How do I use my phone to ride the NYC subway?

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.




Using your phone to ride the NYC subway in 2026 is a premier, frictionless experience thanks to the OMNY (One Metro New York) system. You do not need to download a special app or buy a card; simply ensure you have a payment card added to your Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay wallet. As you approach the turnstile, wake your phone and "tap" the top of the device against the OMNY reader. The screen will instantly flash "GO," and you're in. For a high-value "pro-tip," use the same device/card for every ride to trigger the "Fare Cap": once you spend $35 (the cost of a 7-day unlimited pass) in a 7-day period, every subsequent ride is free. In 2026, this high-quality "Tap-and-Go" technology is active at every subway station and on all MTA buses, making the old plastic MetroCard a nostalgic relic and providing a premier, "no-wait" entry for millions of daily commuters and tourists.

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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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Subway riders can now use their phones to text, call or access the internet at underground stations but usually lose service once the train starts moving. Transit Wireless plans to expand service to trains in the tunnels and also to the system's 191 aboveground stations and to 21 Staten Island Railway stations.

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You can use cash, credit, or debit cards to make your purchase. New York City subway fares are $2.75 per trip. For visitors staying more than a couple of days you can buy a one week unlimited MetroCard for $33 or an unlimited monthly MetroCard for $127.00.

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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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Tap OMNY or swipe a pay-per-ride MetroCard as each person enters. Tap a contactless card or a digital wallet at OMNY readers to pay the fare. Swipe your MetroCard with the logo and the black barcode facing you and the clipped corner on the upper right.

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However, it is best to prepare your trip by knowing your destination, what train(s) will take you there and how you plan to spend your time. It is absolutely safe to visit New York and ride the subway, relative to any other public activities in other cities. In fact, it's been a low-crime area for years.

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To pay your fare at subway turnstiles, AutoGates, and onboard buses (including Select Bus Service buses), simply tap your own contactless credit or debit card, smart device, or OMNY card on the OMNY reader.

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The MTA began offering OMNY contactless cards on October 1, 2021, and introduced fare capping on February 28, 2022. Reduced-fare customers were allowed to use OMNY starting in June 2022 using their own debit or credit cards which must be registered with OMNY.

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Purchase and use of this OMNY card constitutes your acceptance of the OMNY Terms of Service and the OMNY Privacy Policy at omny.info/terms-of-service and omny.info/privacy-policy. This OMNY card costs $5 to purchase and must be loaded with a minimum of $1 or a fare product at the time of purchase.

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They are the same: electric multiple-unit rapid transit trains. Metro train can run in subways (tunnels), at grade level, or on elevated trackways—referred to as el's in North America. Metro systems are thus frequently referred to as the subway or the underground, the el, or just the train.

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We're talking a very marginal difference, of course, because both are extremely safe and there's very little crime in either location, but yes, the subway is safer.

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Subways and local buses Get free rides after 12 fares within seven days using the same device or contactless card with fare capping. Learn more about how to get free rides with OMNY.

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The key is to look at the signs above each station, indicating which subway lines it services and the direction each train is headed. Note: subway lines are either numbers or letters. Usually, there are two entrances on either side of the same street. Each entrance puts you on a different track.

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Maneuver Manhattan's train system like a local Here, Archer Hotel New York's consummate host offers timely tips on navigating the New York City subway (aka train) system like a boss. LOCAL TIP: New Yorkers typically call the subway “trains” (not underground or metro) or by their alpha name (the C or the Q).

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You do not need an OMNY card to tap and pay the fare. Use your own contactless credit, debit, reloadable prepaid card, or a smart phone or device with digital wallet enabled. Just choose your preferred payment method, tap and go!

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