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Metrocard Universal Refill


mtattrain

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I very much like this idea. The CharlieCard here in Boston is a bit similar but we can only store monthly passes on our cards in addition to pay-per-ride fares, I believe. And now the $1 surcharge on new cards next month can be avoided until your metrocard expires.

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Pretty smart idea! Its about time they did this. I don't even think the PATH Smartlink can do this (can it? I thought you couldn't put unlimited rides on there if you already had fare or vice versa). You no longer have to carry around multiple cards, and now the fare on your card can be used as an "emergency fare" if you forgot your unlimited ran out.

 

Now here's the thing they didn't remind you about... March 3rd's fare increase.

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Is this true even for cards that were purchased and used before February 20th? What I currently do is keep a few Unlimited Express Bus Plus cards with me to refill for a few weeks and then have a Pay-Per-Ride in case I forget to refill the Unlimited cards or don't need one due to holidays, vacation, etc.

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Is this true even for cards that were purchased and used before February 20th? What I currently do is keep a few Unlimited Express Bus Plus cards with me to refill for a few weeks and then have a Pay-Per-Ride in case I forget to refill the Unlimited cards or don't need one due to holidays, vacation, etc.

 

Yes it is true. If you are using a current a Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard or Unlimited Ride MetroCard purchased before Feb 20th you can refill it without having to pay the $1.00 dollar surcharge for a new one. You better hurry up though.

 

http://www.mta.info/metrocard/mcCombinationValue.htm

 

 

  • Whether you choose to add time or value, just bring your MetroCard to any MetroCard Vending Machine or station booth to make your transaction.
  • The MTA will begin charging a $1.00 “new card fee” for the purchase of a new MetroCard on March 3, 2013. By refilling and reusing your current MetroCard, you will avoid this additional fee. 
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I'm just going to hold on to the ones that I have and refill them like I currently do this way they won't get worn out as quickly.

 

I just thought of something..... wouldn't this move also discourage the metrocard scammers from ripping us commuters off? Think about it.... The game behind that is that they have to buy multiple unlimited metrocards to perform their scams. Not just one. They now may be more reluctant to do that than ever if they have to pay a $1.00 surcharge at every purchase of a new one. Along with the 18 min limit between swipes on unlimited cards it would be pretty tough for such simpleton scam artists to even make a profit on this.

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I refill my metrocards anyway; don't think I've ever possessed more than 15-20 metrocards (not counting the school issued metrocards, but cards I've had to come out my own pocket for)..... I used tokens up until the very last day they were acceptable as payment (which was around the early 2000's)..... At the time, I always found it *stupid* (for lack of a better word) that people discarded their metrocards as easily & nonchalantly as they did, instead of keeping the things & utilizing them up until their date of expiration...... So I don't feel a particular way either way about this "universal refill" procedure that'll take place....

 

....But the charging of a fee for a new metrocard - Should've been in place from day one IMO.... In a lot of cases, people are throwing money away when they realize there's less than a fare's worth on the card.... Now knowing that you'll have to pay a buck for every new card, it'll make ppl. think twice about getting a new one.... So not only will you be throwing away pennies on the dollar (w/e non-zero value) left on these cards that's thrown away, you'll be throwing away a dollar PLUS that non-vero value..... Singularly, it may sound menial, but shit adds up over time.....

 

I honestly think if ppl. didn't discard their metrocards on the ground to the tune that they do/have, the MTA would've never resorted to this dollar fee or whatever.... It's just like w/ some (americanized) chinese food stores, where they see the soy/duck/hot sauce packets sprawled all over the ground & what not.... Shit costs money; they figure it's enough that we give you as much of these condiment packets for free, and this is what you do with them.... So okay, if you want extra, you're gonna have to come out of pocket now.... Can't say I really blame 'em...... Same idea w/ the condiments for mcdonalds' nuggets; you want extra sauces, they charge you extra......

 

Nowadays in the subway system, you'll see just as much metrocards on the ground as you do cigarrette butts (not saying having them on the ground are acceptable either); I mean, this city is filthy enough as it is.....This may piss off the opportunists (that pick up metrocards off the ground; it's basically free money to them if anything's on em), but a fee for a new metrocard is long overdue.....

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Bingo. 

 

By the $1.00 surcharge it may discourage such annoying metrocard scammers from asking us if we want a swipe for a charge. What are they going to do? Spend an extra 1.00 from cards spewed all over the floor to buy the multiple metrocards that they need to rip us off? Are they the MTA appointed collection agents? 

 

I can understand the guys and gals who are out of luck, who needs a swipe just to get where they need to go because they are broke but polite and sincere about it... I actually do bless them with a swipe out of a kind heart if I'm on my way out of a station, as I can understand those whom are under tough times, it's all good. I've been in seriously very hard situations before and I can sympathize .... 

 

But it's these annoying metrocard scammers trying to deliberately steal money from us that is rightly due to the agency that provides us with this service in the first place. Don't steal my hard earned money that should be swiped into the MTA bank account that can go towards future funding through capital projects for improved service... Really personally speaking from a subjective standpoint I did really gave them a mouthful let alone keep myself back from bitch slapping them for even trying it with realizm thinking I'm even going to fall for such idiotic scams, hence my non-elitist law abiding citizen angry straphanger rant.....

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I have 2 Metrocards left over from my trip in August. Were these purchased too early to be refillable?

 

According to the official website you have until March 3rd to refill those metrocards before you are required to pay the $1.00 fee. They will even replace the metrocards free of charge before that date if damaged or expired.  But confirm that with an MTA fare collection agent before taking my word for it, I'm getting this info from their website and of course conditions and fare collection policy are subject to change.

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According to the official website you have until March 3rd to refill those metrocards before you are required to pay the $1.00 fee. They will even replace the metrocards free of charge before that date if damaged or expired.  But confirm that with an MTA fare collection agent before taking my word for it, I'm getting this info from their website and of course conditions and fare collection policy are subject to change.

I'm getting confused as hell... So can I just refill the current MetroCards that I have as I have been doing or do I have to get new ones and refill those??

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I'm getting confused as hell... So can I just refill the current MetroCards that I have as I have been doing or do I have to get new ones and refill those??

 

Just refill the current ones and put more currency on them, just don't let them sit around until March 3rd. But again ask a fare collection agent or in your case the B/O to confirm that, I'm just a mere poor computer tech lol.

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Just refill the current ones and put more currency on them, just don't let them sit around until March 3rd. But again ask a fare collection agent or in your case the B/O to confirm that, I'm just a mere poor computer tech lol.

lol... I think it should be fine... I just refilled one of my express bus cards a day or so ago and I'm going to refill two of them next week, so we'll see. I mean I'd be pissed if I put $150.00 on those cards for three weeks of express bus service and there was a problem.

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I have 2 Metrocards left over from my trip in August. Were these purchased too early to be refillable?

I'm getting confused as hell... So can I just refill the current MetroCards that I have as I have been doing or do I have to get new ones and refill those??

 

@TTC: There's an expiration date on the back of the metrocard... generally speaking, they're usually good for about a year (more or less)...

So you should be good, if you wanted to come back to NYC & use/refill those 2 metrocards

 

@ the both of you: You can refill any current metrocard (assuming it's not about to expire obviously); you don't have to buy any additional metrocard on March 3rd, onward due to this......

 

 

All it's saying is that after March 3rd, if you want a new metrocard, you'll have to pay a dollar for it....

Any card purchased before then will not become obsolete/unusable/unrefillable.......

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