NEW YORK (AP) — When the MetroCard replaced the New York City subway token in 1994, the swipe plastic card brought much-needed modernity to one of the world's oldest and largest transportation systems.

More than three decades later, the gold fare card and its notoriously capricious magnetic stripe are following the token into retirement.

The last day to buy or reload a MetroCard is the 31st. December 2025, as the transport system will completely switch to OMNY, a contactless payment system that allows passengers to use their credit card, phone or other device, similar to how they do for other everyday purchases.

Transport officials say more than 90% of subway and bus trips are now paid using the one-touch system, introduced in 2019.

Major cities around the world, including London and Singapore, have similar contactless systems have been used for a long time. In the United States, San Francisco launched a payment system this year, joining Chicago and other cities.

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MetroCards revolutionized how New Yorkers get around

The humble MetroCard may be past its useful life, but at the time it was revolutionary, says Jodi Shapiro, curator of the New York Transportation Museum in Brooklyn, which opened an exhibit earlier this month reflecting on the legacy of the MetroCard.

Before MetroCards, bus and subway riders relied on tokens, the bronze-colored coins. introduced in 1953 that were purchased at the station ticket offices. When the subway opened in 1904, paper tickets cost just one nickel or about 1.82 in today's dollars.

“There was resistance to changing the tokens to something else because the tokens worked,” Shapiro said on a recent visit to the museum, located underground in a dismantled subway station. “MetroCards introduced a whole new level of thinking for New Yorkers.”

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) launched public campaigns to teach passengers how to properly swipe the cards, originally blue, in hopes of avoiding the dreaded error message or missed fares. Officials even briefly toyed with the idea of a quirky mascot, the Cardvaark, before coming to their senses.

The cards quickly became collectibles as the transportation system released special commemorative editions marking major events, such as the “Subway Series” between the New York Mets and the New York Yankees in the 2000 World Series. At the time, a ticket cost 1.50.

Artists since David Bowie and Olivia Rodrigo to seminal New York hip hop acts such as the Wu-Tang Clan, Notorious B.I.G. and LL Cool J, have also graced the plastic card over the years, as have iconic New York shows like Seinfeld and Law & Order.

“To me, the most special cards are the ones that introduce New York City to the world,” said Lev Radin, a collector in the Bronx. “Not just photos of iconic places, skylines, but also about people who live and make New York special.”

Perfecting the correct angle and speed of the MetroCard swipe also became a point of pride that separated true New Yorkers from those just visiting.

During her unsuccessful 2016 presidential campaign, Hillary Clinton, then a U.S. senator from New York, needed five exasperating attempts to get through a turnstile in the Bronx. In fairness, his primary Democratic opponent at the time, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, a Brooklyn native, didn't even seem to realize the tokens were discontinued.

Cost Savings and Lingering Concerns

Unlike the launch of the MetroCard, OMNY has required little adjustment.

Commuters reluctant to use a credit card or smart device can purchase an OMNY card that they can reload, similar to a MetroCard. Existing MetroCards will also continue to operate through 2026, allowing riders to use remaining balances.

MTA spokespeople declined to comment, instead pointing to their numerous public statements as the deadline approaches.

The agency has said the change saves at least $20 million annually in MetroCard-related costs.

The new system also allows unlimited free rides within a seven-day period because the fare bumped after 12 trips. It will be capped at $35 a week once the rate rises to $3 in January.

Still, the new changes come with tradeoffs, with some critics raising concerns about data collection and surveillance.

Near Times Square on a recent morning, Ronald Minor was among the dwindling group of “straphangers” still swiping MetroCards.

The 70-year-old Manhattan resident said he's sad to see them disappear. He has an OMNY card, but found the vending machines to reload it more cumbersome.

“It's hard for older people,” Minor said while taking a train to Brooklyn. "Don't push us aside and pretend we don't count. If you push these machines away, you push us away."

John Sacchetti, another MetroCard user at the Port Authority stop, said he likes being able to see his balance as he goes through a turnstile to see how much he's been spending on travel.

“It's like everything else, just something to get used to,” he said as he headed north. “Once I get used to it, I think it will be fine.”

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Follow Philip Marcelo at https://x.com/philmarcelo

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This story was translated from English by an AP editor with the help of a generative artificial intelligence tool.