Testing the OCTA Wave Card: Is It Worth the Hype?

On this episode of AntSol Travel, Orange County Transportation Authority’s (OCTA, said as an acronym or single word) Wave Card for OC Bus finally implemented as a contactless fare payment card & app, 18 years after San Diego & Los Angeles County implemented theirs. I will put the system to the test by an adventure by OC Bus from the Anaheim Resort Area to San Clemente to get the day pass $4.50! Tap on your Wave card for an amazing transit adventure through Orange County, here on AntSol Travel!

For those who missed my short video about the Wave Card, here is the breakdown:

Paying for your OC Bus & the upcoming OC Streetcar is easier than ever with the new Wave contactless fare payment system via app, contactless fare card, and credit card tap to pay for the $2 fare! This replaces the current OC Bus app that started in 2017, and paper monthly passes with magnetic strips.

Powered by INIT: Innovations in Traffic Systems, which also powers San Diego County’s Pronto Card. OCTA finally catches up to Los Angeles County’s Metro TAP Card & San Diego’s Compass & now Pronto card for MTS & NCTD who both have had contactless fare payment cards since 2007, which is 18 years ago. Even though San Diego County’s system is by INIT, no you cannot use their Pronto card on OC Bus, you will get an error, likewise for LA’s TAP Card.

Wave cards are available for $2 from the OCTA Store in Orange or online order. For $4 you can buy a card person at over 500 select retailers that include 7-11, CVS, Walgreens, and Albertson’s grocery stores across Orange County.

If you don’t want to deal with a card, you can use QR code pass on the Wave app for free. Fare payment is managed on the Wave app to add fare to the card or in app QR code. If you don’t like using the Wave card or the app, you can pay $2 cash or with your credit’s tap-to-pay RDIF

There is fare capping, with $2 for the two hour transfers, after the second transfer expires, and then is .50 cents for the third fare to cap at $4.50 a day, and a monthly cap of $69. Along with the discounted fares for those who qualify. That is our goal today of hitting the day cap $4.50. Let’s head out to the Anaheim Resort area’s OCBus stop to start our adventure.
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Today’s challenge is to take the most taking OC Bus 83 & 91 from Anaheim to San Clemente Metrolink station for the Orange County line at 3:44 pm to get back to Anaheim! I have a checklist of destinations to stop at REI in Laguna Hills, the new Prime Pizza in Mission Viejo with a coffee at the adjacent Philz Coffee, Target, and the Outlets at San Clemente before the Metrolink train departs. Let’s explore SoCal by transit, here on AntSol Travel!