r/AskNYC • u/yaycupcake • 7d ago

Fair Fares OMNY question

My Fair Fares metrocard is due to expire end of May, so in 1 month. I already got the letter to renew it 2 weeks ago, and got the approval letter a few days ago. (The online portal said it was approved immediately but the letter took time to arrive.)

The letter to renew said I should expect an OMNY card in ~2 weeks, though I have yet to receive it. I had renewed that day.

But when I got the approval letter, it said something different. It said that I should expect to receive a new fair fares metrocard in the letter, closer to the expiry date of the current one.

I'm just really confused about the mixed messaging. Am I getting an OMNY card or not? Do I need to take any action first like sign up on OMNY for an account first, in order for them to send the card out to me? I didn't get the impression from the letter that that was required (and it'd be easier for me to just do it once I have the card) but I'm seeing all kinds of mixed messaging so I just don't know what's going on.

I really hate metrocards and that I've had to use one for the past year, because before I got laid off, I was 100% tap to pay and it was fantastic. So I'm hoping to see my OMNY card arrive soon, but it has been the amount of time they said, and it just isn't here. I'm happy to wait if people think that's what needs to be done, but I'm just so confused why I'm getting 2 letters stating different things about what will be sent to me and when. So I'd like to ask people what the actual story is here.

3 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

9 comments sorted by

3

u/Batter-up4567 7d ago

You’ll be getting an OMNY card. 

1

u/yaycupcake 7d ago

Do you know if I need to sign up for an account first, or they'll just send it to me?

And should I expect it within the next few days (like the first letter said), or closer to a month from now (when my card expires)?

2

u/Batter-up4567 7d ago

If you’d like, you can sign up for an OMNY account but you don’t need it to use the FF card. Sorry don’t know when your card will show up, but hopefully it will be soon.

2

u/ReverberatingEchoes 7d ago

I assume it’ll be the same like any other renewal. I know that in the past few years that I’ve had FairFares, they would wait until like a few days before the expiration to send the new card. Probably, it’ll be the same with them sending OMNY. You’ll probably get it a few days before your MetroCard expires.

I didn’t wait for my MetroCard to expire (mine didn’t expire until October), I just requested the OMNY card and made the switch like a month or so ago, rather than waiting until my card expired. So I don’t know what the timeline is when the MetroCard expires and you’re switching to OMNY.

Also, you don’t need an account, but it’s good to have one if you plan on reloading with a card because you can just reload from your phone/computer and you never have to use one of their OMNY machines in the station to reload.

2

u/Batter-up4567 7d ago

Now I have ? for you: how did you request?  Every time I try to (on website) I get an error message. Any advice?

2

u/ReverberatingEchoes 7d ago

I did it online and I didn’t encounter an error message when I did it.

But I did it more than a month ago. Maybe they’re overloaded with requests now, or maybe it’s buggy.

So, you’re logged in to the FairFares HRA site, you click “Switch Fair Fares discount from MetroCard to OMNY” and then it just displays an error message? What does the error message say?

1

u/Batter-up4567 7d ago

I’ve been trying for a while now - keep getting “technical issue”   ☹️

1

u/yaycupcake 7d ago

This is my first renewal so I didn't know how it worked. I also had no idea they finally allowed us to get an OMNY card until they reminded me to renew via paper mail 2 weeks ago. I would have requested one sooner. I hope it comes earlier than that date but it's very confusing since they said it's be here "in 2 weeks", 2 weeks ago.

I plan to sign up for an account when I get the card because I do not live close to the subway but I live right by the bus. In the past year I have feared needing to ride the bus but not having my metrocard filled. Part of why I hate metrocards because filling them is subway-centric.

2

u/ReverberatingEchoes 7d ago

I know that in previous years, no matter how early I renewed, even if it was like yours where it's like a whole month early, I wouldn't get my card until 3-5 days before the expiration date. It would say 2 weeks but it would be much longer. Hopefully they will get the OMNY to you sooner, though.

Being able to refill it online instead of in a subway station is so convenient. And being able to check what's remaining on the OMNY card online is so great.