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Conflicting reports have said that the MTA has discontinued accepting cash for MetroCards, though the MTA denies its cash accounting has ended.
“To be clear, no decision has been made and no decision was announced yesterday regarding cash returning to station booths. The MTA continues to review logistics and other considerations associated with accepting cash payments at subway station booths post-pandemic,” The MTA’s Acting Chief Communications Officer Tim Minton said in a statement on June 24.
As a safety measure during the pandemic, workers in subway station booths have not been dealing with cash or exchanging damaged MetroCards. Cash is still accepted at the automated machines, which can also be used to swap out recently expired MetroCards. Across the five boroughs, 1688 MetroCard vending machines still accept cash, as do 1470 merchants and convenience stores that sell MetroCards at no extra fee. Still, for those who may struggle with technology or prefer human interaction, the lack of ability to use cash at the booth may be frustrating.
“As we deliberately review future customer access to all forms of payment, we will continue to make the safety of our employees a top priority,” The MTA added in its statement.
New York State senator Julia Salazar tweeted that the MTA potentially permanently ending cash payment at booths is “A crime against poor people, full stop.”
In the past two years, the subway has added an influx of OMNY payment options at turnstiles in every station, that is, digital tap and pay kiosks that are simple to use with credit cards and smartphones. The problem is that not everyone has a credit card or smartphone, and many New Yorkers rely on cash as their only payment method for transportation and expenses. A plan to discontinue MetroCards in 2023 could be detrimental to this group.
Cash-free small businesses were critiqued as the concept popularized in recent years, and in January 2020, local legislation banned cashless businesses. Many are now asking: If all New York businesses must accept cash as a form of payment, shouldn’t the MTA, too?