Local Recaps: Is OMNY a Thing I Should Get?

Tap-to-Pay has come to the subway…kind of.

Contactless payment was introduced in sixteen stations along the 4, 5, and 6 lines earlier this summer to the confusion of…well…me. When I first saw contactless payment kiosks being added to the Astor Place turnstiles I got super excited. Would I finally get to pay for the subway in a sane way? With a card that can stay in my wallet? Or my phone?

The answer (for me) was a big fat disappointing no, and I’ll explain why. OMNY (One Metro New York) is the first change to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority payment system in 25 years, and it will be in all subway stations within a year, with Metro North lines and the Long Island Rail Road to follow later on. For now, it is only available between Grand Central and Atlantic Avenue-Barclay Center stations and on Staten Island Buses. It also currently only supports per-ride charges, requiring either Google Pay™, Apple Pay®, Samsung Pay®, or Fitbit Pay™ through your phone/watch or a contactless credit or debit card. This means you can’t load up a contactless card like London’s OysterCards (yet) or link a weekly or monthly MetroCard with your phone.

This, to me, is the deal-breaker for OMNY. For those new to the NY Subway, a monthly MetroCard is worth its cost as long as you ride more than once a day. So for most New Yorkers⁠ — who commute back and forth to work⁠ — a time-based MetroCard is the most cost-efficient option. They will have no reason to use OMNY until those are available. This relegates OMNY to tourists (a blessing for the lines in front of MetroCard machines) and people who buy on a per-ride basis.

There is no set date for getting the monthly or weekly passes up and running, but the rest of the rollout timeline is available on the OMNY website. The most exciting part of the early rollout is probably the buses; OMNY’s all-door boarding may alleviate the worst of bus delays. If you’re one of the smart people who rides the bus, you may see the benefits of OMNY whether or not you take part.

If you’re a commuter or an off-campus student, OMNY is probably not a train worth jumping on until it implements your MetroCard of choice. If you’re an underclassman or student who lives on campus and rides the 4, 5, and 6 a lot, maybe start using your phone (or fancy tap credit card). If you’re not, cross your fingers for faster bus-boarding and shorter MetroCard machine lines.