The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) external relations team recently visited the Chinatown Senior Center to introduce the OMNY contactless payment system, the latest fare discounts, and future public transportation payment methods. They also addressed concerns from the elderly about switching from MetroCard to OMNY, helping residents make the most of discounts and save on transportation expenses.
MTA’s External Relations Department Senior Manager Charlie Zhen and Assistant Director Alberto Roldan introduced the OMNY “Rolling 7-Day Fare Capping” mechanism.
Passengers can use the same contactless credit card, debit card, mobile payment, or OMNY card for their rides, and the system will accumulate fares based on actual usage. Once the specified limit is reached within 7 days, subsequent rides that meet the criteria can be free of the corresponding base fare.
Unlike the past when riders needed to purchase fixed-term weekly passes in advance, Fare Capping calculates fares based on actual ride usage. MTA reminds passengers to use the same bank card or the same payment account within the same phone to ensure that ride records are accurately accumulated.
MTA announced that starting from the end of 2026, New York City local buses and express buses will stop accepting coin payments.
At that time, passengers can use phones that support Apple Pay or Google Pay, contactless chip-enabled credit cards, debit cards, or physical OMNY cards to “tap” for payment at subway turnstiles or bus card readers.
For seniors who are accustomed to using cash, the buses no longer accepting coins does not mean cash cannot be used. Passengers without smartphones or bank cards can still purchase and refill OMNY cards with cash and coins at OMNY vending machines inside subway stations or at over 2,700 retail locations throughout the city, including select CVS, Walgreens, and other stores.
If residents have any questions, they can call 511 to contact MTA or visit the MTA website for information on OMNY.