Apple Pay coming to NYC transit in July, NFL in time for regular season
In revealing Q2 results Apple CEO Tim Cook made several announcements related to Apple Pay, including launch windows for New York City transit and the NFL.
MTA riders in New York City will see Apple Pay begin a rollout in July, Cook said. That's later than hinted in a earlier report, which pointed to a spring timeframe.
NYC is a must-have market for public transit. The New York metropolitan area has over 23 million people, many of whom use trains and bus lines every day. The only other U.S. cities with Apple Pay Transit are Chicago and Portland, Ore.
That technology lets people use their iPhone or Apple Watch like a card, quickly scanning their way through turnstiles and kiosks.
Regarding the NFL, Cook said the league will be rolling out Apple Pay in an unspecified manner in time for this year's regular season, which starts in September. Many stadiums already support Apple Pay, but this compatibility isn't necessarily universal.
The CEO likewise added that Ticketmaster is planning to expand Apple Pay for both iOS and the Web, without going into greater detail.
MTA riders in New York City will see Apple Pay begin a rollout in July, Cook said. That's later than hinted in a earlier report, which pointed to a spring timeframe.
NYC is a must-have market for public transit. The New York metropolitan area has over 23 million people, many of whom use trains and bus lines every day. The only other U.S. cities with Apple Pay Transit are Chicago and Portland, Ore.
That technology lets people use their iPhone or Apple Watch like a card, quickly scanning their way through turnstiles and kiosks.
Regarding the NFL, Cook said the league will be rolling out Apple Pay in an unspecified manner in time for this year's regular season, which starts in September. Many stadiums already support Apple Pay, but this compatibility isn't necessarily universal.
The CEO likewise added that Ticketmaster is planning to expand Apple Pay for both iOS and the Web, without going into greater detail.
Comments
Timeline (source: https://www.amny.com/transit/metrocard-replacement-omny-1.29297988):
MetroCard phase out timeline:
—Late May, 2019: Initial pilot on Lexington Avenue line and Staten Island Buses
—2019: Incorporate payments via digital wallets, like Apple Pay, Samsung Pay or Google Pay
—Fall 2019: OMNY account management live on new MTA website and phone app
—December 2020: OMNY readers launch at all subway stations and bus routes
—February 2021: OMNY cards launch, on sale at local retailers
—February 2021: Launch OMNY/eTix 2.0 for Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North
—Late 2021: Incorporate other transit networks in region
—2022: Install 2,180 OMNY vending card machines in MTA stations
—2023: Retire MetroCard
And yes, it does look like the rollout of that OMNY thing is connected to the digital wallets, including Apple Pay.
There is one big annoyance though. You swipe your Metrocard for each turnstile on the right since most people are right handed. So the NFC reader is going on the right of each turnstile as well. However most people who are right handed wear their watch on their left wrist. That means if you want to pay with an Apple Watch instead of your phone you’ve got to do some awkward turn sideways and stretch your arm to the other side maneuver to get close enough to the reader.