NYC Subway Tap to Pay: Everything You Need to Know

The NYC Subway Tap to Pay system is a convenient and efficient way to pay for your subway ride. The system uses contactless payment technology, allowing you to tap your credit or debit card, or mobile device, on the turnstile to pay for your fare.

To use the Tap to Pay system, you'll need a contactless payment card or a mobile device with a compatible payment app. You can also use a MetroCard, which can be linked to your contactless payment method.

The Tap to Pay system is available on all subway trains and stations, making it easy to use wherever you go.

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To use Tap to Pay, you'll need to have a contactless credit or debit card, a smartphone with a digital wallet, or a wearable device like a smartwatch. You can also use an OMNY card.

To add your card to Google Wallet or Samsung Wallet, open the app and follow the prompts to add your credit or debit card information. Once you've added your card, you can enable Tap to Pay and start using it at mass transit scanners.

To use Tap to Pay at the bus, subway, or train scanner, simply place your Android Phone on or near the scanner. The transaction will automatically go through with confirmation on your phone as the payment is taken from your card.

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You can tap another rider through with OMNY, but there's a limit to how many times you can tap within an hour. You can tap up to four times, which means you can tap yourself and three others.

The MTA applies the same pass-back rules to OMNY as they do with MetroCards. This means you can pay for yourself and up to three additional riders.

If you're traveling with a family of five or more, you'll need to get another device or card, since only one can tap up to four times within an hour.

OMNY is a tap-and-pay system that's been around since 2019, making it a convenient way to ride the MTA's buses and trains.

It's designed to replace swiping a MetroCard, allowing you to tap a contactless credit or debit card, a reloadable prepaid or pre-tax benefit card, a smartphone with a digital wallet, a wearable device like a smartwatch, or an OMNY card at an OMNY reader to enter the transit system.

Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, UnionPay, and JCB credit cards are all accepted for use with OMNY.

However, not all cards are created equal – PIN-restricted debit cards, non-reloadable prepaid cards, and gift cards aren't accepted at this time.

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The OMNY system is a game-changer for NYC subway riders. It directly addresses problems with the existing MetroCard system and offers more convenience and security.

Lines at MetroCard ticket booths can form quickly, causing delays for commuters. Using a digital wallet for contactless payments will help people avoid this problem completely.

Prakash Hariramani, director of Google Pay at Google, says digitizing your credit or debit card on your phone creates a virtual account number, and a unique one-time code is generated per transaction to ensure security.

In 2022, OMNY will feature single ride tickets, which will be a convenient option for occasional riders.

The OMNY system will also include OMNY vending machines, making it easier to purchase tickets or add funds to your account.

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You can purchase an OMNY card at various stores throughout the city, such as Walgreens, CVS, and 7-Eleven, or at OMNY vending machines at subway stations.

The OMNY card generally costs $5, but for a limited time, it costs only $1 at all OMNY vending machines.

To reload your OMNY card, you can link it to a free OMNY account and set up automatic reloads, or you can buy an OMNY card with a minimum balance of $1.

You can also reload your OMNY card online by linking it to your free OMNY account.

The OMNY system works with most digital wallets, including Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, and Fitbit Pay, as well as physical cards from American Express, Visa, and Mastercard.

You can select a card, pass, or key for Express Mode in the Wallet app. Tap the More button, then Card Details, and Express Transit Settings or Express Mode.

Multiple cards, passes, and keys can be active in the Wallet app at the same time. You can have one student ID and one car key each set to Express Mode.

With some cards, passes, and keys, you can't have multiple of the same type or from the same issuer set to Express Mode. For example, you can only have one student ID from the same school set to Express Mode.

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To change which card, pass, or key is set to Express Mode, follow these steps:

You can also select a different transit or payment card for Express Transit Mode on your Apple Watch.

Adding a commuter benefit card to your OMNY account is a breeze. You can do this by contacting the company that issues your commuter benefit card and asking them to send you a card with an NFC chip.

Most companies will send you one, but if yours doesn't, there's a workaround. You can add the commuter benefit card to your smartphone's wallet. Once the card is in your phone, you never need to pull the physical card out again.

To add your commuter benefit card to your phone, you'll need to follow the instructions provided by the company that issues your card. Some companies may require you to create an account or download a specific app to add your card.

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Here's a step-by-step guide to adding your commuter benefit card to your phone:

1. Contact the company that issues your commuter benefit card and ask for a card with an NFC chip.

2. If your company doesn't offer an NFC chip, add the commuter benefit card to your smartphone's wallet.

3. Follow the instructions provided by the company to create an account or download a specific app.

4. Add your commuter benefit card to your phone and you're good to go!

By adding your commuter benefit card to your phone, you'll be able to tap in and out of the transit system without having to pull out your physical card. It's a convenient and easy way to manage your commute.

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You can use OMNY anonymously without collecting any personal data, but if you choose to make an online account, OMNY's website will collect a lot of information.

To track your activity, you can register for an OMNY account, which will give you access to a personalized dashboard that features your trips and charges.

Having an OMNY account allows you to keep track of and manage your trips and charges online, giving you more control over your everyday experience.

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Tracking your personal activity with OMNY is a breeze. You can register for an OMNY account, which will give you access to a personalized dashboard that features your activity.

Having an OMNY account allows you to keep track of and manage your trips and charges online, making it easier to monitor your usage.

If you choose to make an online account, OMNY's website will collect information such as your name, age, photograph, email address, and more, as stated in the OMNY Privacy Policy.

You can also use OMNY anonymously, in which case there will be no personal data collection.

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If you pay with OMNY, you automatically qualify for a seven-day cap on fares. This means you can take a certain number of rides within a week without paying extra.

Riders who pay for 12 rides within a seven-day period using the same smart device, contactless card or OMNY card for each trip, get any additional rides free.

Group trips, express bus trips and free transfers do not count toward the cap.

The cost of using OMNY is the same as using a MetroCard, which is $2.90 for subways and local, limited, and Select Bus Service buses.

You can tap and pay with your OMNY card as you go, without having to pay upfront like you would with a MetroCard.

The fare for express buses is $7, which is a bit steeper than the subway fare.

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You can get free transfers, but there are some rules to keep in mind. If you tap your card to ride the subway, you must tap that same card to obtain your free transfer to a local bus.

Free transfers are only valid within two hours of the initial payment. Your free transfer will be determined at the end of each day before your payment method is charged.

You must use the same payment method throughout the trip to receive a free transfer. If you switch payment methods during a trip, your transfer will be treated as a new trip.

You can use OMNY at all subway stations, on all MTA-operated buses, on the Hudson Rail Link, on the Roosevelt Island Tram, and at the AirTrain-Howard Beach and AirTrain-Jamaica stations. The MTA has made it easy to get around the city.

The fare for using an OMNY card is the same as using a MetroCard, which costs $2.90 for subways and local, limited, and Select Bus Service buses.

Reduced-Fare OMNY cards are not available at this time.

You can link your Reduced-Fare account to OMNY to make traveling easier. To learn how to link your account, click here.

The MTA is moving to OMNY because the MetroCard is almost 30 years old and is limited to the subway and buses. With OMNY, the MTA will be able to have one payment system across all of its transit divisions.

The MTA has been thinking about this change since 2004, when they considered moving to a smart card-based system. Other subway systems have had smart card technology for decades, with South Korea rolling out U-Pass in 1995 and Hong Kong launching the Octopus card in 1997.

The idea of switching to OMNY was brought to the table by former MTA Chairman Jay Walder, who was influenced by his experience in London, where the Oyster card was introduced in 2003.

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