NEW YORK — When the MetroCard replaced the New York City card metro token in 1994, a plastic card that can be swiped brought much-needed modernity to one of the oldest and largest transit systems.
Now, more than three decades later, the gold travel card and its notoriously finicky magnetic stripe after token are being retired.
The last day to buy or load a MetroCard is December 31, 2025, when the transit system switches entirely to OMNY, a contactless payment system that allows riders to use their credit card, phone or other smart device to pay for fares, just like they would for other everyday purchases.
Transit officials say more than 90% metro and bus trips are now paid using the express system introduced in 2019.
Major cities around the world, including London and Singapore, have long used such contactless systems. In the US, San Francisco launched payment system earlier this year, joining Chicago and others.
The humble MetroCard may have outlived its useful life, but it was revolutionary in its day, says Jody Shapiro, curator of the New York Transit Museum in Brooklyn, which earlier this month opened an exhibit reflecting on the MetroCard's legacy.
Before the MetroCard, bus and subway riders used tokens, copper-colored coins introduced in 1953 and purchased at station kiosks. When the subway opened in 1904, paper tickets cost just five cents, or about $1.82 in today's dollars.
“There has been resistance to moving from tokens to something else, because tokens work,” Shapiro said during a recent visit to the museum, located underground in a decommissioned subway station. “MetroCards has opened up a whole new level of thinking for New Yorkers.”
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has launched public campaigns to teach riders how to properly use the cards, originally colored blue, in hopes of avoiding the dreaded error message or lost fare. Officials even briefly toyed with the idea of an unusual mascot. Cardwaarkbefore coming to your senses.
The cards quickly became collectibles as the transit system released special commemorative editions commemorating major events, such as the “Subway Series” between the New York Mets and New York Yankees baseball teams in the 2000 World Series. At that time the fare was $1.50.
Artists from David Bowie and Olivia Rodrigo to iconic New York hip-hop acts like Wu-Tang Clan, The Notorious BIG and LL Cool J have also graced the plastic card over the years, as have iconic New York shows like Seinfeld and Law. & Order.
“To me, the most special cards are the cards that represent New York to the world,” said Lev Radin, a collector from the Bronx. “Not just photographs of landmarks, skylines, but also the people who live and make New York special.”
Mastering the correct angle and speed of the MetroCard has also become something of a point of pride, separating real New Yorkers from those just arriving.
During her unsuccessful 2016 presidential campaign, Hillary Clinton, a former US senator from New York, experienced a harrowing five movements at the turnstile in the Bronx. To be fair, her main Democratic opponent at the time, Brooklyn-born U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, did not even seem to realize that the tokens were being discontinued.
Unlike the MetroCard implementation, OMNY required little adjustment.
Riders who don't want to use a credit card or smart device can purchase an OMNY card that they can reload, similar to a MetroCard. Existing MetroCards will also continue to operate through 2026, allowing riders to use remaining funds.
MTA officials declined to comment, instead referring to their numerous public statements as the deadline approached.
The agency said the switch would save at least $20 million a year in MetroCard-related costs.
The new system also allows unlimited free rides for seven days, as fares are capped after 12 rides. The maximum amount will be $35 per week once the fare rises to $3 in January.
However, the new changes come with trade-offs, with some critics raising concerns about data collection and surveillance.
On a recent morning near Times Square, Ronald Minor was among a dwindling group of “hobos” still swiping MetroCards.
The 70-year-old Manhattan resident said he was sad to see them go. He has an OMNY card, but found it more cumbersome to refill at vending machines.
“It’s hard for the elders,” Minor said as he boarded the train to Brooklyn. “Don't push us away and don't act like we don't count. You push these cars away, you push us away.”
John Sacchetti, another MetroCard user at the Port Authority stop, said he likes to see his balance when he goes through the turnstile so he knows how much he's spending on rides.
“It’s just like anything else, you just have to get used to it,” he said as he headed downtown. “Once I get used to it, I think everything will be fine.”
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Follow Philip Marcelo on https://x.com/philmarcelo
