Paying for Transit During SEA 26 Soccer Tournament
Exploring the Seattle region is easy with public transit, and ORCA makes getting around simple. Most visitors can pay for transit by tapping a contactless credit card, or for more frequent riders, by purchasing an ORCA card and adding a day pass for unlimited rides.
Your Guide to Getting Around Seattle for World Cup
The 2026 World Cup comes to Seattle from June 15 – July 6. Seattle Stadium (also known as Lumen Field) will host six matches throughout the tournament.
Visitors attending the 2026 World Cup in Seattle can easily reach the stadium and fan zones outside the city using Seattle’s regional transit system.
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Meet Boop, Your ORCA Travel Companion
Boop, the orca whale, is a big soccer fan and your ORCA tour guide for getting around the Seattle region this Summer.
Boop will help you beat the traffic, save some cash, and get in on the action throughout the tournament, that’s the goal!
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Paying for Transit Around Seattle
In the Seattle area, transit agencies work together to provide a public transit network which accepts the same form of payment across different modes of transit, the ORCA fare payment system.
With ORCA, you can easily ride various forms of transit, such as most buses, trains, and ferries, without worrying about how you’ll pay your fare or transfer to another service.
How Do You Pay for Transit Around Seattle?
Option 1: Use Your Credit Card with ORCA Tap to Pay
ORCA Tap to Pay allows you to tap a contactless credit or debit card to pay for transit across the region, including Link light rail, buses, Seattle Streetcar, and more. You can tap a physical Visa, Mastercard, Discover Network, or American Express credit card, or a card stored in your digital wallet on a phone or watch. Learn more here.
ORCA Tap to Pay using a credit or debit card is not available on Seattle Monorail, Washington State Ferries, and select regional services. You can instead pay using an ORCA card, or by purchasing tickets at the station/pier prior to boarding.
Option 2: Pay with an ORCA Card
If you plan to ride on public transit for a majority of your visit, purchasing an ORCA card and adding fare value is the most affordable way to pay.
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E-purse
ORCA cards may be loaded with cash value as an “E-purse” for use on most forms of transit in the Seattle region.
The value paid on one ride will transfer with you to your next ride taken within 2 hours except for trips on Seattle Center Monorail, Washington State Ferries, or Kitsap Transit Fast Ferries where transfer credits are not recognized.
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Regional Day Pass
If you plan to ride public transit more than two times in one day, you can purchase a $6 All-Day PugetPass. Day passes let you take unlimited trips on most of the region’s buses and Link light rail.* The pass activates automatically when you tap on your next trip and expires at 3 a.m. the next day.
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3-Day Pass (Coming Soon)
If you plan to ride public transit for a majority of your visit, you can purchase an $18 3-Day PugetPass. 3-day passes let you take unlimited trips on most of the region’s buses and Link light rail for three days, perfect for a long weekend.* The pass activates automatically on your next trip and expires at 3 a.m. following the third day of use.
*Day passes are not valid on Washington State Ferries, Kitsap Transit Fast Ferries, and select regional services. If you ride or transfer to a service with a fare higher than $3, such as a Sounder train, Seattle Center Monorail, or King County Water Taxi, a day pass will cover the first $3 of the cost of the trip and you will only need to pay the difference. Riders should add a few dollars of E-purse value to an ORCA card if planning to ride a service that costs more than $3 when using a pass.
Transit Tips from Boop
Transfer to Other Services for Free!
If you pay with a credit or debit card or with an ORCA card, you will receive a 2-hour transfer credit, which means you will be able to transfer to another service without charge within two hours of your first ride.
- Your original fare payment will count towards a transfer to any other mode of transit which accepts ORCA payments if you ride again within two hours.* If your next fare is higher than what you initially paid, you will only need to pay the difference.
- Be sure to tap the same card when you transfer to receive the benefit.
*Seattle Monorail, Washington State Ferries, and Kitsap Transit Foot Ferries do not accept transfer credits.
Youth Ride Transit for Free
Transit is free for riders 18 and younger on all Seattle-area public transit. The whole family can easily hop on board and explore all the soccer tournament festivities, including Fan Celebrations and Fan Zones just outside the city in Everett, Bremerton, and Tacoma!
Where can I buy an ORCA card when I arrive?
Seattle-Tacoma Airport
When you land in Seattle, you can purchase an ORCA card for $3 at a ticket vending machine in the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Link light rail station. Follow signage pointing you towards the Link light rail when you land.
Link Light Rail Stations
ORCA cards are available for purchase at Link light rail stations across the region. Look for ticket vending machines near the entrance or inside of stations to purchase an ORCA card in-person for $3.
Grocery Stores
ORCA cards are available for purchase at grocery stores across the region. Many stores including Safeway, QFC, and Fred Meyer sell ORCA cards at their customer service counters. Search for retail locations here.
Other Locations
If you have an Android device with Google Wallet, you can add an ORCA card directly to your wallet as a transit pass. Learn how to add an ORCA card to Google Wallet.
For a full list of where to buy an ORCA card, check out our map of where to buy.
Seattle-Tacoma Airport
When you land in Seattle, you can purchase an ORCA card for $3 at a ticket vending machine in the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Link light rail station. Follow signage pointing you towards the Link light rail when you land.
How do I load a day pass or a multi-day pass onto an ORCA card?
At a Ticket Vending Machine
You can load e-purse money or passes directly onto your ORCA card at a ticket vending machine. Simply follow the instructions on the ticket vending machine screen. Ticket vending machines can be found at Link light rail stations across the region.
On the myORCA App or Online
After you purchase an ORCA card, you can download the myORCA app to load it with e-purse money or passes. The app connects to your physical card in real time. Download the app for iPhone or Android. You can also create an online account at myORCA.com. This allows you to manage your card and purchase fare products like passes online.
How to Get to the Games
Keep in Mind...
Parking around Seattle Stadium (Lumen Field) is extremely limited, and heavy traffic is expected. Public transportation is the most convenient method of transportation to and from matches.
If you’re staying in downtown Seattle, there are a variety of transportation options available to you.
For more information about transportation options around the Seattle region, visit the SEA 26 transportation hub.
Link Light Rail
Sound Transit’s Link light rail runs directly from downtown Seattle to Seattle Stadium (Lumen Field) and the surrounding area.
You should get off the light rail at Pioneer Square station or International District station when traveling to the games from the North and at Stadium station when traveling from the South.
King County Metro Buses
Buses run regularly between downtown Seattle and Seattle Stadium (Lumen Field). You can plan your bus trip using King County Metro’s trip planner.
Seattle Center Monorail
Monorail helps you connect from Seattle Center (the location of the Space Needle and a World Cup Fan Celebration) to Westlake Center, where you can transfer to Link light rail or various buses to travel straight to Seattle Stadium (Lumen Field).
Keep in Mind...
Parking around Seattle Stadium (Lumen Field) is extremely limited, and heavy traffic is expected. Public transportation is the most convenient method of transportation to and from matches.
If you’re staying in downtown Seattle, there are a variety of transportation options available to you.
For more information about transportation options around the Seattle region, visit the SEA 26 transportation hub.
Getting to Fan Zones Around Seattle
Bremerton
Take a scenic ferry ride from Pier 50 in Downtown Seattle straight to Bremerton.
- Kitsap Transit Fast Ferry and Kitsap Transit buses accept both ORCA Tap to Pay and ORCA cards.
- Washington State Ferries accept ORCA cards, or you can purchase tickets at the pier.
- Kitsap Transit Fast Ferries and Washington State Ferries do not accept transfer credits.
Everett
Just North of Seattle, Everett hosts one of the region’s official fan zones!
- Sound Transit’s Sounder trains run directly from Downtown Seattle to Everett.
- Once you’re in Everett, you can take Everett Transit to explore the city and get to events.
The Sounder and Everett Transit accept both ORCA cards and ORCA Tap to Pay. Sounder fare is distance-based, so tap the same card again when you exit the train.
Puyallup Tribe (Tacoma)
You can easily get from Downtown Seattle to Tacoma using public transit.
- Sound Transit’s Sounder train can take you straight from Downtown Seattle to Tacoma Dome Station.
- Once you’re in Tacoma, Pierce Transit buses or the Link light rail T Line can get you around the city. Pierce Transit’s Fan Zone Express can take you straight to the Puyallup Tribe Fan Zone. Learn more here.
Sounder trains, Pierce Transit buses, and Link light rail all accept ORCA cards and ORCA Tap to Pay. Pierce Transit SHUTTLE and Runner do not accept ORCA Tap to Pay. Sounder train fares are distance based, so be sure to tap the same payment card again when you exit the train.
Bremerton
Take a scenic ferry ride from Pier 50 in Downtown Seattle straight to Bremerton.
- Kitsap Transit Fast Ferry and Kitsap Transit buses accept both ORCA Tap to Pay and ORCA cards.
- Washington State Ferries accept ORCA cards, or you can purchase tickets at the pier.
- Kitsap Transit Fast Ferries and Washington State Ferries do not accept transfer credits.
Still have questions?
Browse our website content to learn all you need to know about paying for transit during your visit.
International travelers, please note that you cannot purchase an ORCA card while outside the United States. You can purchase a physical card once you land in Seattle if you would like to load it with day passes.