Cobblehop / Guides / How to pay for the NYC subway and buses (2026)

How to pay for the NYC subway and buses (2026)

Quick answer: Tap a contactless credit or debit card, phone or watch, or an OMNY Card. The subway and local buses are $3 a ride, with one free transfer within 2 hours. Use the same card or phone every time: after 12 paid rides in 7 days, the rest of those 7 days are free, so you never pay more than $35 a week.

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By Cobblehop · November 7, 2026

Tap to pay: $3 a ride

The subway and local, limited and Select Bus Service buses are $3 a ride. Express buses are $7.25.

At the turnstile, tap a contactless credit or debit card, a phone or watch with a wallet card, or an OMNY Card on the OMNY reader. There's nothing to sign up for. The subway gates don't take cash.

Paying for friends: one card or phone can pay for you and up to three more people. Tap again at the same reader for each person. Your very first tap with a new card may need about a minute before you tap again.

Source: MTA: subway and bus fares; OMNY: detailed information.

The weekly fare cap: $35

Tap the same card or phone every ride. After 12 paid rides in 7 days, counted from your first tap, the rest of those 7 days are free. That's $35 at most, or $67 if you also ride express buses.

Your phone, your watch and the plastic card in your wallet are separate, and each has its own cap. Pick one and stick with it. When you pay for friends, only your own ride counts toward your cap.

Source: MTA: tap and ride; OMNY: fare cap.

Free transfers

You get one free transfer within 2 hours, with the same card or phone: subway to bus, bus to subway or bus to bus. Leaving the subway and tapping back in doesn't count as a free transfer (except at a couple of stations, like Lexington Av/59 St to Lexington Av/63 St). From a local bus or the subway to an express bus, you pay the difference.

Source: MTA: subway and bus fares.

The OMNY Card

No contactless card? Buy an OMNY Card at a subway station machine or some stores and load money on it. The card is $1 during an introductory offer. Machines take cash and give change up to $9.95.

There is also a $3.50 Single-Ride ticket, good for 2 hours, with a free bus-to-bus transfer only.

Source: MTA: tap and ride.

What happened to the MetroCard?

You can no longer buy or refill a MetroCard (since January 1, 2026). Old cards still work for now, and the MTA says it will announce the last day. You can move a MetroCard balance to an OMNY Card at an MTA Customer Service Center.

Source: MTA: MetroCard.

Paying on buses

Local, limited and rush buses: tap at the front, or pay exact change in coins (no bills). The MTA says cash on buses will end along with the MetroCard; it hasn't set the date yet.
Select Bus Service (SBS): tap the reader by any door. Paying with coins? Get a paper ticket from the kiosk on the sidewalk before you board, and keep it, because inspectors check.

Source: MTA: subway and bus fares.

Kids, seniors and riders with disabilities

Kids: up to three children under 44 inches tall ride the subway and local buses free with a paying adult.
Reduced fare: people 65 and older or with a qualifying disability pay $1.50. You need a Reduced-Fare OMNY Card; apply in person or by mail. Applying in person at 65 or older, you get the card the same day, and a passport from any country is accepted ID. The weekly cap is $17.50.

Source: MTA: subway and bus fares; MTA: reduced fare.

Other transit in the city

Staten Island Railway: $3, tap to pay, counts toward the weekly cap.
Roosevelt Island Tram: $3, tap to pay, counts toward the weekly cap.
LIRR and Metro-North: separate tickets. Inside the city a CityTicket is $5.25 off-peak or $7.25 peak. Buy it in the TrainTime app or at a station machine before you board; buying on the train costs $7.75 to $8.50 more. The railroads' fares page doesn't list tap-to-pay.
NYC Ferry: $5, in the NYC Ferry app or at the machines on the landing. OMNY doesn't work, and there's no free transfer to the subway.
Staten Island Ferry: no fare.
PATH to New Jersey: $3.25. Tap a contactless bank card or phone, or use a TAPP Card. OMNY Cards don't work on PATH.
AirTrain JFK: $8.75, not covered by the weekly cap.

Source: MTA: reduced fare; RIOC: Roosevelt Island Tram; MTA: LIRR and Metro-North fares; NYC Ferry: tickets; PATH: fares; MTA: getting to JFK.

Paying for NYC transit: common questions

How much is the NYC subway in 2026?

$3 a ride on the subway and local buses, with one free transfer within 2 hours. Express buses are $7.25.

Can I still buy a MetroCard?

No. MetroCards haven't been sold or refilled since January 1, 2026. Old cards still work until the MTA announces the last day. Tap a contactless card or phone, or buy an OMNY Card instead.

Is there a weekly unlimited pass?

You don't need one. Tap the same card or phone every ride, and after 12 paid rides in 7 days the rest of those 7 days are free. That's $35 at most.

Can I use my phone and my card for the fare cap?

Not together. Each payment method has its own cap, so use the same one every time.

Can one card pay for my whole family?

Yes. One card or phone can pay for you and up to three more people; tap once for each at the same reader. Up to three children under 44 inches ride free with a paying adult.

Does OMNY work on the LIRR, NYC Ferry or PATH?

No OMNY on NYC Ferry, and OMNY Cards don't work on PATH (a contactless bank card or phone does). The LIRR and Metro-North sell tickets in the TrainTime app and at machines.

Official sources

Cobblehop is independent and isn't affiliated with these agencies or operators. Check their pages for the latest schedules and service changes:

Published November 7, 2026. Fares were checked against the MTA, OMNY, NYC Ferry, PATH and RIOC pages in November 2026. Service changes, so check Cobblehop for live times before you go.

Plan your trip in Cobblehop. Say where you're going and get one clear route, a leave-in countdown and a buzz before your stop.

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