New Jersey Transit has a smartphone app that allows riders to use their phones as a ticket or monthly pass. I don't ride frequently often enough for me to use this, but I see many commuters using it. The trainman (or woman) uses a handheld scanner to verify the phone info.
CTA: can (1) use a contactless credit/debit card directly at the L turnstile or bus farebox, or (2) buy a Ventra card, load $ online or at machines in L stations, and use the Ventra card at turnstile/farebox. As not many people have contactless bank cards, most CTA riders use Ventra.
Metra (finally!) takes credit/debit cards in the stations but not on the trains. Passes can be ordered online, but the pass is sent by snail-mail.
Metra is working on payment by smartphone, but for now they're fully committed to physical tickets. Onboard crews don't have bar-code readers, and monthly passes have holograms & other security features. Heck, every conductor/trainman has his own distinct ticket punch, as they have for over a century!
MARC zilch...METRA maybe..South Shore-No-VRE- Odd operation only takes Credit/Debit cards. CTA El trains no idea about debit cards at the Dan Ryan. DC Metro now have a credit card function. I am waiting for a way to print out weekly transit passes at home on my computer for CDTA and other systems like I do for Amtrak.
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