Options for buying tickets
MTA's TrainTime app
With the TrainTime app, you can plan a trip, purchase a ticket, get train status and track location, and chat with a customer service representative for LIRR and Metro-North.
Download the app on your Apple or Android device to easily buy tickets, manage refunds and receipts, and more.
At a ticket office
Ticket offices sell all ticket types. You can pay with cash, credit or debit cards, and some transit benefit cards. For LIRR tickets, you can use a personal check for monthly, weekly, and 10-trip tickets, or five or more one-way tickets.
On board trains
Buying your ticket on the train will cost $5.75-$6.50 more than the regular price, and you can only buy one-way tickets onboard. This surcharge is waived if you are boarding at a station without ticket machines, or if you are a senior citizen, passenger with a disability, Medicare recipient, or active-duty military.
If you use an off-peak ticket on a peak train, or ride beyond the zones shown on your ticket, you will have to pay an additional fare onboard. This fare is not subject to the on-board surcharge, but will be rounded up to the nearest dollar.
Through your employer
If your company offers a tax-free transit benefit program, you can use it to buy LIRR or Metro-North tickets.
Note that transit benefit providers are independent of the MTA. If you refund tickets purchased through a pre-tax program, the money will be credited back to the benefit card you used to make the purchase.
At a ticket machine
You can buy different tickets at different machines. Unless otherwise noted, they accept cash (up to $50 bills and coins, returning up to $17.75 in coin change) and credit and debit cards.
- Gray machines: Buy all ticket types* and UniTickets.
- Red machines: Buy most types of one-way and round-trip tickets. These machines do not sell monthly, weekly, or 10-Trip tickets.
- Blue machines: Buy all ticket types*, and UniTickets. These machines accept only credit and debit cards. They do not accept cash.
*Group tickets and monthly school tickets cannot be purchased at ticket machines.
Ticket machine claims: If you encounter a problem using a ticket machine, such as incorrect change, a ticket that didn't print, or a misprinted ticket, let us know what went wrong by completing a ticket machine claim form for the LIRR or Metro-North. You can return the form at a staffed ticket window or by mailing it to the address printed on each form. Metro-North customers can also submit their claims through an online form.
Mail&Ride: Monthly ticket subscription
The Mail&Ride program automatically delivers your monthly ticket to the TrainTime app on your phone.
We also have a Mail&Ride program for students. Learn more.
See details and set up Mail&Ride for LIRR and Metro-North.