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Apr 9, 2024, 7:52 pm
#16
ijgordon
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,457
I wonder how theyre going to enforce the final rides. I believe the EasyPay card doesnt carry a live balance and has to somehow update periodically (daily?) in a batch process that sends the info to all the readers whether the card is valid or not. Thats the reason theres a $20 replenishment threshold, so they can ensure theres always enough balance between updates. Im thinking there will be a way to exploit this when the balance gets low and take a few extra rides - which will put the account into negative balance territory. I suppose they could retain the right to charge you to bring that back to zero, perhaps the virtual card trick on that last day before you run the balance down could get around that.
But I suppose Im veering into un-allowed-on-FT territory, lol.
Oh, and funnily enough, 2 days after I got the termination letter with the OMNY card in the mail, I got a new EasyPay Express card - my current one expires later this month. 
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Apr 10, 2024, 11:21 am
#17
themicah
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: NYC
Posts: 8,544
Originally Posted by ijgordon
I wonder how theyre going to enforce the final rides. I believe the EasyPay card doesnt carry a live balance and has to somehow update periodically (daily?) in a batch process that sends the info to all the readers whether the card is valid or not. Thats the reason theres a $20 replenishment threshold,
That's a good question! Looking at our card history, the "posted date" seems to consistently be the day after the "tx date & time". We used my wife's card 5 times on 4/6 (swiped for more than one person as we're trying to use it up) and her balance had dipped more than one ride below the $20 threshold before it went into "REVOKE" status.
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Apr 11, 2024, 1:31 pm
#18
lavedder
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 517
Originally Posted by themicah
I bet they're waiting for the reduced-fare OMNY cards to come available, as I don't think those have been released yet.
I called and they confirmed that I should keep using my senior reduced fare EasyPay metrocard until the new reduced fare OMNY card becomes available. So I guess the turnstile reader can still read some form of metrocard.
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Apr 12, 2024, 9:02 am
#19
themicah
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: NYC
Posts: 8,544
I have a friend with some full-fare Easypay cards who hasn't gotten an email or letter about the end-of-life. Seems weird?
Metrocards are definitely not going away just yet. But I think they're steadily weaning people off of them. Also, I'm pretty sure it's possible to get a reduced fare OMNY account and then add a regular OMNY card to it, so not sure why they're keeping the senior Easypay cards available.
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Apr 12, 2024, 1:49 pm
#20
lavedder
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 517
That is for people like myself who prefer to use an OMNY card much like the present Metrocard instead of using the phone, a wearable device or debit/credit to pay. Yes,I wonder why the reduced fare OMNY cards are not available yet.
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Apr 12, 2024, 2:01 pm
#21
themicah
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: NYC
Posts: 8,544
Originally Posted by lavedder
That is for people like myself who prefer to use an OMNY card much like the present Metrocard instead of using the phone, a wearable device or debit/credit to pay. Yes,I wonder why the reduced fare OMNY cards are not available yet.
I'm 90% sure you can already do that. Here are instructions for setting up a reduced fare OMNY online account if you already have a reduced fare Metrocard:
https://new.mta.info/fares/reduced-fare/omny
Once you have the reduced fare OMNY account set up online, I'm pretty sure you can buy a $1 OMNY card from a vending machine, add it to your reduced fare OMNY account, and that card will now effectively be a reduced fare OMNY card. It's not clear to me whether you can add cash at a vending machine/booth or if you can only top it up online with a credit/debit card, though. If I'm wrong about that, please feel free to correct me as I don't have anyone in my family eligible for reduced fares.
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Apr 13, 2024, 12:30 pm
#22
lavedder
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 517
My senior reduced fare EasyPay metrocard has my photo on it so it differs from a regular metrocard. I will wait till they send me the replacement OMNY card as they may transfer my photo onto the new card.
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Apr 13, 2024, 7:23 pm
#23
Petdog
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: NYC
Posts: 344
Originally Posted by themicah
My employer issues a HealthEquity/Wageworks debit card that has an NFC chip so you can tap it at OMNY readers. Unfortunately the Healthequity debit card doesn't work with Apple Wallet, though, so I either have to carry that card around and fish it out to pay for the subway, or I just use a regular credit card with Apple Pay and email my credit card statement to Wageworks each month to get reimbursed for my transit payments.
I just use the debit card. Simple and straightforward, if slightly annoying to carry an additional card. Maybe one day OMNY and/or HealthEquity/Wageworks will work with Apple Wallet.
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Apr 14, 2024, 12:56 pm
#24
themicah
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: NYC
Posts: 8,544
Originally Posted by lavedder
My senior reduced fare EasyPay metrocard has my photo on it so it differs from a regular metrocard. I will wait till they send me the replacement OMNY card as they may transfer my photo onto the new card.
The instructions on this page are specifically for Metrocards with photos on them:
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May 24, 2024, 8:04 pm
#25
jdhnyc
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: NYC
Posts: 101
Originally Posted by Petdog
I just use the debit card. Simple and straightforward, if slightly annoying to carry an additional card. Maybe one day OMNY and/or HealthEquity/Wageworks will work with Apple Wallet.
It sounds like we're in the same boat! I have been waiting for EdenRed (what my employer switched to after WageWorks) to get onboard the OMNY train. In the meantime, I got the debit card and use it to refill my OMNY card. I don't like extra cards either but the great thing about it is I just have the payment information saved on the OMNY website and have it autofill weekly so I just leave the debit card in a drawer.
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May 25, 2024, 7:49 pm
#26
ijgordon
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,457
I just got a WageWorks card (newish job) - fortunately it does work with Apple Pay, but I had to call and speak to a person to activate the digital wallet. So will wind down my Easypay Metrocard and start directly using my wageworks with my phone. ^
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May 28, 2024, 8:18 am
#27
themicah
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: NYC
Posts: 8,544
Originally Posted by ijgordon
I just got a WageWorks card (newish job) - fortunately it does work with Apple Pay, but I had to call and speak to a person to activate the digital wallet. So will wind down my Easypay Metrocard and start directly using my wageworks with my phone. ^
Holy crap. Wageworks/healthequity cards apparently enabled Applepay compatibility in February and I would never have known if not for your post! While it was fun getting Chase points and then getting manually reimbursed by Wageworks, I'll be quite happy to forego the points and just have Applepay pull my OMNY rides directly.
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May 28, 2024, 7:35 pm
#28
ijgordon
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,457
Originally Posted by themicah
Holy crap. Wageworks/healthequity cards apparently enabled Applepay compatibility in February and I would never have known if not for your post! While it was fun getting Chase points and then getting manually reimbursed by Wageworks, I'll be quite happy to forego the points and just have Applepay pull my OMNY rides directly.
Haha happy to help!
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May 28, 2024, 11:24 pm
#29
Petdog
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: NYC
Posts: 344
Originally Posted by ijgordon
I just got a WageWorks card (newish job) - fortunately it does work with Apple Pay, but I had to call and speak to a person to activate the digital wallet. So will wind down my Easypay Metrocard and start directly using my wageworks with my phone. ^
Fantastic tip!
I just added my HealthEquity card to ApplePay didnt even need to call!
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Jun 6, 2024, 3:23 pm
#30
lrdpenn
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: AA, UA, Marriott
Posts: 1,498
Well, you can indeed use the final ride on the Airtrain. RIP EasyPay Metrocard, I will miss you.
Originally Posted by ijgordon
I wonder how theyre going to enforce the final rides. I believe the EasyPay card doesnt carry a live balance and has to somehow update periodically (daily?) in a batch process that sends the info to all the readers whether the card is valid or not. Thats the reason theres a $20 replenishment threshold, so they can ensure theres always enough balance between updates. Im thinking there will be a way to exploit this when the balance gets low and take a few extra rides - which will put the account into negative balance territory. I suppose they could retain the right to charge you to bring that back to zero, perhaps the virtual card trick on that last day before you run the balance down could get around that.
I do wonder if anyone has tried that...
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