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2d ago

MetroCard Sales End Wednesday as New York Fully Moves to OMNY

The switch, already used for about 94% of trips, is pitched as a $20 million annual cost cut with built-in weekly fare caps.

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

  • Dec. 31 is the last day to buy or refill a MetroCard, though existing cards will still work into 2026 with a final cutoff to be announced.
  • Riders can tap a phone, contactless bank card, or a reloadable OMNY card, which is sold at station machines and retailers such as Walgreens, CVS, and 7‑Eleven.
  • OMNY fare capping grants free rides after 12 trips in seven days, with the weekly cap reaching $35 when the base fare increases to $3 in January.
  • Some seniors and unbanked riders report usability and access concerns, and users have flagged occasional OMNY glitches and balance visibility issues.
  • The MetroCard’s farewell includes a Transit Museum exhibit and shrinking supplies for artists and small businesses that reuse the cards, while Nassau’s NICE buses begin accepting OMNY next month.