MTA Auctions Final 60 MetroCard Machines as New York Shifts to Omny

Q: With MetroCards vanishing, when will the new OMNY system finally let riders see their exact fare balances at the turnstile?

There is no announced rollout date yet. The MTA says it is developing a software upgrade for OMNY that would let riders see information such as card balance and transfer status directly at the turnstile or bus reader, restoring a feature many riders had with MetroCard. But based on the agency’s public statements and related reporting, officials have not given a firm timetable for when that upgrade will go live. For now, riders generally still cannot view an exact OMNY balance on the reader itself. The current workaround is to register an OMNY card or payment method at OMNY.info, where riders can review trip history, charges, and in some cases dispute problems. That is especially relevant because OMNY works across bank cards, phones, and OMNY-issued cards, making on-screen balance display more complicated than the old MetroCard system. Recent reporting also indicates the MTA is pressing Cubic, OMNY’s vendor, to add this functionality, but the agency has only said it is “working on” or “planning” the upgrade. In short, the feature is coming, but there is still no public launch date for when riders will be able to see exact fare balances at tap-in.

1 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Aug 5

Sixty retired MetroCard vending and express machines went up for auction Wednesday, with bidding open through Aug. 19 as the MTA clears out the last public-facing units.
The sale marks another step in New York transit’s shift to Omny: MetroCards are no longer being sold, though riders can still use them until the system fully moves to tap-and-ride.
The machines are being sold as-is after payment and electronic components were removed, and buyers must pay immediately after notice and arrange pickup within 10 days.
One last public-facing machine remains in Mulry Square with a QR code linking to the auction, while any unsold units could be offered again at the MTA’s October memorabilia pop-up sale.
Installed starting in 1999, the machines became a familiar part of subway travel and now join a broader wave of MetroCard nostalgia that has already drawn public interest online.