Editing MetroCard (section)

==Card types==

===SingleRide Ticket===
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Singleride.jpg|thumb|175px|A SingleRide Ticket]] -->
The SingleRide Ticket (introduced to replace [[subway token]]s and single cash fares) is a piece of paper with a magnetic strip on the front, and with the date and time of purchase stamped on the back. They cost $3.25 for one subway or local bus ride, with one free transfer allowed between buses, issued by the bus operator upon request. SingleRide Tickets do not allow transfers between subways and buses.<ref name="mta.info"/> SingleRide tickets can only be purchased at MetroCard Vending Machines, which are usually located within subway stations, and expire two hours from time of purchase.<ref name="mta.info"/> Because of these limitations, SingleRide Tickets are not frequently used, having been used by only 3% of subway riders in 2009.<ref>{{cite web | last=Wilson | first=Michael | title=Sighting a Rare Breed at Subway Turnstiles: The Single-Ride Rider | website=The New York Times | date=March 27, 2009 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/27/nyregion/27single.html | access-date=October 9, 2017}}</ref>

Although the Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard is accepted on [[PATH (rail system)|PATH]], the regular SingleRide ticket is not. However, a PATH SingleRide ticket is available from MVMs in PATH stations for $3.00, valid for two hours and only on PATH. PATH also accepts 2-Trip PATH MetroCards, which cost $6.00 and are also valid only on PATH.<ref name="PATHfares"/>

===Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard===
The Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard costs $1, and can be filled with an initial value in any increment between $5.80 and $80, though vending machines only sell values in multiples of 5 cents. Cards can be refilled in 1-cent increments at station booths (formerly called token booths), and in 5-cent increments at vending machines. A MetroCard holder can spend up to $80 in one transaction and up to a total value of $100. Pay-Per-Ride MetroCards can also be filled with unlimited ride time in 7- or 30-day increments.<ref name="mta.info"/> As of 2022, station booths no longer do any MetroCard transactions.

The Pay-Per Ride MetroCard is accepted on the New York City Subway; MTA express, local, limited, and [[Select Bus Service|Select]] Bus Service buses; and the Staten Island Railway. Outside agencies also accept the MetroCard, including [[Nassau Inter-County Express]]; the [[PATH (rail system)|PATH]], operated by the [[Port Authority of New York and New Jersey]]; the [[AirTrain JFK]], operated by the Port Authority; the [[Roosevelt Island Tramway]]; and the Westchester County [[Bee-Line Bus System]].<ref name="mta.info"/> However, PATH does not accept reduced-fare MetroCard.<ref name="PATHfares"/>

Pay-Per-Ride MetroCards deduct different values depending on which service is used. Subway, Staten Island Railway, Roosevelt Island Tramway, or local/limited/Select bus uses, cost $2.90 per trip and usually allow one valid transfer, though two transfers may be allowed depending on which routes are being used (see below). Although the PATH charges $2.75 as well, it does not offer any free transfers. A ride on an MTA express bus costs $7.00, with transfers allowed to or from the subway, Staten Island Railway, or non-express MTA buses. The BxM4C Bee-Line Bus deducts $7.50 per trip, and no free or discounted transfers are allowed to or from that route. The AirTrain JFK costs $8.50 per trip if the passenger enters or leaves at [[Jamaica (LIRR station)|Jamaica]] or [[Howard Beach–JFK Airport (IND Rockaway Line)|Howard Beach–JFK Airport]] stations.<ref name="mta.info"/>

Transfers are available within two hours of initial entry, with the following structure:
* One free transfer from
** subway to local bus
** bus to subway
** bus to local bus
** express bus to express bus
** bus or subway to Staten Island Railway
** subway to subway between the Lexington Avenue–59th Street ({{NYCS trains|Lexington-59th|time=box}}) stations and the Lexington Avenue–63rd Street ({{NYCS trains|63rd Lexington header|time=box}}) station or between Junius Street ({{NYCS trains|New Lots header|time=box}}) station and Livonia Avenue ({{NYCS trains|Canarsie|time=box}}) station
* Two consecutive free transfers are available with the MetroCard for certain transfers. The transfers must be made within two hours of each other (e.g. when one makes the first transfer, they have two hours to make the second transfer).
** Between [[List of bus routes in Staten Island|Staten Island bus routes]] crossing the [[Staten Island Railway]], through St. George Ferry Terminal, and then any MTA local bus or NYC subway service below Fulton Street in Lower Manhattan.<ref name="SIR fare">[http://web.mta.info/nyct/sir/sirfare.htm "MTA Staten Island Railway Fare and Transfer Information"], MTA.info</ref>
** Between certain bus routes as specified in {{section link|MetroCard|Designated multiple-transfer corridors}}
* $4.10 for each local bus or subway to express bus transfer.
* Transfers with coins (pennies and half-dollar coins not accepted) are good for use on one connecting local bus route (restrictions apply).<ref name="MTAtransfers">[http://web.mta.info/nyct/bus/howto_bus.htm "How to Ride the Bus", under 'Making Connections'], MTA.info</ref>
* Customers transferring to suburban buses from another system with a lower base fare must pay the difference between the fare on the first bus and the fare on the second bus.
* No transfers to the BxM4C.<ref name="BXM4C">[http://transportation.westchestergov.com/images/stories/Schedules/Rte_BxM4C_TT_Spr13.pdf BxM4C schedule notes (page 2)] {{dead link|date=June 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
* No free transfer between PATH and NYC Subway, Bus and MTA Bus.<ref name="PATHfares">{{cite web|url=http://www.panynj.gov/path/fares.html|title=Path fares}}</ref>
* Up to 4 people can ride together on a single Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard, with one free transfer granted.

Expired card balance may be transferred to a new card at any MetroCard Vending Machine, up to one year after expiration. After one year the card must be sent to the Customer Claims area of the MTA.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://web.mta.info/metrocard/problems.htm#expired |title=Has your MetroCard expired? |access-date=May 21, 2011}}</ref>

===EasyPayXPress MetroCard===
The EasyPayXPress MetroCard functions like a pay per ride or unlimited MetroCard, but is automatically refilled from a linked credit or debit card. An EasyPayXpress account is opened with either $30 or a 30-day unlimited balance of $121. {{As of|January 2015}}, another $45 is automatically added for Pay-Per-Ride customers when balance drops below $20. To reduce this, a one-time payment may be made online before the balance drops below $20. All rules for standard pay per ride or unlimited cards apply, and EasyPay customers can review the account and ride usage online. Reduced-fare EasyPay version converts from Pay-Per-Ride to Unlimited rides (during that billing cycle) once the value of fares used meet or exceed the cost of a reduced-fare 30-Day Unlimited Ride card. Express bus fares do not contribute, and EasyPay cannot be used on PATH trains.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.easypaymetrocard.com/ |title=Mta Index |access-date=January 31, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070125111755/http://www.easypaymetrocard.com/ |archive-date=January 25, 2007 }}</ref>

===AirTrain JFK Discount MetroCard===
The AirTrain JFK Discount MetroCard offers ten trips on [[AirTrain JFK]] at $26.50. This card can only be purchased at specially marked MetroCard Vending Machines. It can be refilled, and once done so, becomes a Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard.<ref name="jfk-card">{{cite web|url=http://www.panynj.gov/airports/jfk-cost-tickets.html |title=Cost and Tickets |website=John F. Kennedy International Airport |publisher=Port Authority of New York and New Jersey}}</ref> However, although the AirTrain fare is also payable using a regular Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard, no discount is given for Pay-Per-Ride cards.<ref name=jfk-card/> There is also an unlimited-ride 30-day card that costs $40 and is only valid on AirTrain JFK.<ref name=jfk-card/>

===Unlimited MetroCard===
{{As of|2023}}, four types of Unlimited-ride MetroCards are sold:
* 7-Day Unlimited Ride Card, $34<ref name="mta.info">{{cite web|url=https://new.mta.info/fares|title=mta.info – MetroCard: Fares|work=mta.info}}</ref> for unlimited subway and local bus rides until midnight on the seventh day following first usage.
* 30-Day Unlimited Ride Card, $132<ref name="mta.info"/> for unlimited subway and local bus rides until midnight on the thirtieth day following first usage.
* 7-Day Express Bus Plus Card, $64<ref name="mta.info"/> for unlimited express bus, local bus, and subway rides until midnight on the seventh day following first usage.
* 30-Day [[AirTrain (JFK)|AirTrain JFK]] Unlimited Ride Card, $40 for unlimited trips on the AirTrain (operated by the [[Port Authority of New York and New Jersey]]) until midnight on the thirtieth day from first usage. This card can only be purchased at specially marked MetroCard Vending Machines at the [[Howard Beach–JFK Airport (IND Rockaway Line)|Howard Beach–JFK Airport]] ({{NYCS trains|Rockaway north|time=box}}) or [[Sutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue–JFK Airport (New York City Subway)|Sutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue–JFK Airport]] ({{NYCS trains|Archer|time=box}}) stations and at MetroCard vendors in JFK Airport. There are no transfer privileges with this card as it only works on the AirTrain. This is the only unlimited card accepted on the AirTrain.

Any Unlimited Ride Card cannot be used at the same subway station or bus route for 18 minutes after it is swiped. Every MetroCard can be refilled in increments of 7 or 30 days' worth of unlimited ride time, or with pay-per-ride value, but time is used before value unless the time on the card cannot be applied to the ride taken. The 7 Day Express Bus Plus card is the only unlimited card that can be used on express buses. Unlimited rides cannot be applied to non-MTA transit systems such as the PATH or AirTrain JFK; to use these systems that require a value-based fare, riders can load money on their Unlimited Ride MetroCard by selecting "Add Value" when refilling at a MetroCard Vending Machine or at a station booth. Turnstiles for these systems will simply deduct the fare from the value portion of the MetroCard. 30-Day Unlimited and 7-Day Express Bus Plus Cards that are purchased using a credit, debit or ATM card from a MetroCard vending machine can be reported lost or stolen to receive a pro-rated credit for the card.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mta.info/metrocard/balanceprotection.htm |title=Insurance for 30-Day MetroCard|publisher=New York City Transit}}</ref>

Standard 7- and 30-day unlimited cards are accepted on MTA New York City Subway; non-express buses from either the MTA, NICE, or Bee-Line; the Roosevelt Island Tramway; and the Staten Island Railway. 7-Day Express Bus Plus is accepted on MTA express buses. The AirTrain JFK only accepts the Unlimited AirTrain JFK card.

===Student MetroCard===
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:StudentMetroCardPassMTA.JPG|thumb|175px| Student MetroCard (Grades: 7-12) (face)]] -->
The Student MetroCard was issued to New York City public and private school students who live within the city limits. It allowed free access to the NYCT buses and trains, depending on the distance traveled between their school and their home. The card program was managed by the [[New York City Department of Education|NYCDOE]] Office of Pupil Transportation.<ref name="nycgov-student">{{cite web|url=http://www.optnyc.org/ServicesAndEligibility/metrocards.htm|title=Student MetroCards|website=Office of Pupil Transportation|date=July 23, 2024 |publisher=New York City Department of Education}}</ref> In NYC, these cards were replaced by Student [[OMNY]] cards. In Nassau County, Student MetroCards are issued by individual schools which have pre-paid for the cards. In Westchester County, cards are also issued, but cost $58 per month, or $580 a school year.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Transportation / MetroCards: Bus Transportation for High School Students |url=https://www.yonkerspublicschools.org/metrocard |access-date=2024-12-09 |website=yonkerspublicschools.org |language=en}}</ref>

The DOE issues different colors of cards to students who live in New York City. Orange cards are given to students who are in grade K-6. Green cards are given to students who are in grades 7–12. Student MetroCards are allowed on the New York City Subway, non-express MTA buses, and the Staten Island Railway. Formerly, there was also a half-fare card that could only be used on non-express buses, discontinued in mid-2019.<ref name=nycgov-student/> Red cards are issued to students and parents when there is a school bus work stoppage.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Transportation Resources for Schools|url=https://infohub.nyced.org/in-our-schools/operations/transportation-resources-for-schools|access-date=2021-01-08|website=infohub.nyced.org}}</ref> Blue-and-purple cards are issued to Nassau County students and are only allowed to use the cards on NICE buses.<ref name=nycgov-student/> Up to three trips per day may be made on student MetroCards, though four-trip MetroCards can be authorized individually for students who must make more than one transfer between home and school.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.schools.nyc.gov/school-life/transportation/metro-cards|title=MetroCards|website=schools.nyc.gov|access-date=2019-07-14}}</ref>

Students who receive a student MetroCard must live:
* More than 0.5 miles away if they are in grades K–2<ref name="nycgov-student"/>
* More than 1.0 miles away if they are in grades 3–6<ref name="nycgov-student"/>
* More than 1.5 miles away if they are in grades 7–12<ref name="nycgov-student"/>

In May 2019, the MTA voted to phase out the half-fare student MetroCard and distribute only full-fare cards for students who qualify for a MetroCard.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2019/05/22/mta-full-fare-metrocards-for-city-students--|title=MTA Approves Full-Fare MetroCards for City Students|website=ny1.com|language=en|access-date=2019-07-14}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ny.curbed.com/2019/5/20/18632368/nyc-schools-full-fare-metrocards-students-mta|title=MTA authorizes full-fare MetroCards for NYC students|last=Ricciulli|first=Valeria|date=2019-05-20|website=Curbed NY|access-date=2019-07-14}}</ref>

===Disabled/Senior Citizen Reduced-Fare MetroCard===
[[File:Senior reduced fare.jpg|thumb|150px|Senior Reduced-Fare MetroCard (Male & Female) (Back)]]

Senior citizen MetroCards are received via application<ref>{{cite web|url=http://web.mta.info/nyct/fare/pdf/seniors.pdf|title=Application for MTA Reduced-Fare MetroCard for Senior Citizens (65 years or older)|publisher=Metropolitan Transportation Authority}}</ref> or by submitting the application in person with required ID and copies of proof of age at the NYC Transit Customer Service Center at 3 Stone St in lower Manhattan and act as a combination photo ID and MetroCard. It allows half-fare within the MTA system, and on express buses during off-peak hours only. Half fare is also available on the 7-day and 30-day Unlimited MetroCards. "Autogate" cards are issued to persons with mobility impairments and are accepted at wheelchair doors at selected stations. The card back is color-coded to indicate the gender of the card holder, and the card face is marked with "Photo ID Pass". Later issues of Senior Citizen and Disability MetroCards are uncolored (all white with black printing on back with photo, gold face remains unchanged) for gender neutral requests.
Temporary replacement cards are purple with no photo, or blue for Autogate MetroCard holders, and the value cannot be refunded if the original card is stolen or lost. A Senior & Disabled Reduced-fare EasyPay (automatic refill) card is also available.

This type of card is accepted everywhere the Pay-Per-Ride or time-based MetroCard is, with two exceptions: it is not valid on the PATH, and it is not valid for ticket purchase on New York City-bound LIRR and Metro-North trains in the morning. Reduced-Fare MetroCards (in any variety) are also not accepted at PATH stations. Reduced-fare customers who do not have a MetroCard may purchase a full-fare round trip MetroCard from a subway station agent by presenting proof of eligibility.

This type of card caused complaints because it took up to three months to replace.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/fare-level-anxiety-senior-metrocards-chore-article-1.1073326|title=Fare level of anxiety: Getting senior MetroCards is a chore|last=Donohue|first=Pete|work=New York Daily News|date=May 6, 2012}}</ref>

The Reduced Fare MetroCard began to transition to the MTA's new payment system [[OMNY]] and phased out their service use with MetroCard in late 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Russo-Lennon |first=Barbara |date=2024-12-15 |title=NYC Introduces OMNY Reduced-Fare Cards for Seniors |url=https://www.amny.com/news/reduced-fare-omny-program-for-seniors-in-nyc/ |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=amny.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Fair Fares MetroCard ===
The Fair Fares MetroCard pilot program was implemented in January 2019.<ref name="Waller 2019"/><ref name="Rauh 2019"/> These are distributed by Fair Fares NYC, which sends letters to eligible residents that meet the income criteria, including veteran students, [[New York City Housing Authority]] residents, [[City University of New York]] students, and residents who receive benefits from the Department of Social Services. These residents must then register online to receive the Fair Fare MetroCard. Holders of the Fair Fare MetroCard can purchase Pay-Per-Ride or time-based fares at half the regular price. This type of card is accepted only on local/limited/Select buses, the subway, and the Staten Island Railway.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|url=https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/home/downloads/pdf/resources/2018/Fair-Fares-FAQ-English.pdf|title=Frequently Asked Questions About the Program|date=2018|website=nyc.gov|access-date=2019-11-27}}</ref>

The Department of Social Services (DSS) and Human Resource Administration (HRA), who are responsible for the enrollments of the Fair Fares NYC customers, began issuing [[OMNY]] to select customers as part of a pilot program in mid-2024.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-05-02 |title=MTA launches pilot program for Fair Fares discount on OMNY cards |url=https://www.6sqft.com/mta-fair-fares-omny-pilot-program/ |access-date=2025-03-19 |language=en-US}}</ref> New Fair Fares customers began receiving OMNY cards from February 2025 onward; existing customers could either switch to an OMNY card immediately or continue to use their MetroCard until it expired.<ref name=Matteo2025>{{cite web |last=Matteo |first=Mike |date=February 26, 2025 |title=NYC Fair Fares half-priced MetroCard program moving to OMNY |url=https://www.silive.com/transportation/2025/02/nyc-fair-fares-half-priced-metrocard-program-moving-to-omny.html |access-date=February 28, 2025 |website=silive}}</ref><ref name=RL2025>{{cite web |last=Russo-Lennon |first=Barbara |date=February 26, 2025 |title=Low-income Fair Fares transit riders now have access to OMNY |url=https://www.amny.com/news/fair-fares-discount-transit-omny-mta/ |access-date=February 28, 2025 |website=amNewYork}}</ref>

===Emergency services===
[[File:Emerg serv metrocard.jpg|thumb|150px|NYPD and FDNY MetroCards]]

An emergency MetroCard is carried by police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel while on duty so they can access the subway system during an emergency.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/bluishorange/3722703294/|title=Sean's NYPD metro card|website=Flickr|date=May 15, 2009|access-date=September 29, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.newsday.com/news/new-york/free-metrocards-for-cops-barely-used-though-free-student-passes-may-go-1.1840684|title=Free MetroCards for cops barely used, though free student passes may go|work=Newsday|access-date=September 29, 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161002124900/https://www.newsday.com/news/new-york/free-metrocards-for-cops-barely-used-though-free-student-passes-may-go-1.1840684|archive-date=October 2, 2016}}</ref>