New ORCA features next year: Open Payments and 3-Day PugetPass
ORCA cards came to Google Wallet in 2024, but there is no update on when the cards will come to Apple Wallet. Image courtesy of ORCA. More fare payment options are coming to ORCA in 2026, both motivated by the FIFA World Cup coming to Seattle next summer. Public pilot programs testing Open Payments and a 3-day PugetPass are planned for 2026, allowing more flexibility in how transit riders pay their fares. The last major updates to ORCA came in 2024 when Sound Transit and ORCA announced the ability to add ORCA cards to Google Wallet app on Android phones. Open Payments will allow users of iPhones and other non-Android phones to pay with their phone, too, but not with a digital ORCA card. Unfortunately, there is no update on when iPhone users might be able to put their ORCA cards in their Apple Wallet.
Open PaymentsOpen Payments, a feature allowing the use of common contactless payment methods such as tap-enabled credit cards and digital wallets on smartphones, has been in the works for ORCA for years. The Regional ORCA Operations Team, ROOT, has been diligently working towards implementing Open Payments before the arrival of the international soccer tournament next year. Recent ORCA Joint Board documents indicate getting the feature ready for systemwide use is ROOT's top priority. Implementation is expected in early 2026, possibly in February as indicated during a recent Kitsap Transit Board meeting. One reddit user posted a screenshot from a recent closed beta test, and another reddit user reported an ORCA reader directly charged a tap-to-pay card nested behind their ORCA card.
Last week, the ORCA Joint Board adopted a set of business rules for Open Payments, which gives some insight into how it may look when contactless payments are enabled for ORCA readers. Notably, the rules as adopted state neither the Seattle Center Monorail nor Washington State Ferries will accept Open Payments, but Open Payments can be used for adult fares on other ORCA-supported agencies and transfers will be accepted if the same payment method is used for each leg of the trip.
Another business rule stands out: open payments will not be able to be validated using mobile validation devices. Link riders are familiar with Sound Transit's Fare Ambassadors, who use a handheld device to inspect fares paid via ORCA cards or similar means. When asked for clarification, a ROOT representative indicated fare inspectors will have the ability to verify contactless fair payments in real time, but will not be able to do it by tapping the payment method itself. Since ORCA does not set fare enforcement policy, the means by which the fare inspector verifies payment is up to each agency. However, the rollout of Open Payments is being coordinated with member agencies and details are expected to come out early next year.
3-Day PugetPassDuring its meeting last week, the ORCA Joint Board authorized a pilot program selling a a 3-Day PugetPass during the FIFA World Cup. The passes will be sold from June to August to to fulfill a request to provide a multi-day pass option to regional visitors during the popular international tournament. The 3-Day PugetPass will cost $18 and cover up to $3 in fare, exactly equivalent to purchasing three Regional Day Passes currently available for $6 each. Following the pilot program, the ORCA agencies will consider permanent adoption of the 3-day PugetPass.