Editing MetroCard (section)

{{short description|Public transit payment system in the New York City area}}
{{for-multi|similarly named cards|MetroCard (disambiguation)|a general discussion of fares on transportation in New York City|New York City transit fares}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2019}}
{{more citations needed|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox electronic payment
| image = MetroCard.SVG
| name = MetroCard
| location = [[New York City]], United States
| launched = 1994
| service_1 = '''Rail:'''<br>[[AirTrain JFK]]<br>[[New York City Subway]]<br>[[PATH (rail system)|PATH]]<br>[[Staten Island Railway]]<br>'''Bus:'''<br>[[Bee-Line Bus System|Bee-Line]]<br>[[Hudson Rail Link]]<br>[[MTA Regional Bus Operations|MTA New York City Bus and MTA Bus]]<br>[[Nassau Inter-County Express]]<br>'''Other:'''<br>[[Roosevelt Island Tramway]]
| sales_location_1 = [[#MetroCard vending machines|Vending machines]]<br>Stations<br>Online<br>MetroCard buses and vans<br>Authorized merchants
| currency = [[USD]]
| stored_value = Pay-Per-Ride
| credit_expiry = 
| maximum_credit = $100{{efn|For unlimited-ride cards, one can make a theoretically infinite number of trips for a fixed price, depending on whether one buys the 7-Day Unlimited or 30-Day Unlimited cards. For pay-per-ride cards, the maximum initial amount is $100.<ref name="mccombination">[http://web.mta.info/metrocard/mcCombinationValue.htm About the $1 New Card Fee], MTA.info</ref>}}
| automatic_recharge = EasyPayXPress
| unlimited_use = Unlimited Ride
| variant_1 = SingleRide<br>Reduced-Fare<br>Student<br>Fair Fares NYC
| technology_1 = [[Magnetic stripe card|Magnetic stripe]]
| operator = [[Metropolitan Transportation Authority]]
| manager = Metropolitan Transportation Authority
| homepage = http://web.mta.info/metrocard
| successor = [[OMNY]]
}}
The '''MetroCard''' is a [[magnetic stripe card]] used for [[fare]] payment on [[transportation in New York City|transportation in the New York City area]]. It is a payment method for the [[New York City Subway]] (including the [[Staten Island Railway]]), [[New York City Transit Authority|New York City Transit]] buses and [[MTA Regional Bus Operations|MTA buses]]. The MetroCard is also accepted by several partner agencies: [[Nassau Inter-County Express]] (NICE Bus), the [[PATH (rail system)|PATH]] train system, the [[Roosevelt Island Tramway]], [[AirTrain JFK]], and Westchester County's [[Bee-Line Bus System]].

The MetroCard was introduced in 1994 to enhance the technology of the transit system and eliminate the burden of carrying and collecting [[New York City transit fares#Token and change|tokens]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=Fare Cards Make Debut In Subways |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1994/01/06/787205.html?pageNumber=23 |access-date=2025-05-23 |work=The New York Times |language=en |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The MTA discontinued the use of tokens in the subway on May 3, 2003,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.thejoekorner.com/scripted-ticket-display.shtm?http://www.thejoekorner.com/brochures/fare-changes-2003.gif|title=Fare Change Information 2003|date=2003|website=thejoekorner.com|publisher=New York City Transit|access-date=June 9, 2016}}</ref> and on buses on December 31, 2003.

The MetroCard is expected to be phased out by 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brachfeld |first=Ben |date=2023-04-24 |title=OMNY machines rolling out at subway stations this summer as phase-out of MetroCard delayed indefinitely {{!}} amNewYork |url=https://www.amny.com/transit/omny-machines-rollout/ |access-date=2023-07-27 |website=amny.com |language=en-US}}</ref> It will be replaced by [[OMNY]], a [[contactless payment]] system where riders pay for their fare by waving or tapping credit or debit [[bank card]]s, [[smartphone]]s, or MTA-issued [[contactless smart card|smart cards]].<ref name=":3">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/23/nyregion/metrocard-subway-new-york.html|title=New York to Replace MetroCard With Modern Way to Pay Transit Fares|last=Barron|first=James|date=October 23, 2017|work=The New York Times|access-date=November 20, 2017|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

The MetroCard is managed by a division of the MTA known as Revenue Control, MetroCard Sales, which is part of the Office of the Executive Vice President. The MetroCard Vending Machines are manufactured by [[Cubic Transportation Systems, Inc.]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cubic.com/cts/|title=Cubic Transportation Systems|work=cubic.com}}</ref>

As of early 2019, the direct costs of the MetroCard system had totaled $1.5 billion.<ref>{{Cite web|last=McClain|first=Noah|date=2019-01-03|title=CityViews: Yes, Fare Evasion Costs the MTA. But What About the Costs of Fare Control?|url=https://citylimits.org/2019/01/03/cityviews-yes-fare-evasion-costs-the-mta-but-what-about-the-costs-of-fare-control/|access-date=2021-01-05|website=City Limits|language=en-US}}</ref> MetroCard distribution and sales are to end by December 2025. Remaining kiosks and turnstile systems will continue to operate until they are discontinued.