New York subway ends its MetroCard era and switches fully to tap-and-go fares

When the MetroCard replaced the New York City subway token in 1994, the swipeable plastic card infused much-needed modernity into one of the world's oldest and largest transit systems. Now, more than three decades later, the gold-hued fare card and its notoriously finicky magnetic strip are following the token into retirement. The last day to buy or refill a MetroCard was December 31, 2025, as the transit system fully transitions to OMNY, a contactless payment system that allows riders to tap their credit card, phone, or other smart device to pay fares, much like they do for other everyday purchases. Transit officials say more than 90% of subway and bus trips are now paid using the tap-and-go system, introduced in 2019. Major cities around the world, including London and Singapore, have long used similar contactless systems. In the U.S., San Francisco launched a pay-go system earlier this year, joining Chicago and others. The humble MetroCard may have outlasted its useful life, but in its day it was revolutionary, says Jodi Shapiro, curator at the New York Transit Museum in Brooklyn, which opened an exhibit last December reflecting on the MetroCard's legacy. Before MetroCards, bus and subway riders relied on tokens, the brass-colored coins introduced in 1953 that were purchased from station booths. When the subway opened in 1904, paper tickets cost just a nickel, or about $1.82 in today's dollars. "There was a resistance to change from tokens to something else because tokens work," Shapiro said on a visit to the museum, housed underground in a decommissioned subway station. "MetroCards introduced a whole other level of thinking for New Yorkers." The Metropolitan Transportation Authority launched public campaigns to teach commuters how to swipe the originally blue-colored cards correctly, hoping to avoid the dreaded error message or lost fares. Officials even briefly toyed with the idea of a quirky mascot, the Cardvaark, before coming to their senses. This article was provided by The Associated Press.