.

Tips

  • ORCA cards are accepted by the following transit agencies: King County Metro Transit, Sound Transit, Community Transit, Pierce Transit, Kitsap Transit, Everett Transit, and Washington State Ferries.

Things You'll Need

  • Computer
  • Internet access

References

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