MetroCard for the NYC Subway
 

I seem to remember reading some time ago when doiing my early planning that I should purchase a Metrocard in JFK before getting on the airtrain. Is that the case and if so where do I purchase it?

I arrive in terminal 8 and this is what I think I need to do. Take the airtrain to Jamaica Station, transfer to the E train to 51st St and then the 6-train to 86th Street.
New Yorkers, does that make sense and do you have any comments?

You have the right idea but you purchase the MetroCard AFTER you get off the AirTrain at the Jamaica station. The MetroCard Vending Machines are next to the AirTrain turnstiles.

You can purchase an "AirTrain + Subway" MetroCard for $7.50 (with the $1.00 surcharge for a New MetroCard the total cost is $8.50).

When you purchase the card, insert it into the AirTrain turnstiles, $5.00 (AirTrain fee) will be deducted, the card returned and the gate will then open.
- Walk ahead to the Long Ilsand Railroad area on the left.
- Enter the LIRR area and go to the elevators on the far side.
- Take any elevator down to the subway level (level A).
- Exit the elevator and go to the left to the subway turnstiles.
- Slide the MetroCard - with the gold side to you and the magnetic strip on the bottom thru the slot on the top of the turnstile. The remaining $2.50 will be deducted and the turnstile arm will release so you can enter. ***NOTE: Keep the MetroCard even though it has no fares left on it. The card can be refilled with value so you you don't have to buy a new one (and pay another $1.00 surcharge).
- Once you enter the subway, take any escalator or elevator down 1 level to the E train. Take a Manhattan bound E to the Lexington Av/53rd St station. At Lex/53rd use the escalators at the front of the platform to the mezzanine. At the mezzanine, go to the left to transfer to the uptown 6 train (51st St station) to 86th St.

If you are going to East 86th, that's the best route. But the E train goes to the stop called "53rd Street," you transfer to the 6 train there, where the stop is called "51st Street".

Thank you both for that. But how do I get on the Airtain to Jamaica if I've not paid for it? Just wanting to dot as many i's as possible. :-)

Another thought, is it cheaper/easier to buy a mutli-fare pass for each or both of us? As we only have two and a bit days in your city we will use the subway a little but not huge amounts.

Alan, we have recently done this!! You just walk onto the AirTrain at JFK, they won"t let you out at Jamaica station until you have paid for the ticket there. The Airtrain is fully automated, no one is there to collect tickets. Wish I was there doing this again!!

Thanks Nelsonian. I thought about this after going off line and realised there is more than one way to make sure people pay.

"Another thought, is it cheaper/easier to buy a mutli-fare pass for each or both of us? As we only have two and a bit days in your city we will use the subway a little but not huge amounts."

Alan,

When you buy the MetroCard at the AirTrain turnstiles you can put as much money as you want on it (up to $80). One card will work for the both of you. I suggest you buy the card at the AirTrain turnstiles and put $15.00 to start (total cost $16.00 with the $1.00 new MetroCard surcharge). That way you'll cover the initial fare to get to 86th St.

Afterward you can add additional money to the card at any MetroCard Vending Machine or subway booth (no additional cost to add value). Any amount added from $5.00 and up gets a 5% bonus automatically added. The bonus itself is not enough to cover a full fare unless you put enough on it at one time, but you can always add the amount needed to bring the balance to a full fare of $2.50.

Examples:

$5.00 + 5% bonus = $5.25 (2 fares + 25¢ left over)
$10.00 + 5% bonus = $10.50 (4 fares = 50¢ left over)
$11.90 = 5% bonus = $12.50 (5 fares with nothing left over)
$19.05 + 5% bonus = $20.00 (8 fares with nothing left over)

One more thing - the reason for having the AirTrain turnstiles at Jamaica (or Howard Beach) is beacuse there is no charge to use the AirTrain within the airport itself between the terminals.

nycguy10002, thanks so much for your detailed responses.

So with one card does my wife use it and then pass it back to me to swipe or can I swipe it twice or is there some other trick?

For the subway: Person 1 swipes, the small screen on the turnstile flashes "GO" which releases the turnstile, and then Person 1 can go through the turnstile. Then pass the card back to the Person 2 to repeat the process.

For the bus: The MetroCard is inserted in the top of the fare box--the card goes down into the machine, the fare deduction is shown on the small screen, and then the card pops up. No messing about with turnstiles or gates so one person can pay both bus fares by sticking the card in the fare box twice. (On the bus, if you are transferring, you only need to insert the card once to register all the transfers.)

why not make easier for yourself and take either a taxi or car service from JFK to your hotel. I am sure you will have luggage, so think if you want to carry it all across the city on the subway.
Then, when you are ready to go about the city, use the subways, buses, bikes, horseless carriage.

PS: do not share the same metrocard as 1 person might not want to go to the same place as the other.

I also advocate one Metrocard for each person. It's easier to use and better if you lose one card. Also you aren't charged the $1 fee for an Airtrain Metrocard at that station, so it's free to have 2 cards if you take the Airtrain. You can add money after or before you go through the turnstile at Jamaica.

We are from New Zealand, I think Alan is from Australia. We enjoyed taking the Air Train it was all part of the New York experience. We did have our daughter meeting us at Jamacia though so she helped with our luggage on the subway. However we managed by ourselves on the way back, had one big bag each, plus a small bag each. We weren't travelling on the subway at peak times though which makes a difference.

Thanks to all for all the information. Now who wants to meet my plane? Just joking but this is a most helpful group of people.

We will have one small suitcase and one medium backpack as well as a day pack each. I can easily handle the backpack and suitcase and Maria can carry the two small packs.
Yes I am an Aussie

Last time I tried to use an Australian based credit card for a metro card I was unable to . Have cash ready in case.

When traveling to the US from another country it is best to check ahead of time with the bank that issued your credit/debit card to see if they are aware of any reason why your card would not work in a US machine.

One thing I forgot to mention. When using a MetroCard Vending Machine it may request your Zip Code - that is the 5 digit mailing code used in the US. Just enter '99999' on the keypad and press the enter key. That will tell the machine that the credit/debit card was not issued in the US and the transaction should complete.

Also there is a limit of 2 transactions per day per credit or debit card.

We used our credit card all the time (issued from New Zealand) we put our daughter's zip code in, but just use the 99999 mentioned above and it will work.

Thanks for the tip re 99999. Obviously my card had a 4 digit post code so I didn't like to use my friends zip code.

Ps my bank wouldn't know that a machine in New York asks for a zip code. I use credit and debit cards all over Us and the metro card is the only time I was asked for a zipcode

Do you have Zip codes on your credit cards?

It is possible that the zip code to where the monthly statements are mailed are encoded on the magnetic strip on the credit cards. The Vending machines are in constant contact with a central switcher which routes the transactions to the card issuers so the verification may be at that point.

One day I transposed a number on the keypad and it would not accept the transaction but when i tried again and typed it in correctly, the transaction went through.

northie - the MetroCard machine are the only place you will be asked for a zip code on a transaction for a credit card. Since you can't sign anywhere to complete the transaction, the entering of the zip code cuts down on people using stolen credit cards to buy MetroCards because they won't know the zip code of the person it was stolen from.

Thanks but I think I'll have cash handy.

I can't remember the last time I pumped my own gas when I wasn't asked to enter my zip code. That seems standard.

Actually, we're never asked to input our zip code, so it would still seem unusual to us.

Alan we have chips in our credit cards, and just use a pin in New Zealand. In the US though we had to sign each time, but the signature was never checked!!!

Alan,

Cash is always good but a couple of things ot be aware of when using cash in a MetroCard Vending Machine:

The maximum amount of change the machines will give back is $8.00 If your transactions will result in change back above $8.00, the machine will not complete the transaction.

Any change given back will be in the form of dollar coins (for amounts equaling $1.00) and smaller denomination coins.

Subway station booths which are cash only will not accept large denomintation bills for small transactions:

Example: a $50.00 bill for a $20.00 transaction. A $100.00 bill for anything less than a $75.00 transaction.

Thanks nysguy. I have some $20 now but will get a couple of $10's while in Texas to make life easier.

We are off on our two month trip this morning. The house sitter had another inspection yesterday afternoon and will be taking us to our Sydney flight later this morning. Very excite but not as nervous as I was a week ago.

Thanks everyone on this board for their help in this and other threads. One could do it without you, but not nearly as well.

Have a wonderful time, Alan! Can't wait to hear all about your trip and you're right--the New York folks on Fodor's are very helpful and I think you'll find that New Yorkers are just as nice and helpful IRL.

Oh, and dont use any bills older than 1995. I had some old bills, $10 from 1989, $1 - 1985, $20 from perhaps 1992/3 and the machines wont take them.

I now use only ATM card to purchase/fill-up Metrocards as I dont want to use cash. Never been asked to enter zip; just pin.

Entering your billing zip code is becoming standard on the US east coast and Middle Atlantic states, especially for gas. The 99999 trick will be useful to our Scots relations this summer.

You have to enter a zip code at gas stations in California too.

I've never had to enter my zip code at a gas station in Northern California.