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3d ago

MetroCard Sales End Dec. 31 as MTA Shifts to OMNY

The new tap-to-pay system is expected to save the MTA about $20 million a year.

Parts of MetroCards used by New York City artist Thomas McKean to create sculptures and mosaics are seen in Manhattan, New York, on January 27, 2023.
Riders take advantage of MetroCard transfers as they enter subway system near Staten Island Ferry terminal at Whitehall Street on July 7, 1997.
FILE - Russell Chin, left, helps Angie Hoyle, 3, of the Brooklyn borough of New York, as she tries on a hat made of MetroCards shaped as the Brooklyn Bridge during the Easter Parade on New York's Fifth Avenue, March 23, 2008. (AP Photo/Tina Fineberg, File)
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Overview

  • Existing MetroCards will continue to be accepted into 2026, with a final cutoff date to be announced.
  • OMNY lets riders tap phones, contactless bank cards, or a reloadable OMNY card that can be bought with cash at station machines and retailers such as Walgreens, CVS and 7‑Eleven.
  • Fare rules carry over with automatic capping: after 12 rides in seven days, or $35 once the base fare reaches $3 in January, additional trips that week are free, and two‑hour transfers apply when using the same payment method.
  • More than 90% of trips already use OMNY, and Nassau’s NICE buses plan to accept OMNY next month, enabling free transfers and counting rides toward the weekly cap.
  • Alongside projected savings, the transition has prompted concerns from some seniors and unbanked riders about usability and privacy, as the Transit Museum and local artists commemorate the MetroCard’s legacy.