First 400 Customers to Transfer MetroCard Balances at 16 Customer Service Centers Get Fee-Waived OMNY Cards
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View B-roll of OMNY Card Giveaway
View Photos of First Day of OMNY Card Giveaway at Times Sq-42 St Customer Service Center
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) New York City Transit President Demetrius Crichlow and MTA Chief Customer Officer Shanifah Rieara visited the Times Square-42 St Customer Service Center to kick off the OMNY Card Giveaway that began today, Tuesday, Nov. 18, at 8 a.m.
The first 400 customers at each of the 16 current Customer Service Centers (CSCs) who transfer their balances from MetroCards to OMNY will receive fee-waived OMNY cards – a total of at least 6,400 potential winners, with more CSCs opening later this year. The cards will be loaded with balances remaining on the customers’ MetroCards on the spot by a CSC agent. The OMNY cards will not have preloaded trip value.
The promotion comes as the MTA transitions away from MetroCard. Sales of MetroCard are ending on Dec. 31, 2025, and full transition to Tap and Ride will take place in 2026. OMNY cards were originally priced at $5, but to facilitate the transition to Tap and Ride, in October of 2023, the MTA reduced the cost of an OMNY card to just $1. The fee for a new OMNY card will increase to $2 next year.
“We always want to remind customers that you do not need an OMNY card to pay your fare – you can use any contactless card or digital wallet,” said MTA Chief Customer Officer Shanifah Rieara. “However, for those looking to get an OMNY card, or for the remaining 10% who are still using MetroCards, this is the perfect opportunity to join the majority of transit users experiencing the ease and financial flexibility of Tap and Ride – the new payment system of the MTA.”
“The end of MetroCard sales is right around the corner and we’re looking to help riders make the switch to Tap and Ride and ensure it’s as seamless as possible,” said NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow. “We hope this giveaway encourages riders to transfer their MetroCard balance to an OMNY card and take advantage of Tap and Ride’s simpler and more cost-effective payment system.”
OMNY cards offered with no fees will be available to the first 400 customers at all 16 Customer Service Centers, listed below:
The Bronx
- 161 St-Yankee Stadium
- Fordham Rd
- Parkchester
Brooklyn
- Atlantic Av-Barclays Ctr
- Coney Island-Stillwell Av
- Myrtle-Wyckoff Avs
Manhattan
- 34 St-Penn Station
- 125 St
- 168 St
- Fulton St
- Grand Central-42 St
- Times Sq-42 St
Queens
- Flushing-Main St
- Jackson Hts-Roosevelt Av
- Sutphin Blvd-Archer Av-JFK Airport
Staten Island
- St. George (open Monday to Friday from 5:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.)
Fourteen new Customer Service Centers are set to open later this year at locations across the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens. The first 400 customers to visit those new Customer Service Centers and transfer their MetroCard balances to OMNY will also be able to receive the promotional fee-waived OMNY cards.
Agents at Customer Service Centers are on hand 24/7 to assist riders with OMNY machines, help customers sign up for the Fair Fares and Reduced-Fare programs, and provide service information among other features. Customer Service Centers feature services historically provided by the MTA exclusively at 3 Stone Street in Lower Manhattan in the neighborhoods where riders live.
The Customer Service Centers include repurposed booths, retail outlets and feature enhanced accessibility, OMNY technology, and a dedicated, more welcoming visual presentation for customers through new lighting, branded wrapping, and canopies.
Earlier this year, the MTA announced that the final day for MetroCard sales and distribution will be Dec. 31, 2025, as the MTA’s popular contactless Tap and Ride payment system fully replaces the three-decade old swipe system. The Tap and Ride payment system allows riders to pay fares directly with digital wallets, contactless credit and debit cards, and OMNY cards.
MetroCards will still be accepted into 2026 and the official final acceptance date will be announced at a later time. While customers are encouraged to spend down the value on their MetroCards, remaining balances will be eligible for transfer or reimbursement two years from the expiration date on the MetroCard.