Contactless Basics
Many debit and credit cards are contactless and allow you to securely tap your card to pay. A contactless card has a symbol on the front or back like a Wi-Fi symbol turned on its side. And if you have a credit or debit card set-up in your mobile wallet, you can tap your smartphone or smartwatch as you board.
Cards supported:
- American Express
- Discover
- Mastercard
- Visa
Digital wallets:
- Apple Pay
- Google Pay
- Samsung Pay
Using Contactless to Board
- As you board, hold your contactless card or smart device near the contactless symbol on the front of the validator.
- Wait for the beep and black check mark confirming you paid.
- Head to your seat and enjoy the ride!
If using a smartphone or smartwatch, please have your mobile wallet open and ready before boarding.
Tap all day. Never overpay.
We are keeping track of your tapping! It’s our way to make sure you never overpay. Simply tap as you board and you’ll be charged $2.00 per trip. When your fares add up to $5.00, we won’t charge you more. Your fare is automatically capped. That doesn’t mean you stop tapping. You will need to tap as proof of your payment. But don’t worry, you won’t be charged.
Consistency counts!
You must use the same contactless card, device, and card in your mobile wallet for each trip to ensure daily fare capping. Even if your mobile wallet is linked to the same bank account as your physical card.
Don’t switch back and forth between your mobile wallet and contactless card even if using the same card!
Frequently Asked Questions
If you have more than one card linked to your mobile wallet, your fare will be charged to the card you selected as your default. If you want to use a different card, you must designate it as your default card prior to boarding.
No, only regular adult fare is available with contactless payments. To qualify for senior and disabled fares, you must register to qualify for the discounted fare, create a Wave account and use either a Wave card or Wave mobile for your payment method.
No, each rider must use a different debit or credit card. Contactless payment can only be used for one rider at a time. If you want to purchase rides for multiple riders, you can create a Wave account and use either a Wave card or Wave mobile to purchase and use a group ticket.
Children aged 5 and under ride free. Youth aged 6 to 18 can ride free with the Youth Ride Free pass, but this pass must be registered in advance.
More Ways to Pay
Wave Card
The Wave card is a smart card that allows you to pay for travel on OCTA public transit services in Orange County. It’s a reloadable payment card and offers balance protection plus the benefit of daily and monthly fare capping. It can be purchased online or at participating retailers.
Wave Mobile
The Wave Mobile app lets you keep your fare on your phone. There’s never a need to carry a card. All the tools you need to ride are on your phone and at your fingertips. Adding value. Tracking fair capping. Multiple cards. It’s all in one place.