Overview
- Riders are encouraged to move to contactless OMNY payments using mobile wallets, virtual cards, or contactless credit and debit cards.
- Tap-and-ride grants free trips for the rest of a seven-day period after $34 in fares, but only when the same payment method is used for every tap.
- The MTA advises spending down MetroCard balances or transferring remaining credit to other payment methods during the phaseout.
- Banks may require an initial authorization after a payment method’s first tap, which can briefly delay subsequent use.
- Readers installed on turnstiles and buses accept contactless payments directly, eliminating the need for a physical MetroCard at entry.