Open Payments coming to ORCA
During a recent meeting, the ORCA Joint Board quietly approved implementation of a long-desired feature for the One Regional Card for All (ORCA) system: the ability to pay fares with a contactless (tap-to-pay") credit or debit card or a smartphone mobile wallet. This marks a major step along the slower-than-expected implementation of the next generation" of ORCA payments, which kicked off in 2022.
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The rollout of ORCA 2.0" began with the new myORCA.com website and mobile app, which launched in May 2022. The website and app marked the switch to an accounts-based payment system, which enabled users to almost-instantly use fares and passes purchased online or via mobile app instead of from ticket vending machines.
In 2024, ORCA and Sound Transit announced the ability to save and access ORCA cards in Google Wallet, which allows Android and Wear OS device users to use their devices to pay fare. To prevent card sharing, adding an already-existing ORCA card to Google Wallet deactivates the physical card permanently. Although new virtual" ORCA cards still cost $3, the card" comes preloaded with $2.75, making the real cost of buying a new virtual card only $0.25. Correction: new virtual cards cost $3 to create but do not come pre-loaded with $2.75. Like any other ORCA card, they can carry a negative balance of up to -$2.75. Some users apparently treat this as available balance; the Seattle Transit Blog does not encourage carrying negative balance on ORCA cards.
Until recently, there was no timeline for a similar virtual card implementation for Apple Wallet users (the iOS equivalent of Google Wallet) or the use of NFC-equipped credit and debits cards (referred to as open payments"). However, a recent Action Item of the ORCA Joint Board meeting on January 14, 2024, approved a change order for the systems contractor, INIT, to implement open payments prior to the start of the World Cup in 2026 (June to July), when Seattle will host six matches of tournament.
Implementation of open payments seems to be one of the few remaining improvements left for our fare payment system. Short of abolishing fares completely, the biggest improvement remaining may be adoption of fare capping, but that's more of a fare policy than a technology.