EasyPayXpress Is Going Unlimited
For years, riders have been able to take advantage of the EasyPayXpress MetroCard which featured automatic replenishing of your balance. This was a very nice feature to have as it saved time from having to stand on line at a token booth or MVM to add money to your card. Now the MTA has made the card even more useful by making it available to Unlimited MetroCard users. Here are the complete details in a press release I received earlier today:
There’s good news for riders who don’t like waiting on line at MetroCard Vending Machines (MVMs) or Station Booths to purchase their monthly MetroCard: EasyPayXpress MetroCard, the MetroCard that never runs out of rides, is now going Unlimited. Instead of buying a new 30-day Unlimited card every month, customers using the popular card can now sign up for the same automatic replenishment program that Pay-Per-Ride users have been taking advantage of since 2006. EasyPayXpress will provide users of 30-day MetroCards the same convenient and hassle free way to travel that more than 16,000 Pay-Per-Ride users have come to rely on.
“The addition of an Unlimited card option is the natural next step for the EasyPayXpress Program,” said Paul J. Fleuranges, Vice President of Corporate Communications. “We expect that Unlimited MetroCard users will, as we’ve seen with our Pay-Per-Ride population, appreciate the fact that they never have to worry about their card running out of rides or standing on an MVM line with their credit card or cash to buy a new one,” added Fleuranges.
Customers can open an EasyPayXpress Unlimited account with $81, linked to a credit card or pre-tax transportation benefits card, by filling out an application on line at www.easypaymetrocard.com. When the card arrives in the mail, they can begin using it right away. The EasyPayXpress 30-Day Unlimited MetroCard functions just like the regular 30-Day Unlimited MetroCard; it starts when the card is first activated, and customers can ride as many times as they want to for 30 consecutive days. At the end of the 30-Day Unlimited period, users’ credit cards will be charged $81 and the first use will start a new 30-Day period.
EasyPayXpress Unlimited can be used for local bus and subway fares; it cannot be used on express buses. Because the EasyPayXpress MetroCard is good for two years, there’s no need to throw away a used card or for multiple card purchases, and that’s good for the environment. In 2008, EasyPayXpress riders took 2.5 million trips, 58-percent of them on local buses and subways. As is the case with the Pay-Per-Ride card, when a customer reports an EasyPayXpress Unlimited MetroCard lost or stolen to the EasyPay Account Service Center, the card will be deactivated to protect it from unauthorized charges and the account automatically credited for the remaining days left.
Another feature of the Unlimited program is that account holders can easily switch to a Pay-Per-Ride mode when they know in advance they will not be using the card for 30 consecutive days, like during vacations or business trips. “When we began developing the EasyPayXpress Unlimited payment option, we decided to make it as flexible as it is convenient,” said Cross J. Siclare, Assistant Vice President for Customer Relations. “It will take some account management on the part of our customers, but we think we’ve designed a customer friendly process,” added Fleuranges.
To switch to the Pay-Per-Ride mode, customers can simply change their account status on line or contact the EasyPay Service Center prior to the end of the current 30-day period. When the account is in the Pay-Per-Ride mode, a discount equivalent to the current 15-percent bonus is applied to each ride. When the account goes below $20 the account holder’s credit card will be used to replenish the account with $40. Users can switch back to the 30-Day Unlimited mode anytime online or by calling the EasyPay Account Service Center.
EasyPayXpress account holders have access to account information at their fingertips online anytime at www.easypaymetrocard.com. Once logged in on the secured website, customers can view statements, change their PIN or update their financial information. Account information is also available by calling the Service Center using a touch-tone phone at 1-877-323-RIDE (7433).
I might just try this out & see how it goes. Anything that could make my commute easier is a good thing in my book!
xoxo Transit Blogger
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While this is a nice gesture, I enjoy getting cool new MetroCards to use each month as my 30-day cards (next week I’ll be activating a 30-day card which is the new 2009 METS “Take the 7 TRAIN to the GAME” MetroCard). So no boring EasyPayXpress MetroCard for me. I’d hate to use the same boring MetroCard all the time.