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Manage Your Fair Fares NYC Discount

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If you are a Fair Fares NYC participant, you can use your ACCESS HRA Fair Fares NYC account to: 

  • Report a problem with a Fair Fares NYC issued One Metro New York (OMNY) card  

  • Change your discount payment method for fares on approved NYC transit systems 

  • Update your contact information  

  • Change from a Subway and Bus discount to an Access-A-Ride discount 

  • Change from an Access-A-Ride discount to a Subway and Bus discount 

If you have a Fair Fares NYC issued OMNY card and there is a problem with your card, it is very important that you report the problem as soon as you notice the issue.  

New York City Transit (NYCT) doesn’t issue refunds for the balance that is on an OMNY card. You can only transfer a balance from one OMNY card to another OMNY card. The best way to protect the balance on your card is to link it to a free and secure OMNY account. Create an OMNY account.

Fair Fares NYC participants who still have a Fair Fares NYC MetroCard may be able to request a refund review in person or by mail. 

Renewing Your Discount

If you need to renew your Fair Fares NYC discount, visit the Fair Fares NYC page instead.

If your Fair Fares NYC issued OMNY card is lost, stolen, damaged, or never received, you must first report the issue before you can request a replacement card or change the payment method you use to pay the Fair Fares NYC Subway and Bus discount fare. 

Report a Lost, Stolen, Damaged, or Never Received Fair Fares Issued OMNY Card 

You can report the problem with your Fair Fares NYC issued OMNY card online, by phone, or in person.

Online 

Log in to your ACCESS HRA Fair Fares NYCaccount. Select the “Report OMNY Card Lost, Stolen, or Damaged” link in the Quick Links section and follow the instructions on the screen.

By Phone

  • Agency: Human Resources Administration
  • Phone Number: (718) 557-1399
  • Business Hours: Monday - Friday: 8 AM - 5 PM
  • You can reach staff during business hours (except for City Holidays). You can get help in most languages. Automated Assistance is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

In Person

Find a Fair Fares NYC location.

Replacement for a Lost, Stolen, Damaged, or Never Received Fair Fares Issued OMNY Card

Fair Fares NYC can replace a: 

  • Lost, stolen, or damaged Fair Fares NYC issued OMNY card once per enrollment year
  • Fares NYC issued OMNY card that was lost in the mail

Once you report the problem, you may:

  • Change the discount payment method you use to pay the Fair Fares NYC subway and bus fare to a personal OMNY card, credit card, debit card, or mobile wallet. If you choose this option, you will need to provide an OMNY transit account number to submit the request. 
  • Have a replacement Fair Fares NYC issued OMNY card, if eligible, sent to you by mail. You will receive the card 2 to 3 weeks after you report the problem. It will not have any money on it. 
    • If you have not received the card in the mail after the 3-week mailing period, you can report the card as lost in the mail again and then choose one of the following: 
      • Change the discount payment method to a personal OMNY card, a debit or credit card, or mobile wallet.
      • Get a replacement Fair Fares NYC issued OMNY card in person at any Fair Fares NYC location 5 days after you report the problem.
      • Have a replacement Fair Fares NYC issued OMNY card mailed to you. If you choose this option, you cannot pick up a Fair Fares NYC issued OMNY card in person. The Fair Fares program is not able to issue a card in person if one has been mailed to you.

You can check the status of the replacement card or new payment method you chose online or by phone. 

Online

Log in to your ACCESS HRA Fair Fares NYC account. Select the “Report OMNY Card Lost, Stolen, or Damaged” link in the Quick Links section and follow the instructions on the screen.

By Phone

  • Agency: Human Resources Administration
  • Phone Number: (718) 557-1399
  • Business Hours: Monday - Friday: 8 AM - 5 PM
  • You can reach staff during business hours (except for City Holidays). You can get help in most languages. Automated Assistance is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

You can submit a request to change the payment method you use to pay your Fair Fares NYC subway and bus discount fare during your enrollment year. You can only submit a request to change your payment method once in a 24-hour time period. The new payment method will work 24 to 72 hours after you submit the request.

If you change your payment method in the middle of a 7-day fare period, the 7-day fare cap period will restart. Any fares that you paid for using your old payment method won’t count towards the 12 paid rides fare cap.

If you want to change your payment method to a personal OMNY card, credit or debit card, or mobile device, you must have an OMNY transit account number for that payment method. The Fair Fares NYC program cannot complete the request without that number. 

If you have an unexpired Fair Fares NYC issued OMNY card, you will be able to make that your payment method again. 

The request can be submitted online, by phone, or in person.

Online

Log in to your ACCESS HRA Fair Fares NYC account.  Select the “Change OMNY Discount Payment Method” link in the Quick Links section and follow the instructions on the screen. If you don’t already have an OMNY transit account number, you will be able to create one as part of your request.

By Phone

Before you call, please make sure that you have an OMNY transit account number for the new payment method.

You can get an OMNY transit account number by contacting OMNY Customer Service. 

  • Agency: Metropolitan Transportation Authority
  • Division: OMNY Customer Service
  • Phone Number: (877) 789-6669
  • Business Hours: Daily: 6 AM - 10 PM

If you do have your OMNY transit account number, you can contact HRA for assistance with changing your payment method.

  • Agency: Human Resources Administration
  • Phone Number: (718) 557-1399
  • Business Hours: Monday - Friday: 8 AM - 5 PM
  • You can reach staff during business hours (except for City Holidays). You can get help in most languages. Automated Assistance is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

You can use the following payment methods to add money to your Fair Fares NYC issued OMNY card:

  • Cash
  • Credit card
  • Debit card
  • Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) Card

You can add money to your card online, by phone, or in person. You can also set up automatic reloads in a registered OMNY account. 

Online

You can sign up for an OMNY account. 

This secure account allows you to:

  • Track your progress toward reaching the 7-day fare cap
  • Reload your OMNY card
  • Manage your payment methods
  • Receive account notifications 
  • Instantly freeze your card if it's lost or stolen

To link your Fair Fares NYC issued OMNY card to your OMNY account, choose the "Add travel card" option on the Wallet screen.

Create or log into your OMNY account.

By Phone

You can call the OMNY Customer Service to load money onto your OMNY card.

  • Agency: Metropolitan Transportation Authority
  • Division: OMNY Customer Service
  • Phone Number: (877) 789-6669
  • Business Hours: Daily: 6 AM - 10 PM

In Person

You can add money to your OMNY card:

You can transfer money from a lost, stolen, damaged, expired, or expiring Fair Fares NYC issued OMNY card to a new Fair Fares NYC issued OMNY card or a personal OMNY card.

If you don’t have an OMNY account, keep a record of your 18-digit card number, CVV number and expiration date (on the back of your card). This will allow OMNY Customer Service to assist you when you need to contact them.

Refunds are not issued for balances that are on an OMNY card that is lost, stolen, damaged, or expired. You can only move the remaining balance to another OMNY card.

Fair Fares OMNY Card

If you get a new Fair Fares NYC issued OMNY card, the balance from your old Fair Fares NYC issued OMNY card will automatically move to your new card.

Personal OMNY Card

If you are going to use a personal OMNY card, you must call OMNY Customer Service to move the balance from your Fair Fares NYC issued OMNY card to your personal OMNY card.

When you call, you will be asked to provide information about the lost, stolen, damaged, expired, or expiring Fair Fares NYC issued OMNY card such as the:

By Phone

  • Agency: Metropolitan Transportation Authority
  • Division: OMNY Customer Service
  • Phone Number: (877) 789-6669
  • Business Hours: Daily: 6 AM - 10 PM

An OMNY card is valid for several years.

If your Fair Fares NYC issued OMNY card is expiring in less than 30 days, the Fair Fares NYC program will automatically mail you a new Fair Fares NYC issued OMNY card if you are still enrolled in the program.

Your balance will automatically move from your old card to your new Fair Fares NYC issued OMNY card.

Fair Fares NYC participants who are also Access-A-Ride customers can submit a request to change their Subway and Bus discount to an Access-A-Ride discount to get 50% off their Access-A-Ride paratransit trips.

You will be asked to provide your Access-A-Ride customer identification number when you submit this request. The request can be submitted online, by phone, or in person.

The MTA must verify that you are an Access-A-Ride customer before your discount will be applied. Your Fair Fares NYC ACCESS HRA account will display messages on the status of your request. After the MTA confirms your Access-A-Ride customer status, you will receive a notice and, if the MTA has your email on file, an email letting you know that your request has been approved. If you were previously using the Fair Fares NYC subways and bus discount, the payment method for that discount will be deactivated.

Online
Log in to your ACCESS HRA Fair Fares NYC account. Select the “Update Access-A-Ride Information” link in the Quick Links section and follow the instructions on the screen.

By Phone

  • Agency: Human Resources Administration
  • Phone Number: (718) 557-1399
  • Business Hours: Monday - Friday: 8 AM - 5 PM
  • You can reach staff during business hours (except for City Holidays). You can get help in most languages. Automated Assistance is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

You may cancel (opt-out) of your Fair Fares NYC discount at any time. You can request to cancel by phone, in-person, or by mail. You cannot make this request online.

If you cancel your Fair Fares NYC discount and you have an unexpired Fair Fares NYC issued OMNY card, the card will still work but you will be charged a full fare when you use it.

By Phone

  • Agency: Human Resources Administration
  • Phone Number: (718) 557-1399
  • Business Hours: Monday - Friday: 8 AM - 5 PM
  • You can reach staff during business hours (except for City Holidays). You can get help in most languages. Automated Assistance is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

By Mail

Fair Fares NYC
PO Box 7099
New York, NY 10008-7099

Include the following information in the envelope with your request:

  • Your first and last name
  • Fair Fares NYC Client ID/Access-A-Ride ID Number (found on the home page in your ACCESS HRA Fair Fares account)
  • Your OMNY transit account number, if applicable
  • A note requesting to cancel your discount

In November 2025, a Fair Fares NYC issued OMNY card was mailed to all participants who still had a Fair Fares NYC MetroCard and were still eligible for the Fair Fares NYC program. All Fair Fares NYC MetroCards have been deactivated and cannot be used.

You can request a refund review if you have a Fair Fares NYC MetroCard that is damaged, expiring, or expired regardless of the payment method that you used to add money to the card.

Return Your Fair Fares NYC MetroCard

You must return your Fair Fares NYC MetroCard to the Fair Fares NYC program in person or by mail to request a refund review. You cannot make this request over the phone. 

You should only request a refund review if you think there is money left on the card. Your request for a refund review must be received within two years of the card’s expiration date.

The refund review request will not be processed until your card is received. The Fair Fares NYC program will contact New York City Transit (NYCT) to start the refund review process. You do not need to contact NYCT.

By Mail

Include the following information in the envelope with your card: 

  • Your first and last name
  • Fair Fares NYC Client ID number (found on the home page in your ACCESS HRA Fair Fares NYC account or a Fair Fares NYC notice that was sent to you)
  • Whether you think there is money left on the card

Send your card and the above information to:

Fair Fares NYC
PO Box 7099
New York, NY 10008-7099

Approved Refunds for a Fair Fares NYC MetroCard

NYCT will conduct a review to determine the refund amount, if any, after the Fair Fares NYC program asks them to start the refund review process. The NYCT refund review process can take 6 to 8 weeks. 

For approved refunds, NYCT will issue the payment based on how the purchase was made.

  • Purchases made using a credit or EBT card are issued a credit to that same card
  • Purchases made using cash or a debit card are issued as a check and sent to the mailing address on record with the Fair Fares NYC program

If you would like to check on the status of a refund review, please call NYCT Customer Service. If your purchase was made using a credit or EBT card, please check your account before you call 511 to request a status update.

  • Agency: Metropolitan Transportation Authority
  • Division: Metropolitan Transportation Authority Customer Service
  • Phone Number: 511
  • Business Hours: Daily: 6 AM - 10 PM
  • Staff is available through the automated phone system during business hours. Call volume is often high. If you don't get through, call back later.

Fair Fares NYC Locations are open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 5 PM, except city holidays.

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