The coronavirus pandemic has delayed Apple Pay Express Transit being available across the entire New York subway system. The contactless One Metro New York (OMNY) system was meant to be available across the network by October but is now expected to be complete by the end of 2020 (via Wall Street Journal).
Installation of Readers Used by Apple Pay Express Transit Was Paused
Installing the contactless readers that allow users to pay for transportation via a smartphone or contactless card was halted in March in a bid to stop workers contracting COVID-19. Apple Pay Express Transit is fully compatible with the OMNY system, but at the moment usage is limited. “Unless you have OMNY at both ends of your destination you’re not going to use OMNY,” commented Al Putre, an official leading the system’s rollout. However, the iPhone and Apple Watch feature can be widely used in other cities across the world, including London and hundreds in China.