PATH SmartLink cards to stop working after Aug. 31 as system completes switch to TAPP
Riders must use TAPP beginning Sept. 1, with unused SmartLink balances eligible for transfer through February 2027.
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PATH riders have until Aug. 31 to use SmartLink fare cards before the transit system permanently retires them as part of its transition to the TAPP fare payment system, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced Tuesday.
Beginning Sept. 1, riders must pay fares using a TAPP Card or by tapping a contactless credit or debit card, smartphone or wearable device at station readers.
The agency said 96% of PATH riders had already switched to TAPP by the end of July. SmartLink cards stopped being sold or refilled for most customers on May 31.
Riders who still have money remaining on SmartLink cards after Aug. 31 can transfer those balances to a TAPP Card by contacting the TAPP Customer Service Center by February 2027. TAPP Cards are available at vending machines in all PATH stations and online.
PATH will host online public information sessions on Aug. 12 and Aug. 19 to answer riders' questions about the transition.
SmartLink debuted in 2007 as PATH's reloadable tap-and-go fare card, replacing the paper QuickCard. MetroCards, which have also been accepted on PATH, will no longer be accepted after Aug. 31.
The fare system change is part of a broader modernization effort that includes replacing fare gates, upgrading infrastructure and expanding service. The Port Authority said PATH carried 5.9 million riders in June, up 14% from June 2025 and the system's busiest month since March 2020.
