MTA stops selling MetroCards but still accepts them
New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority opened an auction Wednesday morning for the last 60 MetroCard vending machines, offering New Yorkers the chance to own equipment that has served subway riders for decades. The agency is selling a limited number of retired MetroCard Vending Machines (MVM) and MetroCard Express Machines (MEM), and bidding will run through Aug. 19, according to the MTA.
All machines are being sold as-is in non-operational condition after their electronic and payment processing components were removed, the MTA said. Successful bidders will be required to pay in full on the day they are notified and arrange pickup within 10 days. Buyers are responsible for loading and transporting the devices.
MTA media liaison Joana Flores confirmed the agency is auctioning the last of the machines. “Today, we began auctioning off the last MetroCard vending machines. There are a total of 60,” Flores said. The last remaining public-facing machine is located in Greenwich Village’s Mulry Square, she said, and now displays a QR code for commuters to scan should they be interested in making a bid.
“First installed in 1999, the colorful metal MVM and MEM are familiar to the millions of riders who take the subway each day,” the MTA said in a news release. The larger MetroCard Vending Machines, first installed in 1999, allowed riders to buy and reload MetroCards using cash, credit and debit cards. Each measures 80 inches long, 42 inches wide and 36 inches deep, and weighs 1,050 pounds. The smaller MetroCard Express Machines, introduced later to ease congestion at busy stations by accepting only credit and debit card payments, measure 21 inches by 14 inches by 42 inches and weigh about 210 pounds.
The MTA is pairing the auction with a public sweepstakes. 15 winners will be selected in a random drawing to receive VIP early access to the agency’s annual transit memorabilia pop-up sale in October, along with a 20% discount on purchases. Flores said that if machines remain unsold when the auction ends Aug. 19, the MTA would offer them at the pop-up sale. “But usually, these things are hot ticket items – they tend to go fast,” she said.
The auction comes as the MTA continues replacing MetroCards with Omny, its contactless fare payment system. “We’re no longer selling MetroCards, but we are accepting MetroCards,” Flores said. There is no date yet for when the transit system plans to fully convert to contactless payments and stop accepting the classic yellow cards, but Flores said there will come a day when the agency will “transition fully over to the tap and ride system.”
The MetroCard was also a popular vehicle for promotions, with the city issuing several commemorative editions over the years, including one marking the 2000 World Series between the Mets and the Yankees. Musicians including David Bowie, Olivia Rodrigo, the Wu-Tang Clan, the Notorious BIG and LL Cool J have appeared on the card, as have New York-centric TV shows such as Seinfeld and Law & Order.
The machines have drawn early interest online, with social media users responding to the MTA’s announcement with comments such as “Wild home decor idea” and “So tempted by this.” NPR gameshow host Peter Sagal wrote: “I haven’t been a New Yorker since 1998 but I really, really want one.”