Actions to Take if You Were Using the Transportation Reimbursement Incentive Program (TRIP) for a MetroCard
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) announced that it will discontinue use of the MetroCard for purposes of riding the New York City subway or bus, effective March 1, 2026. Starting in March 2026, the OMNY payment system will be the only way to pay for subway and bus rides. To prepare for the upcoming transition, the MTA stopped offering MetroCard products to commuter benefits programs like Citi’s as of March 31, 2025. As a result, Optum Financial has stopped offering the MetroCard as an option through TRIP.
If you were using the TRIP benefit to obtain a MetroCard and did not already take action to enable continuous access, you will need to take action to resume enrollment in TRIP.
What This Means For You
- If you were receiving a monthly MetroCard or annual transit card monthly reload through TRIP and did not change your enrollment method, your enrollment was canceled on March 31, 2025, and you will pay out of pocket for New York City subway rides until you re-enroll.
- If you received an annual transit card monthly reload through TRIP before March 31, 2025, you may continue using your card until it expires or February 28, 2026, whichever comes first. Please note: You will no longer be able to order a replacement annual transit card after June 16, 2025.
If this change in allowed payment methods impacts you, you should have received information directly from Optum Financial.
Actions to Take
If you have not already updated your TRIP enrollment, you will pay out of pocket for New York City subway rides until you re-enroll in TRIP.
Take the following steps to re-enroll:
- Log in to My Total Compensation and Benefits then click on "TRIP and Spending Accounts" to access the Optum Financial website.
- Select the Optum Stacked Financial Debit Card as your enrollment method.
- Submit your election.
What Happens Next
Once you’ve received your Optum Stacked Financial Debit Card, you may use it in one of two ways:
- Purchase an OMNY card where available, either at certain subway stations or select retailers. Learn more about purchasing OMNY cards.
- Add your Optum Stacked Financial Debit Card to your digital wallet, such as Apple Pay, for contactless payment with OMNY at the subway turnstile.
If you already have an Optum Stacked Financial Debit Card and were using it to obtain a MetroCard, you can continue to use it with the OMNY payment system in either of the two ways above.