Some New York MTA Apple Pay Users Are Being Hit With Accidental Charges

Contactless payments sounds like the perfect solution where it is convenient and all users need to do is wave their card or phone against a reader and they’re good to go. However, a recent report from the New York Post is highlighting some potential issues with the system, where some users are now being accidentally charged.

According to the report, some MTA commuters in New York who use Apple Pay are apparently being charged for rides every time they walk by OMNY readers. The users affected are claiming that all they need to do is walk close enough to the readers and even if they don’t tap their iPhones or Apple Watch against the readers, it is still close enough to trigger Apple Pay.

The problem is said to be because of Apple Pay’s Express Transit feature, where users can complete Apple Pay payments without having to authenticate themselves. The idea is that this will help speed up the payments process, which we totally understand, but in turn it seems to have created this problem.

Thankfully, it isn’t a particularly widespread problem as the MTA has confirmed that about 30 users or so have been affected by it. The MTA is also said to be working with Apple to address the issue, but in the meantime, users are recommended to disable Apple Pay Express Transit until the issue can be resolved.

Tyler Lee
Categories: Apple, General
Tags: Apple Pay, Apple Watch, iPhone