MTA Unveils New Card Readers Coming To Subway, Buses
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – Subway riders may soon trade swiping for scanning.
The MTA is rolling out a new pilot program that lets straphangers pay for their rides using an app.
The agency will start using OMNY card readers at selection subway stations and buses starting at the end of May. The system lets you tap your phone and pay using certain apps, or what's called a contactless debit card.
We're excited to say we'll have an OMNY reader at our monthly board meeting tomorrow, so board members and the public can check out the payment system of the future.
— MTA. Wear a Mask. Stop the Spread. (@MTA) April 16, 2019
"We're keeping it limited so that we can test the tech, address any glitches, and also give the banking industry time to pump out contactless debit and credit cards to the New York Metro region," Wayne Lydon said Wednesday.
The MTA and OMNY hope to have the card readers available at all stations by the end of 2020.
If you prefer to use your strip-based MetroCards, we're told you can still do so.