Dec. 28 (UPI) — More than 30 years after New York City switched from tokens to the magnetic swipe of a MetroCard to ride its subways and buses, the card’s era is about to end.
Starting on Jan. 1, 2026, transiting residents and tourists alike will be required to move into the 21st century by using a contactless form of paying fares by tapping a phone, credit card or other device as they enter stations and buses.
Although the contactless system was introduced in 2019, 94% of subway and bus trips in the city already use the OMNY system for their travel payments, ABC News reported.
“New Yorkers have embraced tap and ride and we’re proud to see that as more and more people return to the city, they are choosing mass transit,” Shanifah Rieara, chief customer officer for New York City’s Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA), said in a press release.
“As the end of MetroCard sales nears, we are focusing on reaching the remaining 6% to make the switch and unlock the benefits and convenience of tap and ride technology,” Rieara said.
According to the MTA, the last day to purchase or reload a MetroCard will be Dec. 31, while the last day to use one of the magnetic swipe cards will be some time in mid-2026.
The OMNY system offers three ways for riders to pay: with their phone using a digital wallet or contactless bank card, as well as a physical OMNY card that works with the digital system.
MTA said that by eliminating MetroCards and move to a single method of fare collection, the agency expects to save at least $20 million, as well as gain the ability to offer customer promotions and fare discounts more easily.
From 1953 until 1994, the New York City subway system’s main method for paying were dime-sized tokens with a hole in the middle shaped like a “Y,” which the MTA at the time said made it easier to increase fares without having to accept a variety of coinage, CNN reported.
In 1983, as other large cities had started using magnetic swipe technology for their public transportation systems’ payments, the MTA started moving toward the reloadable cards that have been an essential part of life for New Yorkers for more than three decades.
