NEW YORK (PIX11) – The first OMNY card vending machines are now available at several subway stations in New York City, giving riders the option to buy and refill the tap-to-pay cards.

Cash, credit cards, debit cards, and digital wallets can be used to purchase OMNY cards at the vending machines. OMNY cards allow riders to tap their way through subway turnstiles instead of swiping with a MetroCard, which will eventually be phased out.

“Installing OMNY vending machines in subway stations makes it easier than ever for transit customers to leave MetroCard in the past and embrace the convenience of tapping, especially those who pay with cash to ride,” NYC Transit President Richard Davey said in a statement. “Our station agents are trained and ready to support customers who make the switch to OMNY so they can start tapping.”

The tap-to-pay OMNY cards also allow riders who pay with cash a new way to take advantage of OMNY’s $34 rolling seven-day fare cap.

“Vending machines that allow people paying with cash to use OMNY now means that everyone can take advantage of OMNY’s benefits, such as the $34.00 rolling seven-day fare cap, and the simplicity of tapping your OMNY card at the reader,” Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine said in a statement.

The first OMNY card vending machines are located at the following subway stations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx.

  • 86th Street and Lexington Avenue (Manhattan – 4, 5, 6 trains)
  • Bowling Green (Manhattan – 4 and 5 trains)
  • Atlantic Avenue–Barclays Center (Brooklyn – 2, 3, 4, 5, B, D, N, Q, R trains)
  • Junction Boulevard (Queens – 7 train)
  • Fordham Road (the Bronx – 4 train)
  • Fordham Road (the Bronx – B and D trains)

OMNY vending machines will be installed in all 472 subway stations. The installation of the machines will continue through 2024, according to the MTA.

“If you haven’t already, now is the time to trade in your MetroCard for OMNY – it’s the future of transportation in New York,” Levine said.

Finn Hoogensen is a digital journalist who has covered local news for more than five years. He has been with PIX11 News since 2022. See more of his work here.