Harry Posted November 30, 2009 Share #1 Posted November 30, 2009 It might not be a gold mine, but straphangers hanging onto almost-depleted MetroCards are sitting on a nice chunk of change. More than a year ago, the MTA changed the formula for getting bonuses on pay-per-ride cards - making it more likely passengers will end up with a balance after they've taken their last trip. And many riders don't know what to do with the leftovers. They won't make a turnstile spin, but they're not exactly worthless. Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/11/30/2009-11-30_leftover_fares_adding_up_to_big_pile_of_metrocards.html#ixzz0YLcawUTW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
INDman Posted November 30, 2009 Share #2 Posted November 30, 2009 It's money you can never use, I dont think there is away to get that money off the card as a fare. For the MTA, that $.56 or $.32 adds up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St Louis Car 09 Posted November 30, 2009 Share #3 Posted November 30, 2009 It was stupid to raise the fare to an odd amount of $2.25,It will only leave odd change.Sounds like a rip-off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FamousNYLover Posted November 30, 2009 Share #4 Posted November 30, 2009 Long Island Bus was $2.25 with transfer. I remember on Monday right after Sunday increase, many Long Island Bus and Bee-Line bus riders were confused. I remember when I was on N4, B/O told her, 25 cent more. I even sometimes see new comers try to ride LIB with dollar bills. I not sure if N88 riders recognized it increase, because they mostly using MetroCard. When I was on W20 Bee-Line, mother with baby paid $2.00 fare, and B/O told her, it's 25 cent more, and B/O gave fare brochure "(MTA) Regional Fare for Bee-Line Buses." After she read, she paid 25 cent. Winkepedi had mistake. Long Island Bus does give free transfer to MetroCard Passenger when changing to Suffolk County Transit, HART or City of Long Beach N69. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trainspot12 Posted November 30, 2009 Share #5 Posted November 30, 2009 There is a way you can even out the metrocard. Just go to the token booth and make it even there. I found 4 metrocards (over the summer) that had about $8.93 and I put on there an extra 7 cents (even though the clerk was looking at me weird but w/e). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Y2Julio Posted November 30, 2009 Share #6 Posted November 30, 2009 With my yearly unlimited Metrocard I don't run into this issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urbanfortitude Posted November 30, 2009 Share #7 Posted November 30, 2009 Unlimited ride metrocards ftw....I'm still trying to understand those of you that railfan w/ pay per rides. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FamousNYLover Posted November 30, 2009 Share #8 Posted November 30, 2009 And if you go fan trip on (NYCT) S89, Long Island Bus or Bee-Line Bus, I always use 30-day Unlimited because lack of MetroCard Vending Machine. Pay-Per-Ride finish soon. If I had $2.25 in regular MetroCard with no money in pocket, and if I take S89 to Bayonne-34th St, I will not be able to go home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7LineFan Posted November 30, 2009 Share #9 Posted November 30, 2009 If they have like 20 or so cards with cent values on them they should go to a token booth and combine all of the values onto one card. I wonder how many people don't know that you can do that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S/A Vee Posted November 30, 2009 Share #10 Posted November 30, 2009 If they have like 20 or so cards with cent values on them they should go to a token booth and combine all of the values onto one card. I wonder how many people don't know that you can do that. Station agents will only combine 5 cards at a time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R44 5278 Posted November 30, 2009 Share #11 Posted November 30, 2009 With my yearly unlimited Metrocard I don't run into this issue. Good for you, but my problem with Unlimited Metrocards is that they won't work for PATH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Y2Julio Posted November 30, 2009 Share #12 Posted November 30, 2009 Good for you, but my problem with Unlimited Metrocards is that they won't work for PATH. Why would it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubwayGuy Posted November 30, 2009 Share #13 Posted November 30, 2009 Why would it? Regular Pay Per Ride cards work on PATH, just not unlimiteds. So if you're a regular commuter using PATH you can't just buy an Unlimited Ride Metrocard for the NYCT portion of your journey and call it a day (and get into PATH "free" also). You have to buy a separate card for PATH in that case. Not sure about the Tram since the last time I rode it tokens were still around and I was 10 years old. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lennyj17 Posted November 30, 2009 Share #14 Posted November 30, 2009 First what I'm not understand if the complainers are using the Pay-Per-Ride cards why aren't they just refilling the same card...There no need to have 20 cards laying around. I prefer the PPR over the Unlimited, because I dont ride the Subways and buses all day and if i'm off Vacationing or not using the MTA there no loss in Value of my card...I just signed up for the Easy Pay card so that I'm insured incase I lose my card, and the fact I dont have to refill at the machine while the train approaches gives me Piece of mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Y2Julio Posted November 30, 2009 Share #15 Posted November 30, 2009 Regular Pay Per Ride cards work on PATH, just not unlimiteds. So if you're a regular commuter using PATH you can't just buy an Unlimited Ride Metrocard for the NYCT portion of your journey and call it a day (and get into PATH "free" also). You have to buy a separate card for PATH in that case. Not sure about the Tram since the last time I rode it tokens were still around and I was 10 years old. I know that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metsfan Posted November 30, 2009 Share #16 Posted November 30, 2009 The RIOC Tramway accepts pay per ride, day, week, and monthly passes. I only really use a PPR card because i need it to ride PATH. I don't only ride between NJ and NY, i often ride between locations in NY and in NJ as well, such as newark to newport, or exchange place to journal square, 14th st to 33rd st etc. I would rather get rid of the bonus system & get the fare back to an easy to calculate 2 dollars, it really only has value for when you put on 20 dollars or more at a time. - A Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAA89 Posted November 30, 2009 Share #17 Posted November 30, 2009 Not this issue again. I have no clue why people complain. Whatever your balance, you can always refill a Metrocard at a Vending Machine to add up to 1 (or more rides). The issue here seems to be that some people feel that, in order to add up to an exact number of rides, say, $22.50 (or 10 rides), the exact dollar amount that should be added to a card to make $22.50 when the 15% bonus is counted, is not a multiple of 5 cents ($19.57). Since MVMs do not accept pennies, the only amounts valid must be those rounded to the nearest nickel. I find this argument rather weak. Just add $20 instead. The total amount (15% bonus x $20 = $3) is $23. Once you get 10 rides (use up $22.50) there will be 50 cents remaining, so now another $1.75 would add up to one full ride. It is perfectly okay to add the $1.75, use the ride, zero your balance and then refill the card in the future, assuming you are not a regular subway rider (so you don't want your card to expire with a balance). But in practice, if you use a card regularly, I do not see why you would even have to top-up to one ride as shown. Just keep refilling your card for as long as it lasts (until its expiry date). Some will say that adding the $1.75 is a loss since you do not get the 15% bonus for such small amounts. The thing is, no one needs to round up to exact rides, ever. What difference does it make to you knowing you have 20.22 rides left as opposed to 20 rides. When you get to the last .22 rides (50 cents), just refill and carry on riding. People are being unreasonable on many levels here: 1) If you absolutely have to have an exact number of rides, just refill the appropriate amount to add up to $2.25 or a multiple of $2.25. Make sure it is a small amount (less than $8) so you do not have to worry about the 15% bonus kicking in and leaving you an unused balance. 2) If you ride the subways regularly, you do not need to have an exact number of rides on your card. As long as you are aware of the maximum whole number of rides on your card, balances shouldn't bother you. Just keep refilling, and balances and bonuses will be added on to the card every time you do. 3) It's a matter of a few cents. One of the commentators on the Daily News article is unhappy that the MVM will not debit $19.57 from his credit card, and requires rounding up to the nearest nickel. It's only 3 more cents to the nearest nickel, and in a whole year of refilling will hardly add up to one or two dollars (which the MTA is not 'stealing'; remember, balances left on your card are taken into account when the card is refilled). 4) If you are afraid that your card(s) will expire with a balance, don't worry. MVMs will refuse to add value to a card that is within 28 days of its expiry date, and will issue you a new card instead. Or you could just periodically ask a station agent to trade-in your card for a new one. Of course, even if you do have a balance on your card when it expires, I think it is possible to get a refund from the . The isn't "thieving" people's money in any way. I am not often pro- but in this case the blame lies solely on people who won't do the math. If you are too dumb to realize that you are throwing away perfectly good cards with money on them, then you don't deserve that wealth in the first place. Demonizing the is a sad excuse for your own ignorance. I also wonder why these threads keep popping up. http://www.nyctransitforums.com/forums/showthread.php?p=166849#post166849 http://www.nyctransitforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12222 I feel no sympathy when people lose their money due to their own fault. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAA89 Posted November 30, 2009 Share #18 Posted November 30, 2009 The RIOC Tramway accepts pay per ride, day, week, and monthly passes. I only really use a PPR card because i need it to ride PATH. I don't only ride between NJ and NY, i often ride between locations in NY and in NJ as well, such as newark to newport, or exchange place to journal square, 14th st to 33rd st etc. I would rather get rid of the bonus system & get the fare back to an easy to calculate 2 dollars, it really only has value for when you put on 20 dollars or more at a time. - A I disagree. Keep the bonus. Single-Ride and low value (less than $8) ticket buyers should always have to pay a penalty, in other words, there should be a discount for purchasing larger numbers of rides at each time. It doesn't matter whether the fare is 2 or 2.25. Making the fare 2 dollars and eliminating bonuses will make a single ride ticket cost the same per ride as someone refilling $50. The latter person (making the bigger purchase) should always be the beneficiary of a discount for buying in bulk. Eliminating this discount (in the form of a bonus) would be a travesty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NX Express Posted November 30, 2009 Share #19 Posted November 30, 2009 The isn't "thieving" people's money in any way. I am not often pro- but in this case the blame lies solely on people who won't do the math. If you are too dumb to realize that you are throwing away perfectly good cards with money on them, then you don't deserve that wealth in the first place. Demonizing the is a sad excuse for your own ignorance.----- I feel no sympathy when people lose their money due to their own fault. I just can't agree any more. Ugh:(. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAA89 Posted November 30, 2009 Share #20 Posted November 30, 2009 It's money you can never use, I dont think there is away to get that money off the card as a fare. For the MTA, that $.56 or $.32 adds up. I do not know how you ever ended up with such weird balances. It seems to me that there aren't any permutations (value added, bonuses, previous balances, rides taken) that would ever allow a balance that does not end with a 0 or a 5, that is, isn't a multiple of a nickel. I for one have never seen a MetroCard with $0.56 or $0.32 on it. With my yearly unlimited Metrocard I don't run into this issue. How do you get a "yearly" unlimited MetroCard? Did you just buy 12 30-Day Unlimiteds? If you have a job with the MTA I thought entry would be free (using your employee ID). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ty24 Posted November 30, 2009 Share #21 Posted November 30, 2009 It was stupid to raise the fare to an odd amount of $2.25,It will only leave odd change.Sounds like a rip-off. I agree it is a rip-off the MTA knows exactly what they are doing!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Y2Julio Posted November 30, 2009 Share #22 Posted November 30, 2009 I do not know how you ever ended up with such weird balances. It seems to me that there aren't any permutations (value added, bonuses, previous balances, rides taken) that would ever allow a balance that does not end with a 0 or a 5, that is, isn't a multiple of a nickel. I for one have never seen a MetroCard with $0.56 or $0.32 on it. How do you get a "yearly" unlimited MetroCard? Did you just buy 12 30-Day Unlimiteds? If you have a job with the MTA I thought entry would be free (using your employee ID). I get a yearly unlimited Metrocard via TransitChek, they take out the money for the card every pay period before taxes. I never have to go refill or buy anything. I use the same card for a year until they send me one for the next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAA89 Posted December 1, 2009 Share #23 Posted December 1, 2009 I get a yearly unlimited Metrocard via TransitChek, they take out the money for the card every pay period before taxes. I never have to go refill or buy anything. I use the same card for a year until the send me one for the next year. Oh, okay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grand Concourse Posted December 1, 2009 Share #24 Posted December 1, 2009 As much as I hate the 'odd balance', I do like the idea that now riders have to keep using the same card than to just throw it on the ground adding to the mess onf the floor. Until the system adopts a 'touch pass' [like those EZ-pass tags], this means of 'recycling' is the next best thing. And thanks to S/A Vee, I now know that I can take 5 cards and combine the left over amounts and put them into one card. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lennyj17 Posted December 1, 2009 Share #25 Posted December 1, 2009 I dont think I've ever had a balance less than 2$ on my card, usually throw another 80$ on my card when it got down to about 10$ this was back when I was refilling at the MVM... Easy Pay now auto refills my card with 80$ once I'm down to 7$ or go below 7 on the nose it refills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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