How Do You Pay for Bus in Seattle? | Tap, Cash, Or App

Seattle buses take ORCA, contactless cards or wallets, Transit GO, and exact cash; Metro and ST Express adult fares are $3.

You can now board most Seattle-area buses with the card or phone already in your pocket. For anyone working out how to pay for a bus in Seattle, tap an ORCA card or contactless bank card on the reader, show an activated Transit GO ticket, or insert exact cash in the farebox.

One ride is easiest with a contactless credit card, debit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay. ORCA makes more sense for repeat rides, day passes, reduced fares, and transfers across buses, Link light rail, streetcars, and other participating services.

Paying For Seattle Buses: Every Fare Option Compared

Seattle bus riders have four main ways to pay: ORCA, contactless bank payment, Transit GO, or exact cash. King County Metro and Sound Transit both accept these methods on their regular bus services, including RapidRide and ST Express.

Tap the reader once when boarding with ORCA or a contactless bank card. Buses do not require a tap when you get off. Wait for the green checkmark and confirmation sound before moving past the reader.

Which Payment Method Should You Use?

Contactless Tap to Pay suits a visitor taking one or two adult-fare rides, while ORCA suits anyone making several trips or claiming a reduced fare. Transit GO works well when you prefer a ticket on your phone, and cash remains a useful fallback.

• One or two rides: Tap a contactless Visa, Mastercard, American Express, or Discover card, or use a supported phone wallet.
• Several rides: Buy an ORCA card and load E-purse value or a pass.
• Metro-only phone ticket: Buy and activate a Transit GO ticket before boarding.
• No card or phone: Insert the exact fare in bills or coins; drivers cannot provide change.
• Youth or reduced fare: Use the matching ORCA card rather than a bank card, since Tap to Pay charges the full adult fare.

Phone payment has two forms: Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay can tap a bank card. A digital ORCA card is available through Google Wallet on Android devices.

Seattle Bus Fare And Payment Table

Seattle bus payment choices differ most in transfer reach, discount access, and whether one payment covers a full day. The table below shows what happens at the reader or farebox.

King County Metro lists ORCA, Tap to Pay, Transit GO, and exact cash on its official ways-to-pay page. The same page states that an ORCA transfer follows the rider for up to two hours and charges only any fare difference on a higher-priced service.

How Much Does A Seattle Bus Ride Cost?

King County Metro charges $3 for a standard adult ride, and Sound Transit charges $3 on every ST Express route. Riders age 18 or younger ride free, while eligible ORCA LIFT, senior, and disabled riders pay $1 with the correct ORCA credential.

An adult regional day pass costs $6 and covers unlimited participating trips with fares of $3 or less. The pass begins on its first use and runs until 3 a.m. the next day, so it starts saving money on the third $3 ride.

A new adult ORCA card costs $3 before any fare value or pass is added. Cards are sold at ORCA ticket vending machines, customer service locations, participating retailers, and online; visitors arriving by Link can buy one at a station machine.

How To Pay When You Board

Seattle bus boarding takes only one tap or one farebox transaction. Prepare the payment before the bus arrives so the reader can confirm the fare without holding the line.

1. Enter through the front door unless signs or staff direct all-door boarding.
2. Tap one ORCA card, contactless bank card, phone, or watch on the ORCA reader.
3. Wait for a green checkmark. A red or yellow message means the payment needs attention.
4. For Transit GO, activate the ticket before boarding and show it to the driver; at rear-door boarding, keep the active ticket ready for inspection.
5. For cash, insert exactly $3 for an adult Metro ride and ask for a paper transfer at the time of payment if another Metro bus follows.

Each contactless card or device records one rider. A group should use separate cards or devices, separate ORCA cards, or individual cash fares rather than tapping one bank card several times.

Transfers And Common Payment Mistakes

Seattle bus transfers work cleanly only when the same payment method is used for each leg. ORCA and contactless bank payments provide a two-hour transfer credit on participating regional services, while app and cash transfers carry narrower rules.

• Use the same card or device: A physical bank card and its digital-wallet version may appear as different payment credentials.
• Do not tap a whole wallet: The reader may charge the wrong card or pick an ORCA card instead of the bank card you intended.
• Do not mix payment methods mid-transfer: A first ride paid with ORCA will not transfer to a second ride paid with a bank card.
• Transit GO is not a regional transfer: A Metro ticket transfers between Metro and RapidRide buses for two hours, not to Link or another agency.
• Cash needs a paper transfer: Ask the Metro driver as you pay; the slip applies to another Metro bus within its printed time.

Fare inspection may require proof tied to the payment used. ORCA riders present the card, Transit GO riders show the active ticket, cash riders keep the paper transfer, and contactless riders may be asked for identifying digits from the tapped card.

The Right Choice For A Day Or Longer

Seattle visitors taking a single bus should tap a contactless bank card or phone wallet. A traveler making three or more $3 rides in one day should use an ORCA card with the $6 regional day pass, while a longer stay usually works well with ORCA E-purse value.

• One ride: Tap a bank card or mobile wallet.
• Two rides: Tap the same card both times for transfer credit when the trips fall within two hours.
• Three or more rides in one day: Load the adult regional day pass on ORCA.
• Reduced or free fare: Use the proper ORCA card; a contactless bank card always charges an adult fare.
• Cash-only rider: Carry exact fare and request the paper transfer before leaving the farebox.

For most short Seattle visits, the decision is plain: tap the bank card already in your wallet for occasional rides, or buy ORCA when transfers, passes, or reduced fares matter.