Earlier this summer, PCAC launched a survey to hear from riders about how the MTA’s transition to OMNY is going so far, knowing that the agency plans to retire the MetroCard by the end of the year. It has since become apparent that the 4% biennial fare increase will also occur then, to reduce confusion among riders. The OMNY rollout has been a joint venture of the MTA and its contractor, Cubic, since 2019, and full transition from the MetroCard to OMNY is planned for the end of 2025.
We asked about riders’ tapping habits, experiences they’ve had and issues they’ve encountered, and new features they hope to see in the future. The survey was conducted between June 2nd and July 7th, 2025; a total of 392 responses were recorded.
Top survey findings:
- Respondents who use OMNY were generally positive about the transition, giving it a rating of 3.43 out of 5 (with 54% giving it a rating of four or five), while citing the convenience of being able to pay through a variety of methods. This included many senior fare or reduced fare riders who recently adopted OMNY.
- Many respondents expressed that they miss seeing the immediacy of their transactions, including their remaining balance or expiration date, along with the peace of mind of knowing a free transfer has been honored, or if they hit the 7-day fare cap when tapping, which they are accustomed to from their MetroCard experience.
- Nearly 75% of riders recently encountered an issue with OMNY, including 42% who encountered issues with OMNY readers not accepting their tap, 34% with late charges, and 30% who claimed to have encountered what they perceived to be “extra charges.” 26% of respondents did not experience any issues.
- Of those who submitted customer service complaints or tickets, a clear majority had not had their issue resolved. Riders lamented the lack of information available and an unhelpful chat function on the OMNY website, as well as long wait times when attempting to speak to a customer service representative.
- The vast majority of riders want to see new features and integrations with OMNY, including free transfers to the LIRR and Metro-North, integrations with other transportation providers like NYC Ferry and Citi Bike and more fare options with fare capping, or a 30-day unlimited.
The OMNY Experience
Survey respondents most commonly tapped with OMNY on New York City Transit subways and buses, followed by the JFK AirTrain and Roosevelt Island Tram.
Of respondents, 47% used a physical OMNY card at least some of the time. 58% used a digital wallet/phone. 43% of respondents reported alternating between multiple modes of tapping— for example, occasionally using both an OMNY card and a physical credit card— which does not help to reach the weekly fare cap, but which may not have been apparent to the users.
Of respondents who indicated that they use a physical OMNY card at least some of the time, 51% purchased their OMNY card at a machine in a subway station. 26% used a physical OMNY card given to them by the MTA for a reduced fare or Fair Fares card.
Over half of respondents reported hitting the weekly fare cap less than once per month. 14% of respondents hit the fare cap every week.
OMNY Issues
- Only 26% of respondents shared that they had not encountered any issues with OMNY.
- 42% of respondents encountered issues with OMNY readers not accepting their tap.
- 34% encountered charges appearing hours or days after tapping.
- 30% claimed to have encountered what they perceived to be “extra charges.”
- 14% said they had been charged over $34 within one week without the fare cap automatically applying.
Across the board, respondents using Apple Pay or another digital wallet experienced higher than average rates of all reported issues. Meanwhile, physical OMNY card users reported lower than average rates of issues, and the highest rate of an issue-free OMNY experience.
On average, respondents ranked their overall experience using OMNY a 3.43 out of 5.
54% of respondents ranked their OMNY experience a 4 or 5 out of 5.
OMNY Customer Service
22% of respondents submitted a formal complaint or reached out to MTA customer service about an OMNY issue.
On average, respondents who interacted with OMNY customer service ranked their experience a 2.21 out of 5.
Features and Integrations
- 76% of respondents want to see free transfers to other transportation modes
- 64% of respondents want to see a 30-day unlimited fare cap
- 52% of respondents want to see a single-day unlimited fare cap
Respondents most wanted to see the following transportation services integrated with OMNY:
- LIRR: 58%
- NYC Ferry: 58%
- Metro-North: 55%
- PATH: 55%
- NJ Transit: 47%
Our Recommendations
Given the feedback from riders we received, PCAC recommends the following actions to improve OMNY and the rider experience before the MetroCard is retired and new fares are unveiled:
- Update the OMNY interface so riders can immediately see their remaining balance, expiration date, free transfers, and whether they’ve met or are close to meeting the 7-day 12-ride fare cap. Riders need to see this information directly on the screen to better trust the system.
- Implement fare incentives focused on low-income riders and the heaviest users of the system at the same time as the fare increase, to help make the system more equitable and affordable, including:
- A weekly CityTicket with free transfers to subways and buses
- 30-day unlimited or fare cap
- A more robust Fair Fares program expanded to 200% of the Federal Poverty Level and expanded to the LIRR and Metro-North in the city
- Invest in the OMNY website and customer service, so riders can clearly see their ride history and trips as they did in the past. Clean up the misinformation given by the OMNY Chatbot and ensure wait times for speaking with a representative are reasonable.
- Launch a major public information campaign to:
- build trust and clear up common misconceptions about OMNY, including personal data and security;
- ensure that everyone knows OMNY can still be used without a bank account;
- explain the concept of fare capping; and
- tell riders why the MTA is switching to OMNY—it’s not a conspiracy to track riders, it’s an opportunity to improve the way they pay for transit.
- Include OMNY website features in the MTA app to streamline the user experience in the future.
- Work internally and with external partners to better integrate OMNY with the LIRR and Metro-North, as well as NYC Ferry, PATH, Citi Bike, and other regional services to offer fare incentives and better connections.
- Incorporate MTA branding on the OMNY cards and machines. OMNY doesn’t currently look or feel like an MTA product but should be an iconic NYC symbol like the subway token and MetroCard before it.
PCAC first undertook this study in response to a flurry of rider complaints and experienced many of the same issues. To their credit, the MTA has taken Cubic to task to expeditiously address the most oft-cited concerns and we look forward to the opportunity to now use these experiences and survey results to help inform fare policy as the MTA considers fare changes in the coming months.