Can multiple people use the same MetroCard?

Up to four people can ride together on a single Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard. If multiple people are riding together on the same MetroCard the first person can swipe the card through the necessary number of times and other riders can walk through the turnstile following them.



As of early 2026, the traditional NYC MetroCard is in its final phase of retirement, with the tap-to-pay OMNY system taking over. However, if you are still using a Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard, it can be shared by up to four people. To do this, you simply swipe the card, let the first person through the turnstile, and then pass the card back to the next person to swipe again. This is perfectly legal for the "value" based cards. In contrast, Unlimited Ride MetroCards cannot be shared; they have a built-in 18-minute "cooldown" period between swipes at the same station to prevent multiple people from using a single pass. With the full transition to OMNY in 2026, the concept of "sharing" a card is largely replaced by each person using their own contactless device or OMNY card, though you can still "tap" for others using the same card if you are not using the 7-day fare cap benefit.

People Also Ask

In fact, 88% of the time, OMNY is cheaper than a 30-day MetroCard if I average 10 rides a week. Let's see if we can generalize this to other weekly averages: As you can see, up until I average 11 rides a week, OMNY is usually better. More often than not, I'll save money if I stick with it and skip the Unlimited card.

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While a single ride costs $2.90, the Unlimited card saves you money because the more you use it, the cheaper each ride is. If your stay is 30 days or longer, consider a 30-day unlimited card for $127 ($63.50 reduced fare). Important rules that apply to Unlimited MetroCards: It can only be used by 1 person.

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Regular Pay Per Ride MetroCards: These can be shared with up to 4 people per card. You can each swipe the turnstile separately or the first person can swipe 4x's and have everyone follow through the turnstile.

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Unlimited Ride MetroCard Cannot be used again at the same subway station or the same bus route for at least 18 minutes. Cannot be used by or transferred to another person until the completion of a trip for which entry was obtained.

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Pay Per Ride MetroCard is nothing but a rechargeable card that will allow you to pay each individual ride at the reduced fare of $2.75 fee. You are free to re-load the Metro Card as many times as you like, plus at any station, you can swipe as many as 4 times back-to-back meaning 4 people can share the same card.

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Yes. The same pass-back rules that apply to MetroCard also apply to OMNY. You can tap and pay for yourself and up to 3 additional riders with the same payment method on a single trip. You will need to tap your payment method for each person that is riding with you.

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Learn more. Cost: $34 (7-day) or $132 (30-day). You have unlimited swipes on the subway and local buses for either 7 or 30 days. Your MetroCard can only hold one Unlimited Ride refill at a time.

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OMNY can currently be used to pay fares at all New York City Subway and Staten Island Railway stations, on all MTA buses, and on the Roosevelt Island Tram; when completely rolled out, it will also replace the MetroCard on Bee-Line buses, NICE buses, and AirTrain JFK.

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Using your MetroCard on a bus at the start your trip will place a free transfer on your card. Then you can continue your trip for free on the subway or bus if you transfer within 2 hours. When you swipe or dip again, the little window will say “Transfer OK.”

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Tap and go: Pick your payment method
  1. Tap your contactless card. Check if your contactless credit, debit, or reloadable prepaid card has the contactless symbol on the front or back. ...
  2. Tap your phone or smart device. Add a payment card to your digital wallet, then tap your device at an OMNY reader and GO. ...
  3. Tap an OMNY card.


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You have unlimited swipes on the subway and local buses for either 7 or 30 days. Your MetroCard can only hold one Unlimited Ride refill at a time. You can't pause an unlimited ride card once you've started using it.

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Subways and buses Tap to pay your fare with your contactless credit/debit card, smartphone, or OMNY card, or pay with a MetroCard.

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The expiration date is usually about one year from the date of purchase. If your Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard expires, you have two years from the expiration date to transfer any remaining money to a new card. Within the first year after expiration, use a MetroCard Vending Machine to transfer the balance to a new card.

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