Apple Card users having issues paying/using transit in New York (2024)
Apple Card is a new type of credit card created by Apple with the goal of assisting users in living a healthy financial life, was first made available back in August 2019 in the United States.
Customers can apply for an Apple Card in minutes using the Wallet app on their iPhone and begin using it with Apple Pay in stores, apps, websites, and other services straight away.
The card isn’t really contactless so one has to swipe it across any OMNY system but is still an extremely convenient form of payment regardless. Fans of contactless payments can always use Apple Pay on their iPhone for a one-tap pay.
Anyway, things haven’t exactly been smooth sailing for those that are dependent on the Apple Card for payments for New York transit due to issues.
There seems to be some issues with Apple Card users having issues paying/using transit in New York. For those unfamiliar, here’s the program in question: https://transit.applepay.apple/new-york/ Source
I took the NYC subway a few times last week and used my Apple Card transit pass to pay for each entry. I haven’t used the subway in a few days, yet I see that the MTA is trying to put additional fraudulent and criminal charges on my card, as recently as earlier today. The MTA attempted to charge me $2.75 twice now on my card. Both of those were declined and it says “Declined – Physical Card Not Activated.” Source
Users say that Apple Card lets them into the subway with a pre-authorization. But when the charge is supposed to settle it gets declined with a physical card not activated message.
This does result in a free ride but the MTA then blocks one from using that same card until the charge goes through successfully.
Others also say that they get a “Declined – Physical Card Not Activated.” error message upon trying to pay.
The issue seems to be a bug in the OMNY system that prevents the Apple Card + Apple Pay system to work with rotating card numbers.
Unfortunately, there does not seem to be a sign of any official acknowledgment from OMNY or Apple yet so a fix for the problem is not in sight.
However, there is actually a workaround that has been suggested by a user for the Apple Card New York transit issues and you’re free to give it a try.
A way to fix it I’ve found is to try and use your Apple Card and when OMNI says “payment not accepted” Switch to a different card in Apple Pay and use that instead. Your new card will get charged and the previous charge that was being declined on the Apple Card will go through and you’ll be able to use your Apple Card again. Source
While this does work, the issue arises again in just a week. This means that you’ll have to repeat the process when that happens.
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Your payment may not be accepted for a few reasons. For example, if your payment method has been blocked by your bank or by the MTA, or your smart device is damaged, then you will not be able to use that payment method at any OMNY reader until the issue is resolved.
Some possible reasons for why the transaction is declining even though the digital card still appears in the Apple wallet include: Your card has been temporarily locked. Your card or the transaction account has insufficient funds or limit for the transaction. An incorrect card PIN has been entered at the terminal.
To pay your fare at subway turnstiles, AutoGates, and onboard buses (including Select Bus Service buses), simply tap your own contactless credit or debit card, smart device, or OMNY card on the OMNY reader.
Board through the front doors and tap your contactless credit or debit card, smartphone, or wearable device at the OMNY reader, a rectangular screen near the driver.
Check that you're able to use Apple Pay: Contact your card issuer to see if they support Apple Pay. Update to the latest version of iOS, watchOS, macOS, or visionOS. Confirm that you have Face ID, Touch ID, Optic ID, or a passcode set on your device.
In fact, 83% of the time, OMNY is cheaper than a 30-day MetroCard if I average 10 rides a week. Let's see if we can generalize this to other weekly averages: As you can see, up until I average 12 rides a week, OMNY is usually better. More often than not, I'll save money if I stick with it and skip the Unlimited card.
When Apple declines your payment method, the first thing to try is to check your payment information to ensure it's accurate and up-to-date. If your billing details, such as your address or ZIP code, is incorrect, this can cause your payment method to be declined.
Besides fund insufficiency, here are some of the most common issues behind a card decline: There was a manual error.You've reached your daily purchase limit.Your debit card expired or is inactive.
Your account may be restricted if your identity verification fails multiple times, if there are multiple accounts tied to the same social security number, or if there's suspected fraud on the account.
To use Apple Pay on NYC buses, passengers can simply approach the card reader on the bus and hold their iPhone or Apple Watch near the contactless payment symbol. The payment is processed seamlessly, providing a quick and convenient way to board the bus.
To ride transit using Apple Pay, you need:A compatible iPhone or Apple Watch. Check with your transit agency to see which models are supported. The latest version of iOS and watchOS.
Paying with contactless is a simple and secure way to pay for tickets without cash. One tap of your contactless card, Apple Pay or Google Pay and you're aboard and ready to go, no need to worry about having the right change.
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