Transit is a great way to get around this summer. However, fare options may be confusing to new and even experienced riders. Despite significant ORCA card use throughout King County, about 30% of fares are still paid in cash – which means some riders are paying more than they need to when riding transit. When asked, some riders paying with cash said they were unfamiliar with ORCA products, including reduced fare options.
To help riders better save money, we recently launched a new tool and web page to help folks figure out which ORCA fares they can use, and how to apply .
So if you want to ride transit but are unsure about which fare is right for you, we’ve got you covered in just a few clicks at ORCAsavings.com.
What’s an ORCA fare again?
In 2009, King County Metro joined with six other regional transit agencies to create the ORCA card, a regional contactless, stored-value smart card for paying transit fares. In addition to full-fare adult ORCA cards, Metro offers the following reduced fare products:
- ORCA LIFT (for households with low incomes)
- Regional Reduced Fare Permit (RRFP) Disabled (for people with disabilities)
- RRFP Senior (for people 65+ years old)
- ORCA Youth (for people 6-18 years old)
- Subsidized annual pass (for people who are enrolled in one of six state benefit programs)
Why use ORCA?
- Reduced fare programs can save riders up to 60% per trip!
- Apply the full value of your fare to transfer to other transit services, including Sound Transit Link light rail, Sounder and buses, King County Water Taxi, Monorail, Community Transit, Pierce Transit, and more.
- Load your card with cash at local retailers or ticket vending machines.
- Tap to pay: Enjoy contactless payment and seamless transfers within a two-hour window.
So don’t worry about clicking on each type of ORCA fare above, just take the easy step and visit ORCAsavings.com and we will help you sort out which one is best for you.