Washington State Ferries will begin charging riders a 3% fee for credit and debit card transactions on March 1, the agency wrote in a blog post.

In 2025, the state legislature passed a law directing Washington State Ferries to collect a fee to help cover the costs of credit and debit card fees, which were previously paid for by the state. In an August presentation, the Washington State Transportation Commission estimated that the 3% fee would generate $7.4 million through the end of 2027.

Customers who pay with cash or an ORCA card won’t be affected by the new charge.

In August 2025, the state transportation commission approved an increase in ticket prices, rising 6% from 2025 to 2027.

That means a standard, round-trip vehicle fare on the Clinton-Mukilteo route will increase from $12.05 to $12.35 this May. The price for the same ticket was $11.20 in 2024.

Last year, Island County leaders bemoaned the big increases in a letter to the Washington State Transportation Commission, noting that it seemed like the South Whidbey route, the second most popular in the state, is subsidizing the fares of riders on other routes in the system.