MTA Announces Tap-And-Go Fare Technology Now Available to Nearly All Customers

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced that tap-and-go fare technology is now available to nearly all riders with the conversion of Reduced-Fare customers from MetroCard to OMNY. Reduced-Fare customers are the largest customer group to be made eligible for tap-and-go fare payments.

The MTA has begun mailing OMNY cards directly to the more than 1.5 million Reduced-Fare customers enrolled in the program, providing a seamless transition to the tap-and-go system. The new OMNY cards will enable current and future enrolled Reduced-Fare program customers to benefit from OMNY’s convenience and financial flexibility to pay for subway and bus fares.

OMNY has been supporting the Reduced-Fare customers since October 2022 with 75,000 customers having registered their own bank card or digital wallet to tap-to-pay for their travel.

To help customers easily make the switch to OMNY, the MTA will host a webinar for the public to learn more about how to use their OMNY cards on Friday, Dec. 20 at 10:00 a.m. Participants can register here. Customers and stakeholders can also sign up for a newsletter to stay up to date with the latest information on Reduced-Fare OMNY cards including details on outreach events.

Eligible customers can apply in person for the Reduced-Fare program at New York City Transit’s Customer Service Center located at 3 Stone St. in Lower Manhattan. Those aged 65 and over will receive their Reduced-Fare OMNY cards on the same day at that location, and customers with disabilities will benefit from in-person, individualized assistance. All Reduced-Fare customers will soon be able to also apply in person at Customer Service Centers and mobile vans throughout the five boroughs, coming in early 2025. For more information about the Reduced-Fare Program, including applying in person or by mail, click here.

This builds on recent continued OMNY milestones as more customers transition to the tap-and-go system. This school year, students also made the switch to OMNY, receiving Student OMNY cards instead of MetroCards that had been distributed to students citywide since 1997. Student OMNY cards also came with expanded benefits including 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year use and up to four free rides a day.

Transit customers have used OMNY to tap into the transit system nearly 2 billion times. OMNY market share accounts for more than 60% of New York City Transit customers, with full-fare subway rides rising to 81% as more and more customers trade in their 7-day MetroCards for the convenience and financial flexibility of OMNY’s fare cap.