New York subway ends its MetroCard era and switches fully to tap-and-go fares

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: AP

Updated 11:31 AM EST, December 28, 2025


NEW YORK (AP) — When the MetroCard replaced the New York City subway token in 1994, the swipeable plastic card infused much-needed modernity into one of the world’s oldest and largest transit systems.

Now, more than three decades later, the gold-hued fare card and its notoriously finicky magnetic strip are following the token into retirement.

The last day to buy or refill a MetroCard is Dec. 31, 2025, as the transit system fully transitions to OMNY, a contactless payment system that allows riders to tap their credit card, phone or other smart device to pay fares, much like they do for other everyday purchases. Transit officials say more than 90% of subway and bus trips are now paid using the tap-and-go system, introduced in 2019.

Major cities around the world, including London and Singapore, have long used similar contactless systems. In the U.S., San Francisco launched a pay-go system earlier this year, joining Chicago and others.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/metrocard-retired-omny-pay-nyc-subway-512112eea4d6e082baab299d41e8171a

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We implemented that here in Philly for the remaining SEPTA transit options (regional rail trains) this past April 2025. The other modes (bus, subways, trolleys, etc) were tap and go starting back in 2023.

[Hugin]

1. I still have a MetroCard in my artifacts...

Probably left over from back in the day when I was a somebody.

[BumRushDaShow]

3. I still have a D.C. Metro Card (SmarTrip)

where I see they just implemented tap and go this past May. Haven't used that card in at least 9 years though.

[QueerDuck]

13. We always keep extras for out of town guests to use whenever we'd take them into town to see...

the sights and museums. I wonder if there's a way to consolidate the remaining value onto a single card? Or will we just use them until they "run dry". (Or just figure that the remaining value is a donation to the public transportation system... heaven knows they could use the money!)

[BumRushDaShow]

15. I haven't logged into the SmarTrip account site in a long time

so I don't know what options they have. Our agency (HQ folks) had a stack of cards too for those coming down for meetings, etc. to use while there, if needed. I ended up getting my own for when I was down there for training. Last time I was down there wass 2018 with one of my sisters, BIL, and niece, who wanted to go touring around, and I brought it with me just in case (never got chance to use it though).

When my local Philly SEPTA key card (which was from the pre- "tap and go" era) was about to expire, I could take it to a designated station to get a new physical card, and then go through the rest of the process online to transfer my balance from the old card to the new one. So it's possible that the SmarTrip could have card values consolidated via an online process as well.

[moonscape]

8. I ran across some tokens that were

in a memorabilia box (along with a bunch of Playbills, book of unused movie tickets for the Embassy on W 72nd which showed art & foreign language films, & other stuff) stashed in the attic. I left NYC in 1978. Looked through all the Playbills (wow some great stuff!) then did the adult thing and purged

[CTyankee]

14. I remember those tokens! I lived in NYC in the early 1960s (my 3 kids were born there).

We had no money to go to the theatre so no playbills (to my sorrow).

[ret5hd]

2. is one able to get weekly/monthly rates?

or is it all going to be “pay as you get on” deal?

[BumRushDaShow]

4. Here are some details

https://www.mta.info/fares-tolls/subway-bus/tap-and-ride

(I know with that "commuter" toll to drive into the city, you will obviously have more people back on the transit system)

[IronLionZion]

5. DC has this. I've been using my phone for commuting because it works better than SmartTrip.

Loading money in my Apple wallet is faster and fewer errors than topping up the physical card. This tap to pay method also works in ART (Arlington Rapid Transit) and probably other nearby systems.

Interestingly I've seen this in Asian metro systems years ago.

[waldnorm]

6. But How Will Le Tigre Get Around?

?si=oNycg9j9blOlyk-y

[SeattleVet]

7. Dang! I still have tokens I haven't used since the 60s.

15 cent (small tokens) through much later. Some with the cutout 'Y', all the way through the 90's when I moved out of NYC. Never got used to using the MetroCard.

(Might also have a few 'Show World' tokens from Times Square, but let's not go there right now 😁

[NBachers]

9. I'm pretty talented at having the San Francisco one not respond to me, so I'm tapping & bumping while people wait behind

You'd think having the latest iPhone would facilitate things, but somehow the system's always waiting to thwart me.

The ones in London are slam-bam great, though.

[BumRushDaShow]

16. When I was in San Francisco for training, pre- tap and go

(which was over 20 years ago) I got one of those 3-day transit cards and went hogwild (it even worked for the BART). Probably saw about 2/3rds of the city just using public transit!

[Iggo]

10. So they won't even have their own dedicated TAP card?

EDIT: Never mind. I read the whole article at the link. They’ve got their own OMNY tap card.

[eggplant]

11. If they had simply pitched this as a *replacement* for metrocard...

just as a technology update and not some behavioral change they are imposing, and then said that you could also choose to use these other payment methods in addition to the new OMNY card, I think this wouldn't have been such a big story.

[tinrobot]

12. The new system is really easy, just tap as you go through.

A lot of people just use Apple/Google Pay on their phones, but a card will also work.

I wound up using my phone because it's easier to grab than a wallet.