New York City’s OMNY weekly fare cap in 2026 works like a pay-as-you-go version of an unlimited pass: once you pay for enough eligible rides with the same card, phone, wearable, or OMNY card within a 7-day period, additional eligible rides become free automatically. The important part is that the current 2026 rules are not exactly the same as older OMNY pilot rules or older MetroCard rules. The MTA’s current OMNY materials show two relevant caps in 2026:
- a standard 7-day fare cap of $35 for eligible full-fare subway and bus trips, with a Reduced-Fare OMNY cap of $17.50; and
- an Express Bus Fare Cap of $67, launched in January 2026, covering express bus, local bus, and subway rides in any 7-day period. See the official OMNY fare cap FAQ, OMNY weekly fare cap page, and MTA’s 2026 fare change materials.
The short answer
Under current official OMNY rules, your 7-day period begins with your first tap. If you keep using the same payment method and reach the applicable cap during the next seven days, your additional eligible rides are free for the rest of that period. For the standard cap, the MTA says riders pay for 12 eligible rides and then ride free after that; for full-fare riders that equals $35, and for registered Reduced-Fare OMNY riders that equals $17.50. OMNY OMNY FAQ
When does the seven-day period start?
This is one of the biggest places where people mix up old and current rules.
In 2026, the official OMNY rule is rolling 7 days, not Monday-through-Sunday. The seven-day period starts whenever you make your first tap and continues for the next seven days. When that period ends, the cap resets and starts again with your next tap. That is what the current OMNY fare page says. OMNY weekly fare cap
Why the confusion? Because some older MTA handouts described fare capping as starting each Monday and running through Sunday. Those materials reflected an earlier presentation of the program, but the current OMNY website now says the period begins whenever you make your first tap of the week. For anyone asking about the rule in 2026, use the current OMNY guidance, not the older Monday-Sunday flyer. Older MTA handout Current OMNY fares page
Which rides count toward the standard OMNY weekly fare cap?
For the standard cap, OMNY says the cap applies to trips taken within a 7-day period on:
- MTA subways
- local, limited, and Select Bus Service buses
- Staten Island Railway
- Hudson Rail Link
- Roosevelt Island Tram
- NICE buses
- Westchester Bee-Line
The current OMNY FAQ lists those services explicitly. OMNY fare cap FAQ
For New York City riders, the main practical takeaway is simple: subway and local bus rides count, including limited and Select Bus Service bus trips under OMNY’s current language. The OMNY fare page specifically says to tap for full-fare and Reduced-Fare OMNY trips on New York City Transit subways and local, limited, and Select Bus Service buses. OMNY weekly fare cap
When do free rides begin?
For the standard cap, free rides begin after your 12th paid eligible trip within the same 7-day period. OMNY describes it two ways that amount to the same thing:
- Pay for 12 rides in a 7-day period and additional rides are free; or
- once you have paid $35 in fares, the rest of eligible rides in that 7-day period are free.
For registered Reduced-Fare OMNY riders, the same idea applies at half price: after 12 paid eligible rides at $1.50 each, the rest of eligible rides in that 7-day period are free, with a cap of $17.50 according to the current OMNY FAQ and fare page. OMNY weekly fare cap OMNY fare cap FAQ
One thing to notice: because the full fare is now $3.00 and 12 rides would mathematically total $36, the MTA’s official 2026 OMNY materials still describe the standard cap as $35 while also saying free rides start after the 12th paid trip. Riders should follow the official rule as stated by OMNY: the current published cap is $35 for full fare and $17.50 for Reduced-Fare OMNY. OMNY weekly fare cap OMNY fare cap FAQ 2026 fare change materials
Do transfers count?
Free transfers are included, but they do not count as extra paid rides toward the cap. OMNY says you get the same free transfers as with MetroCard, but to receive the transfer you must use the same payment method for both parts of the trip. Transfers are valid within two hours of your initial tap. OMNY fare cap FAQ Detailed OMNY information
The easiest way to think about it:
- If you tap into the subway and then transfer to a local bus within the transfer window using the same card or device, that is one paid ride, not two paid rides.
- That means the trip can help you progress toward the cap once, but the free transfer itself does not add another count.
OMNY’s FAQ says, “Each paid ride counts once toward the 7-day fare cap, even if a free transfer is included.” OMNY fare cap FAQ
Do express bus rides count?
This is another area where older information can mislead people.
Standard cap: no
Under the standard OMNY weekly fare cap, express bus rides do not count. OMNY says plainly that express buses, group trips, and transfers do not count toward the cap. OMNY weekly fare cap
Separate 2026 express bus cap: yes, under a different cap
Starting in January 2026, OMNY says a new Express Bus Fare Cap applies, under which riders will never pay more than $67 for unlimited express bus, local bus, and subway rides in any 7-day period. That is a separate rule from the standard $35 cap. OMNY fare cap FAQ
MTA’s 2026 fare materials also show the old 7-Day Express Plus MetroCard being replaced by an OMNY weekly cap of $67. 2026 fare change materials
So, in plain English:
- If you only use subway and local bus service, the relevant cap is the standard $35 cap.
- If you use express buses, the standard cap does not cover those express-bus fares. Instead, the MTA says the 2026 express bus fare cap is $67 for express bus, local bus, and subway rides in a 7-day period. OMNY fare cap FAQ
Do Reduced-Fare riders get fare capping in 2026?
Yes. Current OMNY materials say Reduced-Fare OMNY customers receive a half-price fare cap at $17.50. OMNY also says those riders ride free after 12 trips at $1.50 each within a seven-day period. OMNY fare cap FAQ
That matters because some older MTA handouts said reduced-fare capping was “coming soon.” That older statement is outdated for 2026. Current OMNY materials confirm Reduced-Fare OMNY fare capping exists now. Older MTA handout OMNY fare cap FAQ
Do you have to use the same card or device every time?
Yes. This is essential. OMNY repeatedly says you must use the same payment method for every eligible ride if you want those rides to count toward one cap. OMNY weekly fare cap OMNY fare cap FAQ
That means:
- a physical credit card and the same card loaded in Apple Pay or Google Wallet do not combine automatically;
- a phone and a watch tied to the same underlying bank card do not share one fare cap;
- different cards inside the same wallet are treated separately; and
- even joint cards can be treated as separate payment methods for fare-cap purposes.
OMNY’s FAQ states that each payment method has its own fare cap, and riders should use the same card or device every time to maximize savings. OMNY fare cap FAQ
What if you pay for multiple riders?
You can pay for up to three additional riders with the same card or device, but only your first tap counts toward your own 7-day fare cap. The additional taps are charged full fare and do not count toward your cap. The same rule applies after you have already reached the cap: only the first tap can be free. OMNY fare cap FAQ
This is a major difference from how some riders assume the system works. If one person taps four times in a row for a family, that does not mean the family reaches the cap four times faster. It does not.
Realistic examples
Example 1: Standard full-fare commuter
Suppose you first tap your phone on Tuesday morning. That starts your 7-day period, which runs until the following Monday morning/time of first tap window, based on OMNY’s rolling 7-day rule. If you take:
- 2 paid rides each workday for 5 days = 10 paid rides
- 2 more eligible paid rides over the weekend = 12 paid rides total
you hit the standard cap and additional eligible rides in the remainder of that 7-day period are free. Under current official OMNY materials, the most you should pay is $35 during that period. OMNY weekly fare cap OMNY fare cap FAQ
Example 2: Subway-to-bus commuter using transfers
You tap into the subway in the morning, then transfer to a local bus within two hours using the same phone. That is still one paid fare, because the bus leg is a free transfer. If you do the same on the way home, that is two paid rides that day, not four. After 12 such paid rides in your 7-day period, later eligible rides become free. OMNY fare cap FAQ
Example 3: Reduced-Fare OMNY rider
A registered reduced-fare rider pays $1.50 per eligible trip. If that rider takes 12 eligible paid rides in a 7-day period, OMNY says the rider reaches the reduced cap and rides free afterward, with the current cap published as $17.50. OMNY fare cap FAQ
Example 4: Rider mixing cards by mistake
On Monday you tap your physical bank card six times over several trips. On Tuesday you switch and use your phone’s digital wallet version of that same card. OMNY treats those as different payment methods, so your rides are split across two separate caps. You may never reach either one. OMNY fare cap FAQ
Example 5: Occasional express-bus rider
You ride the subway most days and take an express bus twice during the week. Those express-bus rides do not count toward the standard $35 cap. But current OMNY rules say there is now a separate $67 express-bus cap in 2026 for combined express bus, local bus, and subway travel in a 7-day period. If your total qualifying travel under that express-bus structure reaches the cap, additional rides in that category become free for the rest of the 7-day period. OMNY fare cap FAQ 2026 fare change materials
What is different from MetroCard?
The biggest differences are:
- No upfront purchase is required. With OMNY, you tap and pay as you go until you hit the cap. OMNY weekly fare cap
- The current OMNY cap is rolling 7 days, based on your first tap, rather than requiring the advance purchase of a weekly unlimited product. OMNY weekly fare cap
- The same exact card or device matters. With OMNY, fare capping is tied to one payment method. OMNY fare cap FAQ
- Express bus rules are now split out differently in 2026. The old MetroCard Express Bus Plus weekly product is being replaced by an OMNY express-bus cap structure. 2026 fare change materials
Also, MetroCard acceptance is not the same thing as OMNY fare-cap eligibility. OMNY’s own site says MetroCard acceptance continues until later in 2026, but the weekly fare-cap rules discussed here are specifically the OMNY rules. OMNY general information
Bottom line
In 2026, the current official MTA/OMNY rule is: use the same card or device for every trip, and your first tap starts a rolling 7-day period. For standard eligible service, after 12 paid rides you get free additional eligible rides, with the current published cap at $35 for full fare and $17.50 for Reduced-Fare OMNY riders. Transfers are included but do not add extra paid counts. Group taps do not accelerate your cap. And if you use express buses, look at the separate 2026 Express Bus Fare Cap of $67, not the standard local/subway cap. OMNY weekly fare cap OMNY fare cap FAQ 2026 fare change materials