How to use the new OMNY fare system in New York

OMNY's New York City fare payment system is gradually replacing MetroCard. By the end of 2019, it will cover 48 of new stations in the Big Apple, the newspaper writes. Curbed.

Beginning of the end for MetroCard

On May 31, MTA launched a pilot program for its new click and pay system, known as OMNY, which will eventually replace the current MetroCard.

The fare payment technology will be introduced in stages - this will eliminate its shortcomings before full implementation in 2023.

With OMNY, you won’t have to wait in line to replenish your MetroCards. To pay for travel, you just need to use a contactless credit card or mobile wallet on your smartphone.

“OMNY is designed to save New Yorkers the most valuable product — their time,” said MTA Chairman Pat Foy at an event to launch the system at Bowling Green in Manhattan.

According to the MTA, eight months after the launch of the system, New Yorkers and tourists from 111 countries of the world used OMNY three million times.

Recall that the system was initially introduced at 16 metro stations, as well as on all Staten Island buses.

On the subject: Instead of MetroCard: New York Metro Launched Fare

By the end of December, the technology will cover 48 new metro stations, the newspaper writes. These are Penn Station, Whitehall Street and South Ferry in Manhattan; 86th Street in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn; Sutphin-Archer Avenue-JFK Boulevard in Queens; and St. George and Tompkinsville on the Staten Island Railroad.

The new OMNY readers will also be installed between the 51 and 125 streets on the 4, 5 and 6 lines; on the 138-th street at the stop located on the 4-th line; and at stations between Rector Street and 59 Street-Columbus Circle along the 1 line.

The system will operate on a full fare basis until each metro station, bus route, and Staten Island Railroad is equipped with new technology by the end of the 2020 year.

At the beginning of the 2021 of the year, the Long Island Railway and the Metro North Suburban Railway will be connected, the newspaper writes.

As a result, OMNY will become a passport for New York passengers to use MTA-controlled transport - metro, buses, suburban rail lines.

Regardless of whether you want to quickly switch to the new fare payment system or plan to use MetroCard as long as possible, here are the basic information about the new payment system that you must own.

What does OMNY mean?

The OMNY system stands for One Metro New York and is based on the omni prefix meaning "everything."

How will the new system work?

With OMNY, passengers can use contactless credit cards (credit or debit) or smart devices (such as Apple Pay or Google Pay) to pay for metro and bus fares.

Contactless cards allow fast transactions using short-range radio communications (NFC), based on radio technology that provides communication between devices.

You can determine if your bank cards are contactless by searching for a symbol that resembles a Wi-Fi icon. If there is no such symbol on your card, then it is not contactless, and you need to contact your bank to receive it.

Also, passengers can use their digital wallet. As with contactless cards, these applications use NFC to transfer payments after the user has linked their card information to a digital wallet.

Visit MTA websiteto find out which cards and digital wallet apps OMNY accepts.

At first, with OMNY you can only pay full fare. Later there will be special rates for students, benefits and other options that save on the train, and which are valid now.

Can i use cash?

Not right away. OMNY will initially rely on contactless cards and digital wallet applications. A contactless transit card issued by MTA will not be available for purchase until 2021; until then, those who do not have bank accounts or who prefer to use cash should continue to use MetroCards.

Initially, customers will be able to buy OMNY cards from retailers such as CVS and Rite Aid. In the future, you can purchase such a card in special vending machines.

What is an OMNY account and do I need it?

Users can register an OMNY account to keep track of their travel history and fees up to 90 days. Also, other tools will be available to them here, for example, information on payment methods.

“Registration is not required, it's just another tool in the arsenal of passengers,” the source explained.

For example, it can be used to dispute a payment if an unauthorized or incorrect payment is made.

You can also go to your toolbar, select a payment and send an online form to cancel it.

In addition, in your account you can contact the MTA customer support service to ask your company representative questions.

The OMNY app is currently under development for iOS and Android - it is expected to launch at the end of 2019.

Why is MTA switching to contactless payment?

This will keep up with the times and simplify the process of moving around the city, the source said.

By the way, in other large cities, including London (Oyster Card) and Sydney (Opal Card), a similar fare payment system is already used. In addition, it will make tariffs for users more fair. In the existing MetroCard system, a monthly subscription can be purchased for $ 121. But only those who are able to lay down payments can benefit from the savings. Low-income passengers have no choice but to choose a cheaper travel option.

But transit supporters hope that OMNY, along with changes in tariff policy, can change this by limiting tariffs per day, week or month.

Switching to OMNY also provides better integration with regional transit systems. This will allow boarding on all city buses, which will significantly speed up service by reducing the time of boarding passengers.