The iconic MetroCard, a staple of New York City’s public transit system for over 30 years, is set to be discontinued by the end of the year.
According to NBC News, MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber dropped this big announcement, revealing that the MTA will cease selling and refilling MetroCards by the end of 2025. This accelerated timeline comes as a surprise to most New Yorkers, since the MTA had previously hinted at a 2027 farewell for the magnetic stripe cards.
As much as this comes as a surprise to New Yorkers, most of them will likely not be upset by the news. That is because the future of fare payment is already here in the form of OMNY (One Metro New York), which is the current, widely available tap-and-go system that’s been gaining traction since its 2019 debut. OMNY has won over most commuters with its user-friendly interface which offers the convenience of using contactless credit cards, smartphones, or dedicated OMNY cards.
The MetroCard was first rolled out on January 6, 1994, at the Wall Street and Whitehall Street stations in Lower Manhattan. It was introduced as a means to eliminate the need to carry tokens. By 1997, the MetroCard was accepted system-wide.
For those still clinging to their trusty MetroCards, Lieber assures that existing cards will remain functional for at least six months after sales cease, giving stragglers plenty of time to make the switch. This means the earliest we might see a fully OMNY-fied transit system would be late June 2026, though the exact date is still up in the air.