One of our favorite destinations is New York City. We usually go back every few months. One of the best things about visiting NYC is that we don’t need to rent a car—we can use mass transit for most of our trips, such as the LIRR or NYC Subway. If those aren’t convenient, we can always rely on rideshares or taxis. And of course, a favorite of many New Yorkers: walking to your destination.
Because we visit so often, I try to stay updated on the easiest ways to pay for our rides on the subway. The OMNY contactless payment platform allows us to simply tap a smart watch, phone, or contactless credit card at the turnstile. It’s fast and convenient.
But on a recent trip, I noticed some people still heading to the booth to reload their MetroCards with cash. That got me thinking—what about people without a credit card or a device that supports contactless payments? How do they ride the subway or bus these days?
Turns out, it’s getting trickier.
Paying Cash For the Subway
There’s no way to pay cash directly at a subway turnstile. Your options are either to use a MetroCard or OMNY. And MetroCards are on their way out.
As of now, you can still use cash to reload a MetroCard at one of the older machines, but they’re becoming harder to find. And if you don’t already have a MetroCard, you’ll need to pay $1 just to get one.
To address the needs of riders without credit cards or digital wallets, the MTA has started rolling out OMNY vending machines. These machines allow users to load value onto an OMNY card using cash, making it a much-needed option for the unbanked and underbanked.
For now, as part of a limited-time introductory offer, a new reloadable OMNY card costs just $1—the same as a new MetroCard. Eventually, that price is expected to go up, so now is a good time to make the switch.
Still, this transition isn’t complete. MetroCards are expected to be fully phased out sometime in 2026, so riders relying on cash will need to start adapting soon.
Paying Cash For A NYC Bus
The only place where you can still pay your fare directly with cash is on MTA buses—but even here, things are changing.
OMNY has now expanded to all local, limited, and express buses. When boarding at the front door, tap your contactless credit or debit card, smartphone, wearable device, or OMNY card on the reader next to the driver. If you’re still using a MetroCard, you can dip it at the farebox like before.
And yes—you can still pay with cash on local and limited buses. But the fare is now $2.90, and the farebox only accepts exact change in coins. That means no dollar bills and no change given. To make up $2.90 in coins, you’d need something like:
- 11 quarters ($2.75)
- 1 dime ($0.10)
- 1 nickel ($0.05)
That’s 13 coins total, which is… less than convenient.
If you want to avoid juggling a pocket full of change, using a MetroCard (for now) or an OMNY card is definitely the easier option—especially with MetroCards on their way out.
Final Thought
As someone who travels frequently, I love the convenience of tapping my Apple Watch to pay for NYC subway and bus rides. But not everyone has access to a credit card or digital wallet—and while cash is still technically accepted, it’s becoming less practical by the day.
MetroCards are being phased out, OMNY is taking over, and cash users are funneled toward fewer and more inconvenient options. While the new OMNY vending machines that accept cash are a step in the right direction, they’re not yet everywhere—and paying $2.90 in coins on a bus is just plain frustrating.
If you plan to use NYC public transit and rely on cash, now’s the time to get familiar with the OMNY system. And if you’re visiting from out of town? Maybe swing by one of those new machines and grab a $1 OMNY card while you still can.
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