From the Daily News:It might not be a gold mine, but straphangers hanging onto almost-depleted MetroCards are sitting on a nice chunk of change.
More than a year ago, the MTA changed the formula for getting bonuses on pay-per-ride cards - making it more likely passengers will end up with a balance after they've taken their last trip.
And many riders don't know what to do with the leftovers. They won't make a turnstile spin, but they're not exactly worthless.
MetroCard math became difficult when the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's old easy-to-grasp, 20% bonus - buy five trips and get a sixth free - was reduced to 15% last year.
Buyers are ending up with odd amounts left on their cards - the MTA wouldn't estimate the total - and some apparently don't know how to ensure the money is spent.
To help the numerically challenged, Jim Schwartz, a market researcher who commutes from New Jersey, recruited two friends to compile the Transit Calculator/Spreadsheet. It shows what denominations to put on a card to wind up with a zero balance at the end: $4.50, $6.75, $15.65, $29.35, $31.30, $45, $60.65, $74.35 or $76.30.
13 comments:
I have $8.14 on mine
www.forgotten-ny.com
This is a pet peeve of mine being left with odd amounts on a card. I try to add a small amount to these cards to a single ride and invariably they don't work when I go to use them. Sure I keep receipts etc, but it a pain to wait on line to get this resolved etc and the MTA winds up with extra cash. Some folks tell me to keep filling up the card, but I found myself with malfunctioning card over time and lose money that way. I wish they offerred a smart card - like a debit card - would be better and fill it online, the card itself would last for years. Is this asking for too much? What are they using abroad?
I pick up EVERY metro card I see.
"I pick up EVERY metro card I see."
Thanks - someone has to, do you pick the plastic bottles out of my recycle-bin as well?
MetroCard vs. Token is a scam just like the digital MuniMeters vs analog meters at each spot.
The metrocard leaves the potential to abandon money (not just leftovers, but expired cars. tokens dont expire), and the muni-meters means that you cant leave minutes to the next person who takes your spot. The city gets double the money for the same timeslot at a parking spot.
I get the impression that this is mostly a problem for out-of-towners and folks who don't use the system very often. On Thanksgiving day I had some people visiting who had a fistfull of cards in hand, all with different amounts on them, none of them multiples of $2.25. We spent several minutes figuring out exactly how much to put on each one so they could be spent down to zero. A little annoying but not a huge deal. "This is why I just get an unlimited card," I told them.
Supposedly in the next few years the MetroCard will be replaced by smart cards, sort of like London's OysterCard and other transit cards used all over the world. We'll see how that works....
What's the big deal with having leftover balance?
When I have a weird balance like $1.35 I just refill the card with some spare change up to $2.25. Then I ride, transfer and throw away the card. It's that simple! Use up as much of the card as you can, then refill the leftover balance up to $2.25 and throw away! No need to keep refilling the same card.
Beware that the stupid machines do not accept change above $7. If you put more than that, the coin slot gets blocked.
Um, collect your metrocards, take them to the booth have the booth dude consolidate them and voila, no wasted money,
I buy the regular subway unlimited but carry a moneyed card for the times I take the express bus. I hate the balance left and not being able to check my balance before i pay for the bus. Once the card reader in the bus just ate my card with some $$. The driver could do anything, so I lost my money. Buses need to take some other form of fast payment like a contact debit/credit card, etc, who can pay 5.50 in change these days, it's ridiculous.
I've lost a few fares since this started. They double-deduct too.
You can get an easypay metrocard (https://www.easypaymetrocard.com/) which works like an EZpass, you attach it to a credit or debit card and don't have to worry about refilling it.
I've noticed that sometimes when I get "SWIPE AGAIN AT THIS TURNSTILE", the card gets double deducted. The MTA has its subtle-ways of nickel and diming passengers.
Cool, didn't know about easypay. I think this will help with a lot of my frustrations. Thanks.
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