内容来源：https://www.geekwire.com/2026/seattles-orca-transit-system-gets-major-tech-upgrade-with-new-tap-to-pay-feature/

内容总结：

近日，美国西雅图地区的公共交通支付系统迎来重要升级。从2月2日起，当地ORCA交通系统将逐步推出“即触即付”功能，乘客可直接使用Visa、万事达等主流信用卡或智能手机上的电子钱包（如Apple Pay、Google Pay等）支付车费，无需再购买专用的ORCA交通卡。

该系统将率先在G线快速公交试运行，并于2月下旬扩展至ORCA全网，以迎接今夏在西雅图举办的世界杯赛事及跨越华盛顿湖的新轻轨线路开通。此次升级主要面向不常使用公共交通的市民、游客及未持有ORCA卡的群体，旨在简化支付流程，提升区域交通服务的现代化水平。

技术层面，ORCA运营团队与德国科技公司Init合作，采用Visa的大众交通支付模型，使ORCA读卡器能实时处理非接触式信用卡交易。试运行期间，使用信用卡或借记卡支付的乘客将按成人统一票价3美元计费，且暂不支持在G线外换乘。全面推行后，换乘规则将与现有ORCA卡保持一致，包括两小时内多数线路的免费换乘权益。

需要注意的是，新功能暂不适用于华盛顿州渡轮、西雅图单轨列车等部分线路，且每张卡仅限一人使用，暂不包含ORCA LIFT、长者卡、残障卡及青少年卡等优惠票种。交通稽查人员将通过查验乘客支付卡片进行票务核查。

ORCA官方强调，新支付方式是对现有系统的补充而非替代。享受雇主交通补贴或票价优惠的乘客可继续使用实体ORCA卡，现金及纸质车票也仍被接受。对于此前已在苹果钱包内添加ORCA虚拟卡的用户，该功能独立于本次升级，具体推进时间表尚未公布。

（注：乘客使用 Transit GO 应用程序仍可在线购买金县地铁巴士、Sound Transit列车等多类交通票券。）

中文翻译：

最近去日本旅行时，一个格外便捷的体验是：在东京乘坐地铁时，只需用iPhone"轻触"即可完成支付。这种在全球许多大城市已普及的无障碍交通支付功能，在西雅图却尚未实现——但这一现状即将改变。

西雅图ORCA交通系统即将推出升级服务，乘客只需轻触信用卡或智能手机即可支付车费，无需专用的ORCA交通卡。这项新的"轻触支付"功能将让西雅图地区的乘客能够使用Visa、万事达卡、Discover卡或美国运通卡，以及Apple Pay、Google Pay和三星支付等移动钱包。

该系统计划于2月2日在G线快速公交线路进行试点运行，随后于2月下旬推广至整个系统——这恰逢今夏西雅图举办世界杯赛事，以及连接该地区科技中心、横跨华盛顿湖的新轻轨线路开通前夕。ORCA联合委员会在本周的会议上正式听取了关于"轻触支付"推广计划的简报。

此次技术升级旨在为不常乘坐公共交通的乘客、游客以及尚未持有ORCA卡的人群提供更便捷的乘车体验，同时推动该地区各交通机构现代化票务支付系统的整合。ORCA运营团队与德国科技公司Init合作，采用了Visa的大众交通交易支付模型，使ORCA读卡器能够作为销售终端设备，实时安全处理非接触式信用卡支付。

在试运行阶段，使用个人信用卡或借记卡轻触支付的乘客将统一按成人票3美元计费，且无法在G线之外的其他交通服务中换乘。ORCA官员表示，当该功能在整个ORCA系统正式上线后，换乘规则将与现行ORCA卡用户保持一致，包括在大多数合作交通机构间适用的两小时标准换乘时限。

该系统目前仅支持每张卡对应一名乘客且仅限成人票价，这意味着ORCA LIFT卡、老年卡、残障人士卡和青年卡等优惠票种暂不适用于"轻触支付"。检票员可通过查验乘客使用的支付卡片来核验非接触式支付记录。

ORCA官员在向GeekWire发布的声明中强调，新的支付方式是补充选项而非替代方案。鼓励享受雇主补贴ORCA卡或依赖折扣票价的乘客继续使用传统ORCA卡，现金和实体车票仍将被接受。

"轻触支付"也并非适用于所有交通服务。根据委员会演示文稿，该功能初期将不适用于华盛顿州渡轮、西雅图单轨列车、社区交通DART/ZIP服务及皮尔斯交通Runner线路。

本周有Reddit用户反映，在使用读卡器时需要从钱包中取出实体ORCA卡，以免产生信用卡扣费。值得注意的是，在Apple Wallet中使用ORCA卡属于独立功能，不在此次更新范围内。ORCA官员表示将持续推进移动支付方案，但未透露具体细节或时间表。ORCA已于2024年为安卓用户推出了Google Wallet功能。

补充说明：Apple Wallet设有"快捷交通模式"，乘客无需唤醒或解锁设备即可支付车费。对于希望通过应用程序购票的用户：Transit GO应用支持iOS和安卓用户在金县地铁巴士、Sound Transit列车及其他区域交通服务中购买电子车票。

英文来源：

One of the more seamless aspects on a recent trip to Japan was being able to simply “tap” my iPhone to pay for subway rides in Tokyo. That frictionless transit payment capability, common in many major cities worldwide, isn’t available in Seattle. But that’s about to change.
Seattle’s ORCA transit system is rolling out an upgrade that will let riders pay fares by tapping their credit card or smartphone — no dedicated ORCA card required.
The new “Tap to Pay” feature will let riders across the Seattle region use Visa, Mastercard, Discover, or American Express cards, as well as mobile wallets such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay.
A soft launch is scheduled to begin Feb. 2 on the G Line, a bus rapid transit route, before expanding system-wide later in February — in advance of this summer’s World Cup in Seattle, as well as the debut of the new light rail line across Lake Washington connecting the region’s tech hubs.
The Tap to Pay rollout was formally briefed to the ORCA Joint Board during its meeting this week.
The technical upgrade is aimed at making transit easier for occasional riders, tourists, and anyone who doesn’t already carry an ORCA card — while modernizing fare payment across the region’s patchwork of transit agencies.
ORCA’s operations team worked with German tech company Init to implement Visa’s Mass Transit Transaction (MTT) payment model, which allows ORCA fare readers to function as point-of-sale devices capable of securely processing contactless credit card payments in real time.
During the soft-launch phase, riders who tap a personal credit or debit card will be charged a flat $3 adult fare and won’t be able to transfer to other transit services outside the G Line. Once the feature launches across the full ORCA system, transfers will work the same way they do today for ORCA card users, including the standard two-hour transfer window across most participating agencies, according to ORCA officials.
The system will support one rider per card and adult fares only, meaning reduced-fare programs such as ORCA LIFT, Senior, Disabled, and Youth cards won’t be available through Tap to Pay.
Fare inspectors will be able to validate contactless payments by asking riders to show whatever card they used to pay.
In a statement to GeekWire, ORCA officials emphasized that the new payment option is additive, not a replacement. Riders who receive employer-subsidized ORCA cards or rely on discounted fares are encouraged to continue using traditional ORCA cards. Cash and physical tickets will still be accepted.
Tap to Pay also won’t be available on every service. The feature will not initially work on Washington State Ferries, the Seattle Monorail, Community Transit DART, ZIP, or Pierce Transit Runner, according to board presentation slides.
Some users on Reddit this week complained about needing to remove their physical ORCA card from their wallet to avoid getting a credit card charge when tapping at a reader.
Notably, using an ORCA card inside Apple Wallet is a separate feature and is not part of this launch. ORCA officials said they remain committed to mobile payment options but declined to share additional details or timelines. ORCA launched a Google Wallet feature for Android users in 2024.

• Side note: Apple Wallet has a feature called Express Mode that lets transit riders pay for fares without waking or unlocking their device.
• And for those who want to purchase tickets via an app: Transit GO allows iOS and Android users to pay fares on King Country Metro buses, Sound Transit trains, and other regional transit services using in-app ticketing.