How you pay for the subway in six cities

Tap-to-pay is spreading fast, but it is not everywhere yet. This page describes how each system works and where to read the current prices, because fares change more often than we can keep a page up to date. All of it was checked in October 2026. If a detail has changed by the time you travel, trust the operator's site.

Tap your own card

New York now uses OMNY, a tap system, and the MetroCard stopped being sold at the end of 2025. The fare is flat, and a weekly cap makes later rides free if you use the same card or device each time. London lets you tap a contactless card or phone, or use an Oyster card, with the same fares and daily and weekly caps. Singapore's SimplyGo accepts Visa, Mastercard and American Express, at the same fare as an EZ-Link card, but foreign-issued cards may carry a small fee. Details are on [mta.info](https://www.mta.info), the [Transport for London site](https://tfl.gov.uk) and the [SimplyGo site](https://simplygo.com.sg).

Buy a card first

In Seoul, buy a T-money or Cashbee card at a convenience store or station machine, load cash, and tap in and out. The fare depends on distance, and bus transfers are discounted. A Climate Card gives unlimited rides for a day or longer. Tap-to-pay with bank cards and phones is being added in stages, so check before you rely on it. In Tokyo, Suica and PASMO are interchangeable and work across Tokyo Metro, Toei and JR. Visitors can buy a Welcome Suica at airports and major JR stations. Changing between Tokyo Metro and Toei costs extra if you use paper tickets.

Halfway there

Paris replaced its old t+ ticket in 2025. A single ride on the Métro, RER or suburban trains now uses one Métro-Train-RER ticket at the same price anywhere in the region, loaded on a Navigo Easy card or in the Île-de-France Mobilités app, and the small paper tickets are no longer sold. Bus and tram rides use a separate ticket. The airports are the exception: a trip to or from Orly or Charles de Gaulle needs a dedicated airport ticket, and that includes Line 14 at Aéroport d'Orly. Paying with a bank card at the gate is being switched on in stages. Check the [Île-de-France Mobilités site](https://www.iledefrance-mobilites.fr).

Fare rules in one line each

Flat fare: New York, and Paris for a single ride outside the airports. Zone-based: London. Distance-based: Seoul, Tokyo and Singapore. And if you travel at night, New York is the only one of the six that runs around the clock every day. London runs a Night Tube on some lines on Friday and Saturday nights. For everything else, look up the last train before you go out.