Unlimited vs Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard
Unlimited vs Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard: which one to choose?
Before diving in, did you already read our 2 articles about the NYC Subway?
READ ALSO: 5 Things to Know About the NYC Subway
READ ALSO: MetroCard: Key Things to Know
Background
In NYC there are 2 types of MetroCard:
- Pay-per-ride: every time you use the subway, you pay the ride
- Unlimited: you pay a fixed amount and you can ride the subway as many times as you want.
Both cards cost 1$. Each ride using the Pay-per-ride MetroCard is 2.75$. The unlimited MetroCard costs 33$/7 days.
IMPORTANT: you can use the unlimited MetroCard already from JFK to Manhattan. Read our article for all the info:
READ ALSO: From JFK to Manhattan – Full Guide
Unlimited or Pay-Per-Ride: Which MetroCard to choose?
The choice depends by two factors:
- How many times you plan to use the subway
- The length of your NYC trip
If you spend 6 days in NYC and use the subway 2 times a day, there is no difference in terms of pricing between the 2 options.
In fact: 2 times x 2.75$ per ride x 6 days = $33. This equals the price of the weekly unlimited card.
However, if you spend 7 days in NYC or you plan to use the subway more than twice/day, the unlimited MetroCard could be a good choice.
The table below is a great summary:
| 1 Time | 2 Times | 3 Times | 4 Times | 5 Times | 6 Times | |
| 3 Days | Pay-Per-Ride | Pay-Per-Ride | Pay-Per-Ride | Equal | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| 4 Days | Pay-Per-Ride | Pay-Per-Ride | Equal | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| 5 Days | Pay-Per-Ride | Pay-Per-Ride | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| 6 Days | Pay-Per-Ride | Equal | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| 7 Days | Pay-Per-Ride | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Discover NYC Conclusions
Let’s get now to a conclusion: unlimited vs pay-per-ride MetroCard?
- 3 days in New York City: the Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard is the best option, unless you plan to use the subway more than five times per day. Highly unusual.
- 4 day trip to New York: Similarly to the conclusion of the 3-day trip, our recommendation is to go with Pay-Per-Ride in this case.
- 5 day trip to NYC: also here we recommend purchasing a Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard. You will most likely not use the subways more than twice per day.
- 6 day trip to New York: if you plan to use the subway twice per day, we recommend purchasing an unlimited MetroCard. In this way you can use the subway without overthinking.
- 7-day trip to New York City: we advise you to buy an unlimited MetroCard and use the subway to move around the city. It’s the quickest. You will not be sorry.