Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
NYU Students Create "MetroChange" To Deal With Your Leftover MetroCard Money
By
Jen Carlson
Published Dec 21, 2011
Modified Dec 21, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Carlson
Published Dec 21, 2011
Modified Dec 21, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
You know those MetroCards that have a random, unusable amount of money left on them, that are destined to burn a hole in your pocket? If you take all the leftover money on those things, it adds up to $52 million a year. So why not have a kiosk that allows you to donate your card's leftover funds into one central fund, which is then donated to charity? That's the idea behind MetroChange.
The physical card would be taken for recycling, and the money on it would go to charity. The creators (students of NYU's Interactive Communications Program) they have researched how to make this happen (in nerd-speak: "There is a kiosk with Arduino, ethernet shield, LCD screen, IR transmitter and receiver, and magstripe reader"), and that each person donating would be able to choose on the kiosk which charity to donate to.
You can go through their testing process right here, where they conclude, "We’re continuing this project—we hope to find more ways of eating into these odd problems with the MetroCard system upstream. After that we’ll devise ways of using any remaining value that is left on cards in a more productive way." We've reached out to the MTA, who may have something to say about all this, and will update when we hear back.
Tagged
charity
good idea
leftover
metrocard
metrochange
money
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
NJ early voting begins Saturday. Here's everything you need to know.
Our 2026 New Jersey voter’s guide for this year’s midterm elections.
By
Mike Hayes
Published Oct 23, 2026 at 11:01 a.m. ET
Countdown clocks are coming to an NYC bus stop near you
New York City bus service isn't exactly reliable, but new digital countdown clocks will give riders a better sense of how long they have to wait.
By
Stephen Nessen
News
Countdown clocks are coming to an NYC bus stop near you
New York City bus service isn't exactly reliable, but new digital countdown clocks will give riders a better sense of how long they have to wait.
By
Stephen Nessen
Are NJ schools unconstitutionally segregated? It's back to the courts to decide.
By
Colleen O'Dea
Early Addition: New Jersey considering a ban on chewing gum because of microplastics
By
James Ramsay
Queens mother charged with murdering her son after failed suicide attempt, NYPD says
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .