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About subway and bus fares
- The fare is $3 for most riders on subways and local, limited, rush, and Select Bus Service buses.
- Express buses cost $7.25.
- Reduced fares for seniors and people with qualifying disabilities are half the regular fare. Learn about more ways to save money on fares.
- Tap and ride with your contactless credit or debit card, smartphone, wearable device, or OMNY Card. You won't spend more than $35 a week on subway and local bus fares, or $67 on subway, local bus, and express bus rides.
Tap and ride to pay your fare
You can tap and ride to pay your fare on subways and buses with your credit or debit card, smartphone, or wearable device. You don't have to sign up or download an app. You can also tap and ride with an OMNY Card, which you can get at a vending machine in any subway station or at hundreds of retail locations.
Tap and ride and you'll only pay for the subway and local bus rides you take up to a cap of $35 in a 7-day period, as long as you use the same OMNY Card, credit or debit card, or mobile device. If you ride express buses, you'll only pay $67 in a 7-day period for subway, local, and express bus rides.
Paying on subways and buses
Paying on the subway
On the subway, tap your credit or debit card, smartphone, wearable device, or OMNY Card at the turnstile when you enter. You don't tap when you exit.
Paying on the bus
On local, limited, rush, and express buses, board at the front door. Tap your credit or debit card, smartphone, wearable device, or OMNY Card on the reader.
On Select Bus Service buses, board at any door and tap your credit or debit card, smartphone, wearable device, or OMNY Card on the reader.
How transfers work
Make sure to use the same card or device when you're transferring so you're not charged twice.
You get one free transfer within two hours of paying your fare. You can transfer from subway to bus, bus to subway, or bus to bus. If you transfer from the subway or local bus to an express bus, you'll be charged the difference between the subway or bus fare and the express bus fare.
- Out-of-system transfers: If you walk between Lexington Av/59 St and Lexington Av/63 St or between Junius St and Livonia Av , you can transfer for free just by tapping at the turnstile.
Riding the subway or bus with kids
Up to three children under 44 inches tall ride for free when they’re with a fare-paying adult on the subway and local, limited, rush, and Select Bus Service buses.
On express buses, infants under two years old ride for free as long as they’re seated in the lap of a fare-paying adult.
About Courtesy Passes and GO Tickets
If a severe delay happens and it isn’t possible to take another train or bus, you can ask a station agent for a Courtesy Pass. It’s not a refund, but you can use a Courtesy Pass as payment of fare on the subway or bus within 48 hours of when it was issued.
During certain planned service changes, you might receive a GO Ticket from a station agent. This ticket allows you to continue your trip during the hours of scheduled maintenance or construction. The “GO” in “GO Ticket” stands for “General Order,” which is what we call our plans for work and alternative service.
We use both Courtesy Passes and GO Tickets to honor our pledge to keep you moving.
Paying with MetroCard or cash
As of January 1, 2026, you can no longer buy or refill a MetroCard.
If you still have a MetroCard, you can transfer the value to an OMNY Card at a Customer Service Center. You can also spend down the remaining value before it expires by paying for subway and bus rides. Swipe your card on the turnstile when you enter the subway or dip it in the farebox when you board a local, limited, rush, or express bus. On Select Bus Service buses, use one of the sidewalk kiosks before boarding to get a paper ticket, which you must keep with you throughout your trip.
Cash is currently accepted on local, limited, rush, and Select Bus Service buses. Insert exact change in coins in the farebox of a local, limited, or rush bus when you board. On Select Bus Service buses, insert exact change in coins in one of the sidewalk kiosks before boarding to get a paper ticket, which you must keep with you throughout your trip.
Both MetroCard and cash will stop being accepted at the same time in 2026. The exact date will be announced later in the year. Once cash is no longer accepted on buses, you will still be able to use cash and coins to add value to an OMNY Card at vending machines in every subway station and at more than 2,700 retail locations.