No Fares For Most Transit This Weekend, Due To ORCA Upgrade

SEATTLE, WA — Riders across the region will have an opportunity to take public transit without paying a fare in most cases, thanks to a significant upgrade to the ORCA payment system. ORCA's old website permanently shut down Thursday evening and will be replaced by a new portal and smartphone app Monday.

To allow for the transition, fares will not be collected for most trips from early Saturday to early Monday, including on Sound Transit and King County Metro. For Washington State Ferries, customers who use ORCA to board ferries will not be charged but will be asked to show their cards. Vehicle fees will still be required at toll booths.

ORCA balances will be migrated to the new system over the weekend, and the approximately 175,000 customers who use "autoload" can set up their new accounts beginning Monday, May 16. Fortunately, riders will not need to get new cards, which will continue to work on the new system.

The new myORCA.com website will allow residents to add funds instantly and utilize more payment options, and the smartphone app will allow customers to manage their accounts on the go. ORCA plans to add more retailers to its seller network throughout the year and in 2023 plans to launch a "tap-to-pay" feature, adding the option for smartphones to take the place of an ORCA card.

Officials said customers should experience some disruptions in the upcoming weeks while new equipment is installed and upgrades continue, which will involve 6,000 pieces of equipment and transferring more than 5 million accounts.

Learn more about what to expect here.