Metro-North and Long Island Railroad commuters will be able to pay for train tickets on their smartphones with Apple Pay and Masterpass beginning Wednesday morning.
Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Tuesday that the two digital wallets will be added as payment options in the MTA’s mobile ticketing app, eTix, currently available on the two rail services.
“We have worked tirelessly to rebuild and reimagine New York’s transit system for the 21st century and a key part of those efforts is to incorporate the amenities that modern day riders demand,” Cuomo said in a statement.
eTix is an early look at a MetroCard-less future. The MTA is in the initial stages of phasing out the swipe for open payment technology that would allow for all MTA commuters to pay for their rides with a tap of a smartphone, bank or proprietary card. Next year, the MTA expects to expand eTix to allow for its rail riders to pay for subway access at Penn Station and Grand Central.
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