Reduced Fares

Reduced fares are available for riders who are 65 or older or riders who have qualifying disabilities.

About reduced fares

  • The reduced fare is $1.35, or half of the base fare ($2.75) for subways and local buses.
  • A Reduced-Fare MetroCard is available for riders who use mobility aids or have service animals. 
  • If you already have a Reduced-Fare MetroCard, you can switch to OMNY. Just use the digital assistant to link your Reduced-Fare benefit to your smart phone with digital wallet enabled, or a contactless card. It’s quick and easy.

Qualifying disabilities

  • Receiving Medicare benefits for any reason other than age
  • Serious mental illness and receiving Supplemental Security Income
  • Blindness
  • Deafness or Hearing Loss
  • Ambulatory Disability
  • Cognitive Disability
  • Other Physical Disability

How to apply for a Reduced-Fare MetroCard

You can submit an application online, by mail, or in person. See how to apply.

Once you have a Reduced-Fare MetroCard, you can tap and ride with OMNY! Use your smartphone, wearable device, or contactless credit or debit card for reduced-fare rides and free transfers.

How to apply for a Reduced-Fare MetroCard

Switch to OMNY for auto-refills

Link your Reduced-Fare benefit to a smartphone, wearable decide, or a contactless debit or credit card and you won’t have to reload your card with fare value.

How to refill your card

At a MetroCard Vending Machine

  • Insert your reduced-fare card into the MetroCard machine in stations.
  • Refill it the way you normally would.
  • When you get your card back, you can swipe it as usual and the reduced fare will be automatically applied.

At a Mobile Sales Bus or Van

See the schedule for our buses and vans. 

Transferring value from an expired card

At a mobile sales bus or van

To transfer value from an expired card to a new one, visit one of our mobile sales buses and vans.

At our Customer Service Center

You can also make an appointment to visit our Customer Service Center at 3 Stone Street in Lower Manhattan.

At a station booth

Only a few station booths are making reduced-fare transactions. You can visit these locations.

The Bronx

  • 161 St-Yankee Stadium , Booth N203, 161 Street & Grand Concourse
  • E 180 St , Booth R325, East 180th Street & Morris Park Avenue
  • Pelham Bay Park , Booth R423, Pelham Bay Park & Westchester Avenue

Brooklyn

  • Atlantic Av Barclays Center , Booth R610, near the northbound  lines
  • Crown Heights Utica Av , Booth R626, at Eastern Parkway
  • Kings Highway , Booth B24, between East 15th and 16th streets

Manhattan

  • 42 St-Times Square , Booth R151, West side of 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue
  • 96 St , Booth R168, Broadway between West 95th and West 96th streets
  • Fulton St , Booth N95, on the  line at the Broadway entrance

Queens

  • Flushing Main St , Booth R533, at the Main Street and Roosevelt Avenue entrance
  • Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Av , Booth N324, at the entrance on 74th Street and Broadway
  • Jamaica Center-Parsons/Archer , Booth N606, at the Archer Avenue entrance

Staten Island

  • St. George

Where and when you can use reduced fares

  • On the subway and on local buses: Anytime
  • On express buses: Anytime except weekday rush hours, from 6-10 a.m. and 3-7 p.m.
  • On the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North: Anytime except weekday morning rush hours to NYC terminals, from 6-10 a.m.