(Friday photo of Fauntleroy ferry at sunset, by Joshua Crowgey)
Starting tomorrow (Sunday, March 1st), Washington State Ferries will start charging a new fee on card transactions, as ordered by state legislators. If you haven’t heard about it already, here’s the summary from WSF leader Steve Nevey in the latest weekly newsletter:
Starting in three days on Sunday, March 1, a 3% cost recovery surcharge will be added to all credit and debit card purchases. The Washington State Legislature directed this change (RCW 47.60.860) so the state can recover the cost of processing card payments. The 3% recovery fee applies to all in-person, kiosk and online fare purchases, including single-ride, multi-ride, and ReValue tickets. It also covers no-show fees for vehicle reservations and carpool and vanpool permits. The cost recovery surcharge does not apply to fees for memorial services, annual business accounts or promotional activities like tabletops and film or photo shoots. Customers can avoid the recovery fee by paying with cash or by using a preloaded ORCA card. If a card transaction is refunded, the 3% surcharge will also be refunded. See our ticket information page for a full list of accepted payment options.
One reader told us they thought fees like this couldn’t be charged on debit-card transactions; WSF explains that they aren’t able to process debits, so debit cards are charged as credit cards and will include the fee.