The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) announced that is was expanding the reach of its OMNY contactless fare payment system to include students, Reduced-Fare, Fair Fares, Access-a-Ride and pre-tax commuter benefit customers.
All New York City public school students will receive student-specific OMNY cards instead of MetroCards at the start of the 2024-25 school year in September, according to a news release.
OMNY pilots have also been launched for select paratransit and pre-tax commuter benefit customers with a wide rollout to both customer bases expected by the end of 2024. All existing Reduced-Fare MetroCard customers, totaling more than 1.5 million customers, will receive an OMNY card mailed to them by end of 2024.
OMNY is the MTA’s contactless fare payment system. Subway and bus customers can use their contactless credit or debit card, smartphone, wearable device, or OMNY card.
“Billions of taps prove that OMNY is the most cost-effective and easy way to pay your fare,” said MTA Chief Customer Officer Shanifah Rieara. “We have created a clear path towards a major expansion of OMNY this year to millions more customers including all New York City school students by the start of this upcoming 2024-2025 school year and more.”
