The new cards are far less wasteful than paper tickets. Both the magnetic stripe cards and the smart cards can be used repeatedly for thousands of rides, where as the paper tickets were only good for a brief period of time. They also provide riders with an added level of convenience by eliminating the need to constantly be purchasing new tickets.

Another benefit for the subway system is the ability to gather information based on when and where the new transit cards are scanned. Since the cards must be presented both when entering and exiting the subway system, valuable data is collected which can help the subway system evaluate train schedules.