Apple Pay Now Accepted at NYC's Penn Station, Coming to 85 More MTA Stations Later This Month

[MacRumors]

New York City's public transit agency MTA today announced that its tap-and-go fare payment system OMNY is now available at Penn Station, a major hub, with support for both mobile wallets like Apple Pay and contactless credit cards from the likes of Visa, Mastercard, and American Express.

96 OMNY readers are now live at 18 turnstile arrays serving the A, C, E and 1, 2, 3 lines at Penn Station, according to the MTA.

New Yorkers will be able to tap and ride at a total of 85 stations across the MTA system later this month, and the MTA plans to expand contactless payments to all 472 of its subway stations and all of its bus routes by the end of 2020.

Apple Pay will be accepted on MTA-operated buses in Manhattan beginning March 2020, with further plans detailed on the OMNY website.

Apple Pay first became available at select MTA subway stations and on Staten Island buses in May, complete with support for Express Transit mode. Riders can simply hold their iPhone or Apple Watch near the contactless reader to pay their fare, without needing to authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode. The device does not need to be tapped on or unlocked, either.

OMNY is currently limited to full-fare, pay-per-ride use, with additional fare options set to become available during future phases of the rollout, such as unlimited ride passes and reduced fares. Keep in mind that free transfers are only available at OMNY-enabled stations, so plan your trip accordingly.

MetroCards will remain available until at least 2023, according to the MTA.

Article Link: Apple Pay Now Accepted at NYC's Penn Station, Coming to 85 More MTA Stations Later This Month

 

[macfacts]

All part of apples plan to track you

 

[NMBob]

Do you have to physically tap things together for stuff like this to work? Is that the signal for the software to do something?

 

[miguelcoma]

Useless until they finally implement unlimited ride plans, which is what most of us commuters have. Hurry up MTA!

 

[BXRich]

this is such an awesome convenience. I don't hit the trains like I did when I was younger, just to work a back really, so the transfer bit doesn't impact me. But, it's great not having to worry about how much is on my metrocard...I don't even take the subway enough that an unlimited metro is worth it

 

[sirgromit]

Useless until they finally implement unlimited ride plans, which is what most of us commuters have. Hurry up MTA!

This is not coming until the MTA has completed outfitting all subway stations/busses with ONMY terminals. They are being very deliberate in their deployment.

 

[ArneK]

“MetroCards will remain available until at least 2023, according to the MTA.”

And then what? Only NFC cards and Apple Pay will work? That will leave lots of older tourists stranded...

 

[acblue94]

“MetroCards will remain available until at least 2023, according to the MTA.”

And then what? Only NFC cards and Apple Pay will work? That will leave lots of older tourists stranded...

They don't have phones?

 

[sirgromit]

Magstripe-based Metrocards will be replaced by contactless OMNY cards which will be available just as Metrocards are now. You’ll also be able to use your NFC payment devices and contactless credit/debit cards. Far more options than now.

 

[Joe Rossignol]

“MetroCards will remain available until at least 2023, according to the MTA.”

And then what? Only NFC cards and Apple Pay will work? That will leave lots of older tourists stranded...

Yeah, as the comment above me said, the MetroCard will be replaced with a tappable OMNY card in ~2021.

I think cash will also remain an option.

So lots of options:

1. Tap your phone/watch using Apple Pay/Google Pay/etc.
2. Tap your contactless credit card, Visa/Mastercard/Amex/etc.
3. Tap your OMNY card when available
4. Cash

 

[ArneK]

They don't have phones?

no not everyone has a smartphone supporting that. Heck Apple Pay isn’t available in every country...

no New York if you can’t afford an iPhone?
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Yeah, as the comment above me said, the MetroCard will be replaced with a tappable OMNY card in ~2021.

I think cash will also remain an option.

So lots of options:

1. Tap your phone/watch using Apple Pay/Google Pay/etc.
2. Tap your contactless credit card, Visa/Mastercard/Amex/etc.
3. Tap your OMNY card when available
4. Cash

View attachment 882202

Thanks. That makes much more sense then

 

[tzm41]

“MetroCards will remain available until at least 2023, according to the MTA.”

And then what? Only NFC cards and Apple Pay will work? That will leave lots of older tourists stranded...

NFC OMNY cards will replace swipe Metrocards, which was almost outdated by the time it fully rolled out to replaced tokens...

 

[newyorksole]

“MetroCards will remain available until at least 2023, according to the MTA.”

And then what? Only NFC cards and Apple Pay will work? That will leave lots of older tourists stranded...

They better have cash or a debit/credit card on them. Then they could just go to the station’s attendant.

 

[danniexi]

All part of apples plan to track you

1. OMNY has nothing to do with Apple or Pay. Any transit rider can use their credit card or another tap to pay service (google pay, samsung pay, whatever).
2. Apple doesn’t track what/where/when you pay for something when it comes to Apple Pay. That information is solely between the customer/bank/merchant.

 

[chinito77]

Come one NYC!!! Tokyo has been doing this for years! Tap your phone to enter and exit with a prepaid app or use a ticket from the vending machine. It's easy, time efficient, and many countries are doing this.

 

[mam8dg]

Hope they get this rolled out to the L train stations soon.

 

[aduzik]

OMNY is currently limited to full-fare, pay-per-ride use, with additional fare options set to become available during future phases of the rollout, such as unlimited ride passes and reduced fares.

Good luck with that. Apple announced back in April that Ventra, the Chicago version of "OMNY" and run by the same company, would have these features before the end of the year and just today the CTA quietly updated their website to announce that it's now just "coming soon". If you have a monthly pass, like most of us do, you have to use a physical Ventra card and will for the foreseeable future. It's a real letdown.

 

[nanter]

Useless until pre-tax commuter cards like from WageWorks are supported.

 

[alexandr]

All part of apples plan to track you

to express track you.

 

[DailySlow]

Do you have to physically tap things together for stuff like this to work? Is that the signal for the software to do something?

Yes, tap or VERY CLOSE just like a transit card would need. I keep a couple cards for visitors to use. One a month ago would just wave it about 6 inches over reader then scream “It’s not work-eeeng!”

 

[jpn]

Useless until they finally implement unlimited ride plans, which is what most of us commuters have. Hurry up MTA!

hi
does your post mean that the current implementation of this works simply as payment for single, full fare ride price, without any ability to take advantage of riding plan or other discounted fare such as monthly discounted pass?

 

[NMBob]

Yes, tap or VERY CLOSE just like a transit card would need. I keep a couple cards for visitors to use. One a month ago would just wave it about 6 inches over reader then scream “It’s not work-eeeng!”

OK. I thought it was called "near field", so wasn't sure if the tap was necessary, or if that was just an easy way to explain it to the masses. Maybe I'll have something that uses it someday. Thanks!

 

[jpn]

Yes, tap or VERY CLOSE just like a transit card would need. I keep a couple cards for visitors to use. One a month ago would just wave it about 6 inches over reader then scream “It’s not work-eeeng!”

that version not working yet, that is.
coming to tokyo in 2022: ticket wickets that don't need you to take yr mobile out of yr pocket or bag or backpack. just walk through it. truly contactless. will require a mobile that uses mmWave (macrumors has articles saying iPhone 12 will use mmWave in some models, as a part of 5G rollout.

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OK. I thought it was called "near field", so wasn't sure if the tap was necessary, or if that was just an easy way to explain it to the masses. Maybe I'll have something that uses it someday. Thanks!

but your point is a good one. and i agree.
what everyone is calling "contactless" is actually "contact" in as much as the card or the phone needs to be put in such close proximity to the reader that it amounts to "contact" needed to ensure the transaction is recorded.
i see it in operation daily when (usually) men physically smash their wallets (containing so-called contactless cards" onto the tops of readers. in actual fact it does only need to be in the proximity of the reader but its quicker and easier to people just touch the reader to ensure its done quickly.

 

[bigjnyc]

I would say most commuters in NYC have a monthly or weekly prepaid card and very few use pay-per-ride. Until the upcoming additions aren’t implemented it won’t be too widely used.... probably mostly tourists

 

[tito2020]

All part of apples plan to track you

You still need paper to file taxes if you use it for business