OMNY, the new system to pay for the New York subway

How I can pay for the New York subway with OMNY? If you have been in the city, surely you already know the MetroCard.

But, impossible as it may seem, the subway has been modernized and now you can pay with OMNYa new contactless system which in the future will replace the MetroCard.

Although at the moment you can still choose how to pay, we have to learn how to use it. And, as always, we are here to show you step by step. Today we tell you what is it and how to pay the New York subway with OMNY!

What is OMNY and what transports is it used for?

The acronym OMNY means One Metro New York, since this system will unify all public transport in New York under the same form of payment. OMNY:

• It is the new system for pay for New York public transportation.
• It is used to pay for the ticket any New York subwayany busthe railway Staten Island and the Long Island Line (LIRR) and Metro North trains.
  Starting in November 2023, it will also pay for the JFK Airport Airtrain and the Roosevelt Island Cable Car.
• Is about some digital readers that you will find next to the subway turnstiles and at the bus entrance.
• With OMNY, you pay without contact: Instead of inserting a card into a slot (as with the MetroCard), just tap your phone or a credit or debit card contactless to the screen and the journey is charged automatically.
  Or, if you prefer to pay with cash, OMNY also has a physical card that can be reloaded much like a MetroCard.
• OMNY Readers they are already present in all New York subway stations next to the MetroCard slot.
• Although the MetroCard is still being sold, sometime in 2024 (date TBD) it will no longer be usable and all rides will have to be paid for with OMNY.
• on their website you have all the updated information.

🚇 If you still don't know how to get around the city, in our New York subway guidek we explain how it works and how to use the metrocard In a simple way.

New York subway prices with OMNY

And how much is the New York subway if you pay with OMNY? The price per trip is the same as with the MetroCard:

• A ticket for the New York bus or subway with OMNY cost $2.75 and, in addition, it allows you to make a free transfer between the metro and the bus.
• Children pay or not depending on their height. With each adult, 3 children under 1.11 m (44 inches). Here you have all our tips for using the New York subway with children and babies.

Are there unlimited travel passes?

yes but They don't work like the MetroCard. The MetroCard has unlimited travel passes (unlimited) of 7 and 30 days, but you have to calculate whether or not they will compensate you before you buy them, since you pay the full price when you buy them.

Instead, with OMNY you don't have to choose in advance if it pays you to buy an unlimited card or not.

OMNY works with a system known as far chapa weekly maximum:

• You pay the journeys one by one, always with the same card. They are deducted from your card one by one ($2.75 each time).
• If, adding up all the trips, that week you reach the limit of what a 7-day MetroCard ($33) would cost, the rest of the journeys of the week will be free.
  You will still have to 'pay' each time you enter the metro, but you will not be charged for many journeys you make, since you will have reached the weekly maximum of $33.
• You will reach the limit once you have done 12 trips or more ($2.75 each way * 12 trips = $33). The advantage of this method is that if you make fewer than 12 trips in a week, you don't have to pay for unused trips (as you do when you buy the unlimited MetroCard).
• If you travel with other people and use the same card to pay for all journeysyou only accumulate one trip at a time towards the weekly limit.
  In other words, you can pay for the ticket for as many people as you want at the same time, but after the first person, the others do not count towards reaching the limit of 12 journeys.
• Journeys are counted from Monday to Sunday. For example, if you start using the metro on Monday and, adding the price of the journeys, on Thursday you have already reached the maximum $33, all the journeys you make until the following Sunday at 23:59 will be free.
  And, starting Monday, you will start to be charged again and accumulate for that week.
• At the moment, OMNY does not have a monthly payment option. They will be available later.

How OMNY works and payment methods

As we told you, OMNY is a digital reader that you will find next to each subway turnstile. You can pay in three different ways: with the mobile (or watch), with a card contactless or with the OMNY card.

Pay for the New York subway with your mobile or watch

OMNY allows you to pay for your ride using the electronic wallet that you have in your smartphone or on smart watch (Google Pay, Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, Fitbit Pay…).

If you have never paid with these applications, you will first have to configure them and associate a payment method with them. Watch it easy at home, in the subway station it can be a bit stressful!

Ready? Paying for the metro with your mobile is very easy: you just have to bring the mobile or watch closer to the OMNY screen. You will then see a confirmation message (go) and you can go through the lathe.

Pay for the New York subway with a contactless card

You also have the option of paying for the journey with a debit or credit card contactless Visa, Mastercard, American Express or Discover.

Today, most cards are already contactless; that is, they allow you pay by simply touching the card to the readerwithout having to enter it in any terminal or enter the PIN number.

To know if a card is, look for a symbol with waves similar to Wi-Fi.

As it is likely that you carry more than one card of this type with you, to pay for the metro it is best to take the one you want from the purse and bring it closer to the OMNY reader (Instead of bringing the entire wallet closer to the screen, so that it does not charge you by mistake of another).

On the screen a confirmation message will appear (go) and you can go through the lathe.

Pay for the subway with the OMNY Card

And if you don't want to use your mobile phone or card to pay? Exists a transportation card called the OMNY Card for those travelers who do not have cards contactlesselectronic wallets or who simply prefer to pay in cash.

Is a contactless transport card (that is, it gets closer to the reader, like the other options).

For now it can only be purchased at kiosks and stores like CVS. But, from summer 2023they can also be bought at the station machines.

Can I pay for several tickets with the same payment method?

Yes. With the payment method you choose, you can pay 4 journeys at the same time:

• In other words, with the same form of payment (mobile phone or card) you can travel you and 3 other people.
• Each person pays a single ticket.
• Each person will have to bring their mobile or card closer to the reader and go through the turnstile individually.
• If you are traveling with your family or in a group and you are more than 4you will have to pay in two different ways (you can pay partly with your mobile phone and partly with a card contactless or pay a part you and another a companion).
• Regarding the weekly limit, only the first person in the group counts. That is, even if you are 4 people, you will only accumulate 1 journey in the weekly limit each time you travel.

Besides, if you have to transfermake sure that you always pay with the same method or you will lose the free transfer.

For example, if you pay for 4 metro journeys with your mobile but then you get on the bus and pay with a card contactless, OMNY will not detect that the two forms of payment belong to the same person and will charge you 4 more trips when you get on the bus instead of giving you the free transfer.

important exception: According to the OMNY website, the first time you use a new payment method, you can only use it for one person and you will not be able to share it with other passengers at that time.
The system will 'remember' your payment method and, starting the next day, it will let you use the same method for up to 4 people.

OMNY FAQ

• When will the MetroCard go away? Due to unforeseen events at the OMNY facility, the MTA has not yet set a date for the end of the MetroCard. Surely, it will be sometime in 2024.
• Can I use the MetroCard until then? Yes, you can continue to recharge it and use it whenever you want, you are not forced to use OMNY. Here we tell you everything about the MetroCard and its modalities.
• Do children pay on the New York subway? It depends on your height. With each adult, 3 children under 1.11 m (44 inches). Here you have our tips for using the New York subway with children and babies.

Now you know how to use OMNY on the New York subway!

Did you know this system? Will you give it a try, or would you rather keep using the MetroCard for as long as you can?

OMNY guide updated May 2023.