May 22, 2025
New York City subway and bus commuters are expressing significant frustration over widespread glitches with the MTA's OMNY fare payment system. Riders report experiencing delayed charges, difficulties tapping through turnstiles, and exceptionally long wait times for customer service, raising concerns as the MetroCard's 2026 sunset approaches.

Delayed Charges and Billing Confusion Plague OMNY Users

A primary point of contention for OMNY users is the inconsistent and delayed processing of transactions. Many riders, like Vanessa Campos, 28, have been surprised by multiple charges appearing days later on their bank statements, even after taking only a few trips. Campos recounted being charged 18 times for just two round trips, with her phone repeatedly buzzing with transaction notifications after a single tap.

MTA officials acknowledge these issues, attributing them to "delayed charges" rather than overcharging. John McCarthy, MTA chief of policy and external relations, stated, "What we're seeing is delayed charges and then they come in a cluster." Jessie Lazarus, the transit agency’s deputy chief of commercial ventures, explained that ongoing software upgrades to OMNY could lead to these processing delays, particularly during the summer months.

Customer Service Bottlenecks Add to Rider Frustration

Beyond billing discrepancies, commuters are facing significant hurdles when attempting to resolve OMNY-related issues. Social media is rife with complaints about dropped calls, unreturned emails, and wait times exceeding 100 people for the OMNY customer service line. Chelsea Hall, a regular No. 7 line commuter, described her unsuccessful attempts to get answers regarding her repeatedly declined pre-tax benefits card.

The MTA attributes issues with pre-tax benefit cards to similar third-party software problems. While the MTA recently issued a notice on its app and website acknowledging "tap-and-go processing delays" and assuring riders they aren't being overcharged, the current customer service capacity appears insufficient to address the volume of rider concerns.

More and More New Yorkers are Seeing This Way Too Often...

OMNY's Rocky Road to Full Implementation

The current OMNY glitches are the latest in a series of challenges for the tap-and-go system, which is set to fully replace the MetroCard by January 2026. Previous issues have included slow deployment, unfulfilled promises for use on Metro-North and the Long Island Rail Road, and complaints from parents regarding schoolchild OMNY cards.

Despite these ongoing "bugs," MTA officials remain confident that OMNY will be "bulletproof" by the time the MetroCard is phased out. Lazarus stated, "Our goal and our North Star is kind of instant [payment] settlement." She added, "This is our system adding capacity and becoming scalable so that by the time we get to MetroCard sunset in January 2026, we’re good to go.”

As New York City transitions to a fully tap-and-go fare system, riders are hopeful that the MTA will swiftly address these persistent OMNY glitches and improve customer support to ensure a smooth and reliable commute for all.