View Photos of OMNY Help Desk
To assist customers during the first day of its OMNY fare-capping pilot, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) launched a help desk for customers. MTA Chief Customer Officer Sarah Meyer and customer service representatives helped answer OMNY questions for customers using the contactless fare payment system and the fare-capping pilot. The help desk was stationed at the Grand Central subway entrance and open from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
“With OMNY, New Yorkers have all the convenience and weekly discounts to return to the system,” said MTA Chief Customer Officer Sarah Meyer. “For those trying OMNY out for the first time, we will use all the tools available to educate and help ensure a smooth onboarding process.”
More About the OMNY Fare-Capping Pilot
As announced on Feb. 7, the fare-capping pilot is to encourage New Yorkers to get back on subways and buses by reducing the cost of everyday travel. A key element of the promotion is the “Lucky 13” feature: every additional ride on subways and buses after the 13th trip will be free for the rest of that week.
The best weekly fare will be available to all riders who tap with OMNY, without the burden of pre-paying for the week or having to track their progress. OMNY’s technology provides enhanced flexibility to subway, local bus, and Staten Island Railway customers, so they can start accumulating benefits weekly. Any customer with a device or contactless card can begin tapping their way to free rides, so long as they use the same device or card each time. Customers who tap and go with OMNY will be charged the standard $2.75 pay-per-ride fare for their first 12 trips, starting every Monday. Any additional trips through the following Sunday would be free.
No OMNY customer would pay more than $33.00 per week, which is the current price of a seven-day unlimited-ride MetroCard. This way, customers receive the benefits of a seven-day unlimited-ride card without having to decide to pay in advance. Free transfers between subways and buses will continue to be offered to all customers under this pilot. Two-part trips that are linked by a free transfer between subway and bus are considered one trip toward the 12 needed to reach the free-fare threshold each week.