Apple Pay with Express Transit arrives at Penn Station in New York City

AppleInsider

New York's Metro Transportation Authority continued a planned rollout of its Apple Pay Express Transit-compatible One Metro New York, or OMNY, system on Wednesday, expanding support to the busy hub at 34th St.-Penn Station.

Source: MTA

Announced in a press release, the new OMNY availability is part of the MTA's ongoing efforts to modernize its payment network.

A total of 96 OMNY readers at 18 turnstile arrays serving the A, C, E and 1, 2, 3 subway lines now accept Apple Pay and touchless payment solutions from American Express, Discover, Mastercard and Visa. Google Pay, Samsung Pay and Fitbit Pay are also accepted.

With OMNY, riders simply tap their compatible contactless card or device like iPhone and Apple Watch on an active turnstile to payment point to enter subway stations or MTA-run buses. Additionally, support for Express Transit means iPhone and Apple Watch users can conduct touchless terminal transactions without unlocking or waking their device.

By the end of December, OMNY is slated to go live at 85 subway stations across NYC, all MTA-operated buses on Staten Island and two Staten Island Railway stations. A wide rollout to all subway stations and MTA buses is planned for completion by the end of 2020.

"Today is yet another momentous occasion in the continued rollout of OMNY, the MTA's game-changing contactless fare payment system," said Andy Byford, president, NYC Transit. "Penn Station is one of the system's busiest subway stations and will allow hundreds of thousands of commuters the opportunity to tap and ride using a device or contactless card of their own choosing, including customers arriving on the Long Island Rail Road, New Jersey Transit, and Amtrak, who connect with the subway system here at Penn Station. Chase, Visa and other partners have done an immense amount of work to help spread the word about OMNY and we're thankful for their support."

Apple Pay with Express Transit mode first debuted at a handful of NYC subway stations and buses in May. For now, OMNY offers a flat-fare, pay-per-ride option, though alternative fare products like passes are expected for availability in 2020.

folio

Good. Now if only J. Ive in his expanse of spare time could redesign one of the world's most hellish stations

chadbag

Great!   Contactless payments for transit are very handy.  While I don't ride in NYC I have used my apple watch as contactless payment in Japan with the virtual suica card app and it is awesome.  NYC folks should love it.  

applesauce007

Wow... That is huge.
That is the the BIG Daddy transportation hub in NYC.
A lot of ApplePay transactions will come from there.
Go Apple !

payeco

chadbag said:

Great!   Contactless payments for transit are very handy.  While I don't ride in NYC I have used my apple watch as contactless payment in Japan with the virtual suica card app and it is awesome.  NYC folks should love it.  

Suica is awesome. I love how you can add more money right from the iOS wallet app.

I can’t wait for the systemwide rollout of OMNY here in NYC. Unfortunately it’s of no use to me until they launch unlimited passes and it’s up in the air right now when that will actually be.

tyler82

Does NY not already have contactless payment? In DC Metro you buy a card and then fill the card. The card itself is contactless, you just hover it above the turnstile. Makes a huge difference. Never ridden NY subway though. 

boxcatcher

So how do you get it in Apple Wallet ...?

oh... unlike Japan’s system (where you get a separate, loadable card that you then add to Apple Wallet), it seems you can just tap compatible credit cards.  You have to enable the Express Transit option.

edited December 2019

jfc_pa

I’m looking forward to implementation in the future of discount ride support. So for a while more I’ll be swiping my senior ride fare card. 

But slowly but surely my physical wallet IS getting slimmer as more and more memberships get stored in my Apple Wallet alongside my MOMA membership. 

edited December 2019

jfc_pa

boxcatcher said:

So how do you get it in Apple Wallet ...?

oh... unlike Japan’s system (where you get a separate, loadable card that you then add to Apple Wallet), it seems you can just tap compatible credit cards.  You have to enable the Express Transit option.

That may be added as support rolls out for the variety of discount fare cards they support beyond full fare rides. 

zoetmb

Folio said:

Good. Now if only J. Ive in his expanse of spare time could redesign one of the world's most hellish stations

Well, it's not the subway area, which won't change, but a lot of what takes place in Penn Station is being moved to the Farley Post Office building, to the Moynihan Hall for AMTRAK and the LIRR.   That building has the same vintage as the original Penn Station that was torn down to make way for Madison Square Garden.   The subway area is exactly as awful as just about every other large subway station in NYC.

 

zoetmb

JFC_PA said:

boxcatcher said:

So how do you get it in Apple Wallet ...?

oh... unlike Japan’s system (where you get a separate, loadable card that you then add to Apple Wallet), it seems you can just tap compatible credit cards.  You have to enable the Express Transit option.

That may be added as support rolls out for the variety of discount fare cards they support beyond full fare rides. 

On the subway, there's no discount anymore for buying >X amount of fare.   There's still a discount for weekly and monthly passes, but it's very meager.  You have to use the subway >2x per day to make it a good deal.    And on the Long Island Railroad, it doesn't make any sense for a regular commuter to buy a single ticket.   I don't know how this would work on AMTRAK (or if it's supposed to) because AMTRAK is all reserved seating, so you have to have a ticket.  

jfc_pa

zoetmb said:

JFC_PA said:

boxcatcher said:

So how do you get it in Apple Wallet ...?

oh... unlike Japan’s system (where you get a separate, loadable card that you then add to Apple Wallet), it seems you can just tap compatible credit cards.  You have to enable the Express Transit option.

That may be added as support rolls out for the variety of discount fare cards they support beyond full fare rides. 

On the subway, there's no discount anymore for buying >X amount of fare.   There's still a discount for weekly and monthly passes, but it's very meager.  You have to use the subway >2x per day to make it a good deal.    And on the Long Island Railroad, it doesn't make any sense for a regular commuter to buy a single ticket.   I don't know how this would work on AMTRAK (or if it's supposed to) because AMTRAK is all reserved seating, so you have to have a ticket.  

There’s the senior discount for riders above a specific age. 

“

Reduced-Fare MetroCard

Reduced fares are available for MTA subway, bus, and rail customers who are 65 or older or who have qualifying disabilities.

The reduced fare is half the base fare. The base fare for subways and local buses is $2.75, so the reduced fare is $1.35.

The Reduced-Fare MetroCard is a personalized card with your name and photo. You must apply for the card and be approved to receive it. To apply, please follow the instructions below.  

When applying, you can choose our EasyPay option for automatic refills. If you don’t have a Reduce-Fare MetroCard, you can still get reduced fares when paying with cash. See details below.”

https://new.mta.info/fares-and-tolls/subway-bus-and-staten-island-railway/reduced-fare-metrocard

edited December 2019

jay7

I'm glad to hear that! I just happen to be going to NYC soon.

So, all one needs to do to use the NYC Metro with Express Transit is to go into Apple Wallet, turn on Express Transit, pick which credit/debit card the funds should come from, and you're done?

This may b e a dumb question (I haven't ridden the NYC Metro in years and I can't remember exactly how the inside of the stations work)...

Suppose I use Express Transit (tap iPhone) at Penn Station and get on the 1 train (which can use Express Transit) and I get off the 1 train at Times Square and get on, say, the M train to Union Square (which doesn't currently have Express Transit enabled). How does that work? Do I have to use Express Transit (tap iPhone) at TS when I get off of the 1 train and then buy/use a Metro card at TS to get on the M toward Union Square?

jfc_pa

Jay7 said:

I'm glad to hear that! I just happen to be going to NYC soon.

So, all one needs to do to use the NYC Metro with Express Transit is to go into Apple Wallet, turn on Express Transit, pick which credit/debit card the funds should come from, and you're done?

This may b e a dumb question (I haven't ridden the NYC Metro in years and I can't remember exactly how the inside of the stations work)...

Suppose I use Express Transit (tap iPhone) at Penn Station and get on the 1 train (which can use Express Transit) and I get off the 1 train at Times Square and get on, say, the M train to Union Square (which doesn't currently have Express Transit enabled). How does that work? Do I have to use Express Transit (tap iPhone) at TS when I get off of the 1 train and then buy/use a Metro card at TS to get on the M toward Union Square?

Once you’ve entered the system you’re free to travel wherever you want. Just don’t exit as iirc transfers are handled differently. But for lines you can walk to without exiting you’re free just like anyone who entered using a metro card or pass etc. they’re not checked at exit: it’s a fare at entry system. 

Apple Maps with Transit selected shows which lines share stations  Or the MTA’s own maps. 

https://new.mta.info/sites/default/files/2019-10/subway_map_app_web_Oct_2019.pdf

On the OMNY site there is something about transfers. 

https://omny.info/faq/how-omny-works

edited December 2019

jay7

JFC_PA,
Thanks for the info! Much appreciated. 

I’m used to the metro system in the DC area which is a tap on entry, tap on exit system. The fare is then based on where you started and where you exited, regardless of how many different lines you may have used. 

mike1

I wish this same idea could be utilized for the ubiquitous door locks throughout many workplaces. Wouldn't need to carry around a key card.

payeco

boxcatcher said:

So how do you get it in Apple Wallet ...?

oh... unlike Japan’s system (where you get a separate, loadable card that you then add to Apple Wallet), it seems you can just tap compatible credit cards.  You have to enable the Express Transit option.

Actually with Suica in Japan you don’t need to ever have a physical card. You can load a new virtual card to your wallet app with the Suica app. Starting with iOS 13 you don’t even need the Suica app, you can create a new Suica card right from within the wallet app.

payeco

mike1 said:

I wish this same idea could be utilized for the ubiquitous door locks throughout many workplaces. Wouldn't need to carry around a key card.

It can. There are college campuses that already do this for dorm buildings. 

https://iphone.appleinsider.com/articles/18/10/02/apples-wallet-can-now-be-used-as-some-universities-as-an-id-and-dorm-key

mike1

payeco said:

mike1 said:

I wish this same idea could be utilized for the ubiquitous door locks throughout many workplaces. Wouldn't need to carry around a key card.

It can. There are college campuses that already do this for dorm buildings. 

https://iphone.appleinsider.com/articles/18/10/02/apples-wallet-can-now-be-used-as-some-universities-as-an-id-and-dorm-key

Yes, but the phone needs to still be authenticated each time, through Face/Touch ID. This makes sense for a college/dorm scenario, from a safety standpoint, but it's not as practical for a workplace. Maybe authenticate once to come in the main/employee entrance, but each lock already authorized to my key card would not need a separate Face ID authentication.

eric_wvgg

mike1 said:

I wish this same idea could be utilized for the ubiquitous door locks throughout many workplaces. Wouldn't need to carry around a key card.

This'll do it: https://www.getkisi.com

and no, @Mike1, the phone does not need to be authenticated with biometrics every time.

No Apple Watch, though.

mike1

Eric_WVGG said:

mike1 said:

I wish this same idea could be utilized for the ubiquitous door locks throughout many workplaces. Wouldn't need to carry around a key card.

This'll do it: https://www.getkisi.com

and no, @Mike1, the phone does not need to be authenticated with biometrics every time.

No Apple Watch, though.

Very cool. I recollect that Apple was working with HID or AWID or somebody to do this at the new HQ with a proprietary system.