By Philip Newman
If your MetroCard has been lost or stolen, you can now go directly to the MTA’s website to speed up the process of getting it restored.
To file a claim, go to MetroCard eFix at efixmetrocard.mtanyct.info and click on “Balance Protection Claim.” If your claim is accepted, the MTA will refund the fare you paid to purchase the card in proportion to the amount of time left on the card.
“If your MetroCard was lost or stolen, filing a claim on the website after hours or on the weekend is the best way to speed up the process,” said Paul Fleuranges, MTA senior director of corporate and internal communications, who oversees the eFix website.
“This is one more way that the MTA is making it easier to interact with us. Now you can file a claim whenever it is convenient for you,” Fleuranges said.
So far, only the 30-day unlimited MetroCards and seven-day Express Bus Plus MetroCards purchased with credit or debit cards at an MTA vending machine can be restored via the MTA website. The MTA said the plan is to accept other types of MetroCards as well.
If you prefer, you can still call 511 to report a lost or stolen MetroCard.
The MTA made eFix available in June 2011 and it has been expanded several times, adding new functions each time.
MTA staff members on average are able to rectify requests within six days for claims accepted on eFix. From January through November of this year, the MTA got 9,831 claims related to malfunctioning MetroCards or machines via the eFix website, which works out to 894 claims a month.
Since the eFix website began accepting claims for lost or stolen MetroCards, straphangers have sent in 3,800 claims. Those who file a balance protection claim using eFix will still be contacted to complete the transaction.
The MTA prints around 9 million MetroCards a month and has a ridership of around 200 million trips per month on subways, buses and the Staten Island Railway.
Reach contributing writer Philip Newman by e-mail at timesledgernews@cnglocal.com or phone at 718-260-4536.
