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The ORCA launch press kit gave a launch timeline as follows: |
Between November 9 and December 22, 2006, as many as 6,000 transit riders were asked to participate in a live test of the smart card system. The test was conducted on selected routes of the seven participating agencies. The University of Washington conducted a separate test for integrating ORCA with the Husky Card and ... |
The card uses the ISO/IEC 14443 RFID standard. Specifically, the MIFARE DESFire EV1 which "implements all 4 levels of ISO / IEC 14443A and uses optional ISO / IEC 7816-4 commands.". |
ORCA is managed by the Central Puget Sound Regional Fare Coordination System, a joint board of directors with representatives of all member transit agencies. Day-to-day management is provided by the staff of Sound Transit and King County Metro. The system is centrally operated by Vix Technology. |
An ORCA card can be used as a stored-value card through a function called the electronic purse (E-purse). The E-purse holds value that can be used like cash to pay fare. The minimum value that can be added to an E-purse is $5. The maximum value that can be stored in an E-purse is $300. |
PugetPass is a regional monthly pass that lets passengers travel on nearly every transit service in the region for a calendar month. A PugetPass is valid for payment of trip fares up to the value of the pass. Trip fares above the value of the pass may be paid with E-purse value. (Example: a passenger who has a $2.50 Pu... |
This pass costs $8 or $4.50 (senior/disabled and youth only) and cover up to $3.50 or $1.75 (senior/disabled and youth only) of fare value per trip on any transit service that honours the PugetPass within 24 hours of first boarding. |
An agency pass covers rides on a specific transit agency's service. Examples include Washington State Ferries' monthly passes, Metro ACCESS paratransit passes, and Metro vanpool passes. |
Employers may purchase one of two products for their employees: |
The ORCA Business Passport is comprehensive, annual transportation pass program. Employers pay a flat annual cost per employee and each receives an ORCA card that covers almost all transit services in the Puget Sound, including Vanpool. Employers must cover all employees. |
The ORCA Business Choice allows businesses to add funds to employee ORCA cards on a monthly basis in the form of an E-voucher. The E-voucher can be used to purchase a monthly PugetPass or E-purse value. Any unused E-voucher amount at the end of the month is removed from the employee ORCA cards and refunded to the busin... |
Mayor Jenny Durkan of Seattle has proposed free ORCA cards for students enrolled in Seattle Public Schools. Seattle Public Schools has issued ORCA cards to students previously; the Interagency program provided these to students from low-income families and those who live more than two miles from theirm school. |
ORCA cards allow a two-hour transfer from the time fare is paid. If an E-purse or regional pass was used to pay fare, transfers are allowed on any bus or rail system in the region. If an agency pass was used, transfers are allowed only on services within that agency. Transfers are stored on the card and automatically c... |
ORCA card users paying with an E-purse can set their zone preference for King County Metro and Sound Transit services. Since July 2018, King County Metro is single-zone only. |
Several features of the ORCA card are only available when it is registered. |
Balance protection protects the user from losing any value on the card when it is lost or stolen. A replacement card is issued with its value restored for the cost of a new card if the card is registered. |
An Autoload automatically adds transportation products to an ORCA card on a regular basis using a Visa or MasterCard. Examples of autoloads are adding value to an E-purse when its balance falls below a certain amount and recurring purchases of monthly passes. |
A "My ORCA" account can be created on the ORCA website to monitor and manage ORCA cards. The account lets the user view transportation products stored on their card (E-purse balance, validity period of passes), transaction history, purchase additional ORCA cards for others, set up an Autoload, set fare presets, and rep... |
The ORCA LIFT program discounts fares to $1.50 per ride for users of the ORCA card earning less than 200% of the federal poverty level. |
As of March 2016, an adult ORCA card costs $5, one of the highest prices for a public transportation smart card in the United States. The King County Council has requested a study on the impact of either eliminating the $5 fee or adding $5 in value to all newly purchased cards. The report will be due in February 2017. |
Delay in applying credit to an ORCA card E-purse. |
It takes between 24–48 hours for an online credit to apply to an E-purse, whether you do it directly via the web page or call customer service. The only way to get an immediate credit is to go to one of the transit stations that sell ORCA cards and reload the card via a Ticket Vending Machine or visit a customer servic... |
The ORCA card, especially subsidized ones, may be used to track users. Information regarding a card user's trips may be released to third parties including employers who subsidize the cards. Other parties may also obtain detailed trip information. |
Ventra is an electronic fare payment system for the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Metra, and Pace, which replaced the Chicago Card and the Transit Card automated fare collection systems. Ventra (purportedly Latin for "windy," though the actual Latin word is "ventosa") launched in August 2013, with a full system tran... |
Residents and local media were critical of the lack of communication from the CTA regarding this new payment system, but CTA officials said they planned to do extensive public outreach before the new system was activated. |
Post-activation, users have reported cards taking as long as five weeks to arrive in the mail, cards that did not work even after payments were applied, issues activating cards, and calling the Ventra customer service line and waiting on hold for half an hour or more—or being disconnected while waiting on hold. |
In response to issues during the roll out of Ventra the CTA announced on October 9, 2013, that it would reinstate the ability to add money to the old fare options until issues with the roll out were corrected. |
At the time CTA also announced that the December 15, 2013 deadline for the complete transition was still in effect. |
A Ventra system outage that occurred during rush hour on November 13, 2013 required the CTA to waive fares for an estimated 15,000 rides, with passengers boarding trains by showing their Ventra cards to station attendants. The outage was due to a back-office server issue at the contractor's office. The CTA stated that ... |
The final transition to Ventra was postponed indefinitely in early November, from the original December 15, 2013, date, due to the persistent issues with the roll out. In early 2014, CTA and Pace both announced plans to resume the final rollout, with a full transition to Ventra expected by July 2014. |
The CTA stated in early November 2013 that no payments would be made to Cubic until customer service line wait times are under five minutes, transactions at entry take less than 2.5 seconds for 99% of transactions, and that 99% of the new equipment is functioning. |
With the app, customers can manage their Ventra transit accounts, buy mobile tickets to ride Metra trains and receive notifications when their account balances are low or when unlimited-ride passes are due to expire. There is also a ‘Transit Tracker’ feature that enables customers to view schedules and arrival times fo... |
After two months of the Ventra app's launch in late January 2016, Metra customers have taken more than 1 million rides using mobile tickets. The 1 millionth ride was taken Jan. 19, exactly two months after the app was launched. The mobile pay capability could potentially extend to letting travelers coordinate and pay f... |
In a later phase, customers will be able to download a virtual Ventra Card onto their near-field-communication-compatible mobile devices, allowing them to access their Ventra transit accounts to pay for rides on CTA trains and CTA and Pace buses directly from the Ventra mobile app by touching their smartphone or other ... |
According to the CTA, the Ventra app has been well-received, based on customer feedback and its increasing number of downloads. While there was no official target set for the number of downloads the CTA hoped the app would get, it saw more than 20,000 downloads its first day. More than 1,300 Metra ticket purchases were... |
Riders can load the free app on Apple and Android smartphones from the App Store and Google Play. Fares can be paid for using a credit or debit card or a Ventra account. Officials said it's worth creating an account because it expedites buying passes or tickets, and fares can be recovered if the fare card is stolen or ... |
Towards the end of October 2020, the CTA announced that Ventra would be able to be used within an Apple Pay wallet, allowing a customer's card to be scanned on an iPhone or Apple Watch device, though with the caveat that the customer's plastic Ventra card would no longer be able to be used. |
The CharlieCard is named after the lead character in the 1948 protest folk music song, "M.T.A.". The song was written to protest a fare increase in the form of an extra five cent exit fare for longer rides and was later made popular by the Kingston Trio in 1959. One of the rejected names for the farecard system was "Th... |
CharlieCards work on the MBTA's subway and bus services, most of which were converted in 2006. Token sales ended on December 6, 2006. The final fare-controlled station to be converted was Fields Corner station on December 22, 2006. They were originally expected to be usable on MBTA commuter rail and ferry boat services... |
CharlieCards are gradually being expanded to the other transit authorities in Massachusetts. CharlieCard acceptance has expanded to the MetroWest Regional Transit Authority (October 2010), Brockton Area Transit Authority (March 2011), Lowell Regional Transit Authority (November 2011), Merrimack Valley Regional Transit ... |
On December 16, 2020, the MBTA announced that in Winter 2020-2021, the AFC 2.0 system would roll out in a closed pilot program at Forest Hills and Ruggles stations, and on the 28 and 39 bus routes. This new system uses a contactless CharlieCard that has a simplified design. |
The CharlieCard can store a cash balance and daily, weekly and monthly passes that allow unlimited rides during the set period of time. Passengers use the plastic CharlieCard by tapping it against a target on a gate or a vehicle farebox. When tapped, the gate or farebox either debits the cost of the passenger's ride, v... |
The original CharlieCards show no expiration date, but expired three to five years after they were first activated. CharlieCards distributed later had expiration dates printed on them and are valid for ten years, with the exception of Student CharlieCards which expire at the end of the school year they are issued. |
Prior to 2021, if a user needed to replace an expired CharlieCard, they had to go to the Downtown Crossing pass sales office during business hours or mail the card to MBTA. Passes and stored value left on an expired card can be moved to the replacement card. |
In 2021, MBTA announced plans to upgrade fare vending machines to be able to dispense CharlieCards. They also announced plans to have the new machines dispense “tappable” paper CharlieTickets, which can be scanned on future fare card readers that were under testing in 2021. Additionally, the new fare readers would allo... |
In 2012, MBTA announced plans to introduce tickets that could be purchased and scanned on smartphones. |
After a shift to CharlieCards, some token collectors were retrained as "Customer Service Agents" (CSAs). |
In March 2017, the MBTA announced they were planning on privatizing their customer service positions to increase efficiency. The MBTA hired a company called 'Block By Block" and named "Transit Ambassadors". In August 2017, the new Transit Ambassador program was rolled out. |
As of December 2020, there were 200 Transit Ambassadors working in the MBTA system. |
Automated fare collection equipment is also compatible with the MBTA's CharlieTicket, a paper card with a magnetic stripe that operates as a stored-value card or time-period (monthly, weekly, or daily) pass. The MBTA first implemented the stored-value CharlieTicket on the Silver Line in February 2005. Tickets are inser... |
On September 18, 2008, two 150-bike parking cages were made available at the Alewife station, next to the MBTA parking garage. Since then, a number of MBTA stations have been provided with secure, monitored bicycle parking cages. Previously, access to these cages required a free special Bike CharlieCard. However, as of... |
CharlieCards can be reloaded, and CharlieTickets can be purchased and exchanged for new ones at Fare Vending Machines (FVMs) in transit stations, and elsewhere in the system including buses. All FVMs accept credit and debit cards; most also accept cash and coins. The AFC fareboxes on buses and light rail trains accept ... |
The MBTA gives a discount for CharlieCard users that began with the fare increase that took effect on January 1, 2007, and continuing with later increases. For example, a subway or trolley ride costs $2.40 with a CharlieCard but $2.65 with a CharlieTicket or cash. Local bus riders get a $0.50 discount with a CharlieCar... |
There is also a senior citizen/disabled citizen Charlie pass, with reduced fares for qualifying individuals, called a "Senior/TAP" (Transportation Access Pass) CharlieCard. Middle school and high school students also can obtain a discounted CharlieCard. |
The bulk of the MBTA's vehicles and stations were transitioned to the CharlieCard-compatible system throughout 2006, with Fields Corner the last to be converted on December 22, 2006. |
Fare Vending Machines are available at all underground stations, as well as on the baggage-claim level of Logan International Airport terminals, inside Fenway Park, and at all stations on the Green Line D branch. Proof-of-Payment Validation machines are installed at select stops on the other Green Line branches. |
There are no plans to install Fare Vending Machines at Silver Line surface stops at the present time. Instead, the MBTA plans to install fare card sales terminals inside retail stores at other heavily trafficked locations in the system, including along busy bus routes and near selected Green Line and Silver Line stops,... |
The Green Line is the most heavily traveled light rail line in the United States, with an average of 230,000 riders each weekday. Because of this heavy ridership, at selected stops on the Green Line the MBTA implemented a system known as Show-N-Go, which allows riders to flash their monthly passes and enter through the... |
The MBTA's solution was to turn the surface portion of the Green Line into a proof-of-payment system to increase the efficiency of boarding at peak times on surface Green Line stops. All doors on all trolleys open at some or all stations, depending on the branch. Passengers can pay their fare in several ways, depending... |
In July 2012, the MBTA reverted to a "front door only" boarding policy on surface stations outside of peak hours to combat fare evasion. This policy also requires passengers getting off the streetcar to walk all the way to the front of the car to exit. |
This later changed to an all door boarding during busy hours and a front door only during off-peak hours. |
Security flaws in the CharlieCard technology were studied and reported in a presentation by Henryk Plötz and Karsten Nohl at the Chaos Communication Congress in December 2007, which described a partial reverse-engineering of the algorithm used in the MIFARE Classic chip. The MIFARE Classic smartcard from NXP Semiconduc... |
In addition, the security used on the mag-stripe CharlieTickets was broken by a team of MIT students. They were scheduled to give a talk about their findings at DEFCON 16 in August 2008, but were stopped after a federal lawsuit was filed against them by the MBTA, which resulted in a restraining order being issued. Howe... |
Other MIT students leveraged the technology behind Charlie Cards in 2013, with the development of Sesame Ring, a wearable ring embedded with an RFID tag that would save riders time in passing through MBTA station faregates. The students formed a company called Ring Theory and funded development of the product using a K... |
SmarTrip is a contactless stored-value smart card payment system managed by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) uses a compatible payment system called CharmCard. A reciprocity agreement between the MTA and WMATA allows either card to be used for travel ... |
WMATA began using SmarTrip for payment on Metrorail in 1999 followed shortly by Metrobus and Metro parking lots. It was later extended to other public transit systems throughout the region. Although WMATA initially drew criticism due to the limited number of SmarTrip sales locations, distribution has expanded to local ... |
In October 2010, WMATA announced that it was working on a replacement system because the company that makes SmarTrip cards has since gone out of business. However, the transit agency found an alternate manufacturer to produce additional cards until a new payment system is introduced. |
Since March 6, 2016, SmarTrip cards are the only payment method accepted on Metrorail; paper farecards are no longer valid. |
In an effort to reduce fraud and waste, Metro announced in October 2008 that it would be eliminating paper bus transfers effective January 4, 2009. All riders who wished to take advantage of reduced-fare transfers were required to pay using SmarTrip. Paper bus passes were eliminated in January 2011 and passes are now o... |
For SmarTrip, pass rules are different from CharmCard. All Metrorail passes are now available on SmarTrip. These include One-Day, 7-Day, and 28-Day fast passes valid for unlimited travel on Metrorail. A 7-Day Short Trip Pass is also sold, allowing unlimited off-peak rides, and unlimited peak rides for trips costing up ... |
Metro also sells SmarTrip cards that are preloaded with a One-Day rail pass online for the same price as just the pass alone ($14 since July 1, 2012), including all of the commemorative SmarTrip cards issued since 2009. |
Discounted (half-fare) cards have different rules for SmarTrip and CharmCard. SmarTrip for seniors and the disabled may only be purchased in person from a Metro agent or authorized sales office, and the person must show ID and for a disabled rider, proof of disability (either WMATA Disabled ID or Medicare card.) CharmC... |
"Exit fare" machines (used with paper farecards) previously did not accept SmarTrip, and riders with insufficient value to pay their fare were allowed to exit the system with any negative balance. This negative balance must, however, be paid before the card may be used again to enter the system. In addition, the card m... |
Starting September 1, 2012, Metro began offering $3 rebates to customers who registered their cards online after purchase. The cards still cost $5, but a $3 credit was refunded to the card five days after first use. Also starting September 1, riders have been required to have a minimum balance of $1.20 on their SmarTri... |
Effective October 1, 2013, the price of the card was reduced to $2, the rebate program was discontinued, and the maximum permitted negative balance upon exit was set at $1.50, with riders who would exceed this being required to use the Exitfare machines to add value to their cards. |
SmarTrip cards comply with the ISO/IEC 14443 Type B standard. A microchip contained within the card stores its value, as well as the rider's most recent entry and exit points, and a unique identifier. However, the unique identifier is not linked to a person's name or identity, unless one registers the card online. Regi... |
The SmarTrip system was built and designed by Cubic Transportation Systems, Inc., a subsidiary of San Diego-based Cubic Corporation. As of October 2010 Cubic is reportedly no longer producing the cards. |
In December 2010, WMATA issued a request for proposals for a replacement system. The new payment system is expected to use federal employee badges and certain smart phones in addition to the stored value cards. In January 2014 WMATA announced that the contract for the new system was awarded to Accenture. |
In May 2012, the transit agency announced that it had found a replacement manufacturer for SmarTrip cards to avoid shortages until a new payment system goes into place. Customers will likely not notice any differences except that the new cards are slightly thinner and cheaper to produce. |
SmarTrip was the first contactless smart card for transit in the United States when WMATA began selling SmarTrip cards on May 18, 1999. By 2004, 650,000 SmarTrip cards were in circulation. On November 12, 2002, the first SmarTrip readers were used on Metrobuses. In May 2004, SmarTrip readers were introduced at parking ... |
In May 2011, WMATA and the District of Columbia Department of Transportation started a pilot project to give students in the DC Public Schools "DC One Cards" which are SmarTrip compatible. The new cards serve as both a student identification card and provide reduced or free Metro fares during student commuting hours. T... |
In the summer of 2018, the DC One Card Kids Ride Free program was replaced by the SmarTrip Kids Ride Free Program due to difficulties in activating the DC One Cards. All students who live in the District of Columbia, attend a public, charter, or private school in the District of Columbia, and are between the ages of 5 ... |
On the front of the standard SmarTrip card is a stylized picture of a Metrorail car and Metrobus in front of representations of the Washington Monument, United States Capitol, and stylized versions of classical architecture found in Washington, D.C. The Metro logo appears in the bottom left. A "Senior" SmarTrip is also... |
On March 27, 2016, Metro unveiled a new Smartrip card design, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Metrorail system opening. |
Beginning November 2016, Metro Access cards, which permit use of Metro Access Paratransit and free trips on Metrobus and Metrorail, were replaced with a special personalized SmarTrip card with the user's photograph and the Metro Access logo appearing on the front of the card. A companion SmarTrip card is included to al... |
The first two promotional SmarTrip cards were issued in 2008 to commemorate the opening of the newly built stadium of the Washington Nationals, Nationals Park. Special SmarTrip cards commemorating the inauguration of President Barack Obama were issued in January 2009 and 2013. In July 2013, a special July 4 commemorati... |
In June 2014, Metro celebrated the 125th anniversary of the National Zoo by issuing commemorative SmarTrip cards featuring "popular zoo baby residents." |
In July 2014, a commemorative SmarTrip card was issued to celebrate the opening of the Silver Line. |
An early criticism of the SmarTrip cards had been that they were only sold at suburban Metrorail stations, online, a few selected retailers, and Metro sales offices. However, in 2008, Metro reached an agreement with CVS/pharmacy to sell the cards at 187 DC-area locations in an effort to increase SmarTrip use. The SmarT... |
A number of SmarTrip features that were supposed to be introduced in 2005 by SmarTrip's creator, Cubic Transportation Systems, were not fully implemented until 2012. Initially, riders could only add value to a SmarTrip card at Metrorail stations or by using cash while boarding a Metrobus. In November 2008, after years ... |
All trips made with a SmarTrip card, with the exception of bus transfers and passes, are charged as individual one-way fares. WMATA offers discounted rail and bus passes to customers who make several trips in one day, or many trips, or many short trips, in a seven-day period or calendar month; however, SmarTrip users m... |
There have been complaints when customers' cards cease to work as a result of placing the card in proximity to metal or physically damaging the card. In such cases Metro guarantees that the fund balance on the card will be transferred to a new card. However, customers have complained that WMATA has not been processing ... |
In a controversial move, WMATA announced that as part of a new cashless parking payment system, SmarTrip would be the only way to pay for parking at Metro-operated garages and lots effective June 28, 2004, after reports of widespread theft by Metro's parking contractor, Penn Parking. |
The following is a list of transit systems that accept the SmarTrip card for payment. The Maryland Transit Administration's CharmCard uses a compatible payment system from the same manufacturer. A reciprocity agreement allows patrons to use either payment card to travel on any of the participating systems throughout th... |
The following systems serve the Baltimore–Washington Area, but do not currently accept SmarTrip or CharmCard as payment |
The Compass Card is a form of electronic ticketing used on public transport services within San Diego County, California. It is administered by the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) and is valid on a number of different travel systems in San Diego County including MTS buses, the San Diego Trolley, North Cou... |
The card and fare collection systems are manufactured by Cubic Transportation Systems, and SANDAG administers the Compass Call Center (CCC), a central call center for all agencies. The system is due to be phased out when its successor, Pronto launches at the start of planned fare changes in summer 2021. |
Initially the San Diego Association of Governments only offered monthly passes on the compass card system-wide, and 14-day passes via telephone. Stored cash value cards were introduced in 2017, with plans in the future capable of automatically purchasing a day pass on the first tap. |
Customers are able to perform the following transactions at the corresponding locations with a Compass Card as indicated below: |
The following process takes place when a user taps their card on a reader: |
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