"The last day to buy or refill a MetroCard is Dec. 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."
"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 earlier this month 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."
MetroCard replaced subway tokens in 1994, bringing swipeable plastic payments to New York City's transit network. MetroCard sales and refills end on Dec. 31, 2025, as the system finishes a full transition to OMNY, a contactless tap-to-pay platform that accepts credit cards, phones, and other devices. OMNY, introduced in 2019, now handles more than 90% of subway and bus trips. Cities such as London, Singapore, San Francisco, and Chicago use similar systems. MetroCards transformed commuter habits previously tied to brass tokens introduced in 1953, and a transit museum exhibit recognizes that legacy.
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