Smartphones to Ring up Fares

New Yorkers will soon dial up subway rides. Starting next year, you’ll be able to use your smartphone to get past turnstiles as part of the MTA’s plan to kill off the MetroCard, officials said yesterday.

Riders will have to ask one of four participating banks whether they qualify for a special chip for their phones. The chip’s antenna is connected to an application that deducts fares from bank accounts.

Most major smartphones, such as BlackBerrys, can use the chip, but iPhone users will have to buy a special case.

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By Tom Namako for the New York Post