mikecintel

Hi Everyone, FINALLY! I got my OMNY cards (3 of them) from the Bowling Green OMNY machines. My experience is easy but I ran into problems the 1st and the 3rd try. This should not be hard but I am so use to pay with my credit card with the Metro Card machine that the OMNY machine is a little bit different. The first time I put my credit card in it got an error and I thought it is like the Metro Card where you put your credit card in and then take it out and then put your Zip code. That is NOT the case with the OMNY vending machines. After you put the card in "Reading card do not remove" There is a animation circle that keeps spinning like on the computer Windows when you click on the application to load. After I removed my credit card it says "Failed Transaction" and then it prints a receipt out. The Status says "Unable to Issues (2D). At the bottom of the receipt it says "Credit Card Charge Reversed". We apologize for this inconvenience. Please try another vending machine or keep this receipt and contact customer service at 877-789-6669 for support. Then on my 3rd purchase I got another "Failed Transaction" and it says "The Status" it states "Payment Error (2e). I haven't tried the tap on my credit card so I am guess if there is a problem it will be the same error as what I stated. Another difference is between the OMNY machine and the Metro Card is it DOES NOT ASK for the ZIP code anymore on the OMNY machine.

Cool video.

Wonderful! When I had the OMNY card before I didn't do the auto-refill but I just add from my credit and it was so easy.

Hmmm I have to see when I fully use the OMNY card and use the machine to reload my money on my OMNY card do I get an email or not. Right now I will buy the OMNY cards and I will still use my Metro Card because the OMNY still doesn't have 30 days monthly which I need.

Oh wow, thank you so much. I am going to get the OMNY card this week and find out. How would they email you if you were buying a new OMNY card from the machines. The new card you didn't even register for it on the OMNY website yet? If you add the value from the machine and it is already activated and registered on the OMNY that I understand it will read the serial number and it already linked to your email address. I will find out this week and I will post my results.

Thanks for the info. You mean when I add the value from the OMNY machines I get BOTH the receipt printed out and get an email? I already have an OMNY account. When I had the 2 OMNY card that I lost and I add the value from the website I do get an email regarding how I added.

Thank you for the information I really appreciate it. OK that great I can add $1 and then the purchase price will be $1 now as temporary as a promo from the MTA for now. I have to try it this month when I get a chance but thank you for telling me ahead of time. Will post my experience when I go to the vending machine but I expect to be very easy to use just like the Metro Card Machines as you said. About the receipts I have to see it. WOW it's longer the Metro Card Metro Card Vending Machines? Probably it has a lot of info on it. I'll see it when I do purchase the 3 OMNY cards when I have a chance.

Actually now I think about it I will get 3 OMNY cards since it's only $1 and it beats paying $5 for a OMNY card! I wonder if I can add $1 and then pay the $1 fee to buy the card and the total would be $2 on the card? I will post here when I do buy the OMNY card from the vending machine when I do buy it so I can let everyone know on this forum how it went.

Yes we can't combine nor transfer the balance from Metro Cards to OMNY because OMNY is a different system.

Yes I will get the card this month. I already lost 2 OMNY cards already. Yes maybe I should get 2 cards. Good ideas as 1 is for backup.

Just found this out if you are buying a OMNY card from a retail store and they give you $4 credit "for a limited of time". MTA did not say yesterday when they were talking about the OMNY machines. https://patch.com/new-york/new-york-city/first-omny-card-machines-roll-out-replace-metrocards#google_vignette "OMNY Cards will be available for $1, rather than the typical $5, for a limited time at OMNY vending machines, officials said. People who buy them from retailers will get $4 in ride credit for a limited time, they said."

I hope so. Then the MTA should make it clear and not says there is a 30 days pilot program and you can get the OMNY card for $1. They should specify when it the last day you can buy an OMNY card for $1. Anyway, I planning to get my OMNY card from the vending machine next month before the 30 day pilot ends. Who knows what the MTA might do. They are like the KING who can do anything they want as you know .

OMNY Vending Machine Pilot for "30 DAYS" from today 10-30-23. Then "probably" the fee might go to $5 like what you buy from the retail stores. If you need an OMNY card now before they raise price after the 30 DAYS are over. I suggest anyone to get is NOW! Regarding the Metro Cards there is still life left and it will be 18 Months away before they turn off the Metro Card. The only difference it the expiration date if you buy from the vending machine it expires in 5 years and if you buy from a retailer it will expire 7 years. I read it from here: https://nypost.com/2023/10/30/metro/mta-switches-first-omny-vending-machines-on-claims-delayed-program-back-on-track/

Yes I think that is it the yellow posters. I didn't see it but you saw it on YouTube.

Thank you for the comparisons it is very helpful.

Got it I see. Yes maybe their making it a bit lower so that people won't have to shell out all that money. I know I will buy one because I lost 2 OMNY cards already and I paid $ 5 card+5 card = $10 + $1 fee+$1 fee so total would be $12 OMNY card. Even I will buy one but I will not use it until the Metro Card is all retired because I will need the 30 unlimited since I am going to work 4 days and 1 remote day for now. Yes agree it should be $2 or $3 that is very reasonable. Even in Toronto it is $6 to purchase the card but they lowered to $4 a card. They lowered down as of August 8,2023. If Toronto can lower the price the MTA should lower price too but then that's a different country Canada.

Yes now that you mention it, it makes sense. I hope the MTA will NOT change it because a lot can't afford to shell out $5 for a OMNY card. Yes I agree if you can pay a cheaper price in the vending machine why not go to a vending machine but then when you pay the $5 then you get an "extended" expire date by 2 year extra.

I didn't know I beat you by a few minutes. I just happen to be on the MTA website to look something up. If you remember they said it last 7 years for the OMNY card https://www.silive.com/news/2023/04/mtas-omny-card-vending-machines-coming-to-nyc-this-fall.html OMNY cards do not expire until seven years after their purchase date, as opposed to MetroCards, which expire in 18 months. I guess they did typo. My question is why are we charged $5 in store if we purchase it and now for the "pilot" it is only for $1. That makes no sense at all and if I think about it looks like their "ripping us off" but then I guess it is for the packaging and stuff. Maybe when it is in every station it will be $5. The OMNY card should be $1 and no more just like the Metro Card.

OMNY VENDING MACHINES ARE AVAILABLE NOW! "Selected stations" https://new.mta.info/article/introducing-omny-vending-machines Introducing OMNY vending machines We're installing OMNY vending machines at select subway stations. Here's what you need to know. You can now buy or reload an OMNY card at our new vending machines at select subway stations. Enjoy the convenience of tap-and-go payment and all the benefits of OMNY, including our 7-day fare cap, with a card you can buy and reload at your local subway station just like MetroCard. As a limited-time introductory offer, you can buy a new reloadable card for $1. That's the same price as a new MetroCard, even though OMNY cards last for years. You can also buy a new Single-Ride OMNY ticket for $3.25. You can pay with cash, a credit or debit card, or a smart device. Look for OMNY vending machines at these locations: 86 St at the Downtown and Brooklyn entrance Atlantic Av-Barclays Center At the Atlantic Av/Flatbush Av/Barclays Ctr entrance At the Pacific St/4 Av entrance Bowling Green Fordham Rd at the E 188 St/Grand Concourse entrance Junction Blvd We're piloting the use of OMNY vending machines at these six stations so we can gather feedback from customers before expanding availability to more stations. During the pilot, you may see machines in other stations that are installed but not available for use while we evaluate customer feedback from the pilot. Eventually, OMNY vending machines will be available in all 472 subway stations as we prepare to retire MetroCard. OMNY cards are also available at retail locations throughout the region. From Facebook: Now arriving at a station near you: OMNY Card vending machines! You can now easily buy and reload an OMNY Card with cash, card, or digital wallet at Atlantic Av-Barclays Ctr, Bowling Green, Fordham Rd (B/D & 4), Junction Blvd, and 86 St (4/5/6). During the pilot, OMNY cards purchased at vending machines will have a $1 new card fee, just like MetroCard. Pro tip: If you have a contactless bank card or digital wallet, you can skip this fee by using your existing payment method instead of buying an OMNY card. OMNY Card machines will be added to additional stations on a rolling basis through 2024, and MetroCard machines will continue to be available at all stations throughout the rollout.

What is the link on YouTube?

Maybe OMNY will be back but if not I think that is stupid if the PATH goes a different route because then people who take the subway and the PATH then have to pay a different way if the PATH change the payment system. Just like with the Metro Cards I think they should have what is comparable to the Metro card turnstile to accept Metro Cards. They should have OMNY readers to accept the OMNY payment. IF they just change the payment it is a waste of time money if they take that approach. That is my opinion though.

Yes I it has to do with the security issue so that is why they are doing that. Before I said I "They must be working on a new feature" and then I realized I was wrong after I post it but then it was too late to edit my comments because I think you get 10 or 15 minutes to edit your comments before it becomes permanent.

I see. **Hopefully** they will have a 30 day cap because it will be "useless" if they don't make a 30 day cap because people do buy the "monthly" Metro Card and it should be comparable to the Metro Card in OMNY. If they don't I bet a lot of people will complain and I don't think the MTA wants that.

Yes that is true what you are saying. If they merge the zone and pay OMNY I am guessing you just just pay one fare like LIRR zone 5 to and transfer at GC or Penn Station for the MNR Zone 5 and that it and it even include a transfer. Maybe I am wrong but that does sound good to me IF they did that.

I just read an UPDATE for the LIRR/MNR regarding OMNY an Advocate group is calling for more simplify structure for the LIRR/MNR. https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2023/10/10/the-mta-has-a-long-way-to-go-to-make-omny-great-report The MTA Has A Long Way To Go To Make OMNY Great: Report MTA leaders may squander OMNY's potential without major changes to fare structures ahead of bring the tech to the LIRR and Metro-North, according to a new report. The analysis from the in-house Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA — Integrate, Simplify and OMNYvate: On Track For A Better MTA Fare Payment — calls on transit officials to harness OMNY tech to create a more unified, rational price structure for both railroads that cuts down on the number of ticket options riders must navigate to pay their fares. The two railroads have grown closer in recent years thanks to capital projects like East Side Access and Penn Access, which will add Metro-North trains to Penn Station — but there aren't any plans now to integrate their fare structures when they activate OMNY in 2025. The changing physical and technological landscape for commuter rails provides a good runway for the MTA to make larger and more impactful changes to its fare structure, PCAC said. "Fare rationalization, equalizing the distances between stations by charging the same per mile — these have been talked about for such a long time," PCAC Executive Director Lisa Daglian said at a press conference on Friday at Grand Central Terminal. "With OMNY, we're seeing the first real big change that's integrating the railroads and bringing them together, so that things finally make sense." The addition of the LIRR to Grand Central at East Side Access, and the eventual addition of Metro-North to Penn Station with Penn Access, should open up many more potential routes for commuter rail riders. Right now, however, the new service makes ticketing more complicated: Riders can buy "Combo Tickets" that allow them to use a single ticket for a ride that takes them on the LIRR and Metro-North. Each of the railroads has its own zone-based pricing, with more than two dozen total options — yet there's no regular per-mile fare to travel between them, the report noted. For instance, a peak one-way ticket to Grand Central costs $13 coming from the first suburban fare zone on the LIRR — but costs $12 for riders coming from the first suburban fare zone on Metro-North. The MTA must use OMNY to end that chaos, according to Daglian and her team — and usher in an era of a single unified fare zone from Montauk to Middletown with a common per-mile price across eight zones in the entire commuter rail area, in order to create rational and easily understood ticket prices. In addition to cutting down on fare zones, the report argues the MTA has to use the coming of OMNY to cut down on ticket types. Right now there are almost four dozen base types of base tickets that commuter rail riders can choose from – before even getting into time or day-based modifiers or travel direction. That system adds too much stress to both riders and for conductors, who would both benefit from simplifying things, the report said. "Whether riders get their tickets from an app, a vending machine, or a ticket attendant, they often have over a dizen choices when it comes to the types of tickets they can buy," PCAC staff wrote. "While conductors are tasked with performing their tasks to keep trains moving safely in a timely manner, they're also hard-pressed to be able to memorize all ticket conditions at all times." As the MTA explores new fare approaches like Combo Ticket and City Ticket, it should use the switch to OMNY to herald in larger, rider-friendly changes advocates have spent years demanding, the report said. For one, ticket types should be simplified, PCAC said. Riders should be able to choose between single ride, round trip, weekly or monthly passes, a 10-trip ticket, and either single-ride or weekly fares for Combo Ticket and CityTicket — the $5 off-peak, $7 peak commuter rail fare for trips that don't leave New York City. Instead of separate classes of discount tickets, an automatic half-fare discount should be applied to seniors, disabled riders or riders between 12 and 17 years old, the advocacy group suggested. That would all be a big boost for OMNY, which has struggled in recent years since the MTA finished installing it on every bus and subway across the system. OMNY card vending machines have yet to roll out, while physical OMNY cards remain difficult to find in drug stores and bodegas long after they went on the mark. While the MTA has enabled OMNY for recipients of reduced fare programs, the city's "Fair Fares" and student fare programs aren't yet included. The limited footprint has led to extreme variation in OMNY usage across modes and demographics. The tech accounts for 70 percent of "regular fare" subway trips, but just 54 percent of total trips, officials said last month. On buses, while 50 percent of revenue from single-fare trips come in via OMNY, those trips make up less than half of bus riders across the system — who are more likely to use monthly or weekly passes. Making a big push on commuter rails could help OMNY live up to its full value. "One Metro New York was created to really bring all of the fare payments under one fare payment system. That hasn't lived up to its potential," said Daglian. "We think that it can. Let's look at the product vision and see how it can it can work holistically, and take advantage of the full potential because other major systems do it internationally. It's not a new concept, it's just new to us." A spokesperson for the MTA provided a comment that did little more than reiterate the fact that OMNY exists. "Contactless fare payment is the future of transportation, and the MTA is leading the way with OMNY by allowing customers to tap-and-pay on their own devices or bank cards saving riders time and money, offering the best deal," said MTA spokesperson Eugene Resnick. "OMNY enhancements for commuter railroad customers are on the way, building on the success of the MTA’s TrainTime app, which makes purchasing tickets – including the first-ever cross-railroad Combo Ticket – a few swipes away." https://pcac.org/app/uploads/2023/10/Integrate-Simplify-and-OMNYvate-Full-Report.pdf