ORCA and Google Pay Business FAQ

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ORCA on Google Pay Overview*

* If you are a cardholder and you are looking for User FAQs, please visit the Using ORCA with Google Pay FAQs page

How does paying with ORCA on Google Pay work?

ORCA on Google Pay allows your cardholders to add the ORCA card you issue to them to their Google Wallet to pay for transit in the Puget Sound region. Once your business opts in to allow your cardholders to use ORCA for Google Pay, individuals can simply convert their plastic ORCA card to a digital card in Google Wallet and start using their Android device to pay for trips. Guides on how to purchase and convert cards can be found by visiting the individual User Guide articles.

Users can set up their phone to allow taps to occur by just waking up their phone screen, without needing to unlock the phone every time. To set this up, follow the steps in the “Turn off verification setting for transit” section in Google’s Support article. If using a WearOS device, it always needs to be unlocked to tap. Visit Google’s support site for transit passes in Google Wallet to learn more.

What are the benefits to our cardholders?

Paying for transit with digital wallets has been a top-requested feature from ORCA customers. It offers a convenient cardless and contactless payment experience that aligns with existing digital wallet capabilities available with credit cards, loyalty cards and event ticketing. With ORCA on Google Pay, customers can use a wide range of Android devices that they already carry with them, including smartphones and Wear OS smartwatches. Individual customers who currently have a plastic ORCA card can convert it to a digital card at no cost.

 

What are the benefits to businesses that offer this feature?

Businesses that opt into the new ORCA on Google Pay capability will be offering interested cardholders another convenient way to use their transit benefits. ORCA on Google Pay also benefits businesses because digital cards are harder to lose so businesses may incur fewer card replacement fees. Plastic cards can be converted by cardholders and used immediately!

 

What does your business need to do to opt into this optional feature?

To turn on the new ORCA on Google Pay feature, businesses should plan to take the following steps:

  1. Speak with your ORCA Business Account representative and then complete the ORCA Choice opt-in form or ORCA Passport opt-in form.
  2. Agree to new digital card terms (Choice accounts) or sign a contract addendum (Passport accounts). Your business will need to agree to the new terms before your account is opted in.
  3. Communicate with your cardholders. Let your cardholders know this new feature is available! We have helpful tools and tips for communicating with your cardholders to make sure they understand how to use ORCA on Google Pay and get the most out of it.

Can businesses choose whether to offer this feature to cardholders?

Yes, businesses have the option to decide when or if opting in will work for them. Cardholders are never required to convert. If a business opts in and then changes their mind, they can always opt back out. Cards that have already been converted to digital will remain so, but opting out will prevent any more physical cards from being converted. Businesses that are opted-out can, however, link existing Digital cards if a cardholder brings their own to the Business.

 

What should we communicate to our cardholders if we are choosing not to opt in?

  1. If you plan to opt in later: Communicate with your cardholders that you will not be opting in currently, but you are evaluating how and when to do so.
  2. If you are not opting in and do not plan to do so: Communicate with your cardholders and explain why your business is making this choice. Continue to emphasize the core benefits of the current ORCA program that is available with their plastic ORCA card. Even without you communicating with them, customers may learn that your Business is not opted in if they try to convert their card in Google Wallet but receive an error message preventing them from converting that states, “card not transferred”.

 

Is there a cost/any additional costs associated with opting in?

No. There is no additional cost to businesses to opt in to the ORCA on Google Pay feature. Cardholders can convert a plastic card to a digital card in Google Wallet at no cost. When they are available for bulk purchase, digital-only cards will be available for $3, the same price as standard physical Adult ORCA cards.

 

ORCA for Google Pay Conversion Basics

If you are a cardholder and you are looking for information on how to convert your physical card to a digital card, please visit the How to transfer a plastic ORCA Card to your Google Wallet page

 

How does conversion from a plastic card to a digital card in Google Wallet work?

Once you opt into ORCA on Google Pay, cardholders will be able to convert their plastic ORCA card to a digital card in Google Wallet on their own by following the step-by-step instructions in our “How to transfer a plastic ORCA Card to your Google Wallet” article.

 

What does a cardholder do with their plastic card after converting? Can they continue to use it?

For security purposes and to prevent unauthorized use, once a cardholder converts an ORCA card in the Google Wallet, the plastic card will be deactivated and cannot be reused. There are no specialty instructions to dispose of the card. Cards can be shredded or cut in half and disposed of in the trash.* When the cardholder adds the card to Google Wallet, they receive a warning indicating that the plastic card will be deactivated.

* The only exception involves Senior and Disabled Regional Reduced Fare Permit cards. These physical cards can still be used as a “flash pass” to pay a reduced cash fare.

 

How do you know when a cardholder converts a plastic card to a digital card?

The new digital card in Google Wallet will have a new card number which can be found on the Manage Cards page when you log into your myORCA.com business account.

The new digital card number will be listed in the “Card Number” column and the old plastic card number will be listed in the “Replaced Card Number” column. You can also export an Excel list of cards from the “manage cards” page which will list the same information. To learn more, visit the “How to view ORCA cards that have been added to Google Wallet on your myORCA.com Business Account” and “Filtering the card list by Card type” articles.

 

Will all passes, E-purse, and Autoloads on the card move to the ORCA card once it is in Google Wallet?

Yes, all passes, E-purse value, and Autoloads will transfer to the new digital ORCA card in Google Wallet from the plastic card. Autoloads also auto-resume when a physical card is converted to a Digital card since Digital cards do not need to be mailed/shipped.

 

Managing your ORCA for Business Account with Google Pay Enabled

Below are some helpful tips for managing your ORCA benefits program when you opt in to ORCA on Google Pay. You can find descriptions of this guidance in much greater detail.

  1. Individual card actions: All individual actions are identical between physical cards and digital cards (adding Participants, adding E-purse and Passes, adding Autoloads, etc.). To conduct these actions individually, you need the new digital card number.
  2. Bulk actions: All bulk actions are identical between physical cards and digital cards (adding Participants, adding E-purse and Passes, adding Autoloads, etc.). To conduct these actions in bulk you can use either the old physical card number or the new digital card number. In order to run bulk jobs with the old plastic card number, the old card entry must remain on the business account. Visit the “How to view ORCA cards that have been added to Google Wallet on your myORCA.com Business Account” and "Using bulk action files with physical card numbers that have been replaced by a new digital card number in Google Wallet. The bulk action below are to Add money and/or passes" articles to learn more
  3. Old plastic card numbers can be found under the “Replaced Card #” column in the Manage Cards page while the new digital card number appears under the Card Number column. When you use an old plastic card number in your data file/input file, the system cross-checks the new Digital card number and completes the Bulk Action. The results file/output file that is provided after the Bulk Action is successful will also show the new Digital card number in relation to the old physical card number, providing a helpful cross-reference you can use to update your data files/input files or asset management systems.
  4. Employee Asset Management: If you track what card number a cardholder has outside of myORCA in an Employee Asset Management tool, you can update this information by choosing Export on the Manage Cards page to download a .csv which lists the old plastic card number and the new digital card number (if converted) for each card on the account. You can use this information to update your asset management system. Learn more by visiting the “Filtering the card list by Card type” article.
  5. Stopping ORCA benefits: If a cardholder converts a plastic card to a digital card and you wish to stop loading the digital card, (for example if they leave the company), you can simply remove the digital card from your account. Digital cards cannot be repurposed for another user.  If you wish to transfer any products off of the card to another physical or digital card on your account, please contact your ORCA Business Account representative who can perform the transfers for you.

Can you start issuing digital ORCA cards directly to a cardholder’s phone?

No, but ORCA is designing a feature to allow businesses to purchase digital cards in bulk. Stay tuned for more information.

 

If we ask cardholders to return their digital card, can we reuse that card?

Once cards are converted from physical to digital, they cannot be reused by a Business. The card is linked to a user’s Wallet and if an employee leaves, the Business will have to procure a new card and move products. Please reach out to your ORCA Business Account representative to have products moved between cards.

 

Digital Card Summary

Feature Availability Digital cards are only available from the Google Wallet on Android devices and WearOS smartwatches. X ORCA digital cards are not currently available on any other platform, but we are committed to expanding to more platforms in the future.
Opting in All Businesses are automatically set as opted out by default. It is up to each Business to decide if they want to enable ORCA for Google Pay.

Businesses who have opted out can still link pre-existing digital cards from users that convert their personal cards.

 

Scope Opting in will allow all cards linked to a business the ability to convert to a digital card. X Conversion cannot be limited at the card or group level, only at the account level. While opted out, no physical card linked to your account can be converted.
Cost

Conversion from physical to

digital cards costs nothing.

Purchasing digital-only cards is the same $3 cost as a physical card.

Blocking old

cards

X Physical cards no longer function once converted to digital for security purposes. As with physical-to-physical replacements, old cards are blocked to limit fraudulent activity.

Digital-only

card ordering

X Currently, cards can only be converted from physical to digital.  
Card numbers changing X Card numbers do not stay the same once converted.

ORCA has new features that help Businesses track new digital card numbers

1. Manage cards page

2. Added details to card exports

3. Bulk action enhancements

Product Movement Once a card is converted, all products and Autoloads move to the digital card. Unlike physical-to-physical replacements, Autoloads automatically turn back on when a physical card is converted to digital.
Bulk Actions Bulk actions function the same with digital cards as with physical cards. Old physical card numbers can be used in bulk action import files when Businesses do not know the new digital card number. The action will apply to the new card.
Card loss Digital cards are harder to lose since they are tied to a user’s device.

X A card can still be lost if a user loses their device itself.

ORCA will help Businesses procure a new card and transfer products.

 

Other Topics

When will this be available on other platforms?

We are committed to bringing the convenience of mobile payments to all our customers, but we have nothing else to share at this time. We will share any new information as it becomes available. To get the latest updates on ORCA, follow us on social media @TheORCACard or sign up for our monthly customer newsletter.

 

 

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