New York subway ends its MetroCard era and switches fully to tap-and-go fares

The New York City transit system is retiring the MetroCard after more than 30 years. The gold-and-blue swipeable card was introduced in 1994 to replace the subway token, which had been used for half a century. The last sales and refills on MetroCards will be Dec. 31, though existing cards will still work for some time into 2026. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is fully transitioning to OMNY, a contactless payment system rolled out in 2019. The system allows riders to tap their credit card, phone or other smart device to pay their fare, much in the same way they do for other purchases.