Abstract: A transit fare approach that offers a transit agency the ability to cap how many transit passes of a particular type in a given fare cycle would be equivalent of buying a discounted transit product (like a weekly pass, a bi-weekly pass, or a monthly pass). Once this equivalent is reached by a rider, the system automatically gives the rider the corresponding discount pass for free. The free pass remains activated and good for the remainder of the fare cycle. A software module provides a user app for the rider's mobile device and a controller app for a control unit of the transit agency, both of which operate in conjunction with each other to monitor the use of transit passes by the rider to determine when the rider qualifies for the fare cap-based free transit product and subsequently reward the rider with the free use of the appropriate transit product.

Abstract: An electronic-ticketing approach in which a user of a mobile device receives a voucher code at a Ticket Vending Machine (TVM) in a transit station, enters the voucher code into the user's mobile device, and sends it to a control unit to receive an electronic ticket from the control unit delivered to the user's mobile device. The voucher code is a randomly-generated, alpha-numeric code that can be displayed on TVM displays and also can be easily be printed on TVM receipts. When the control unit receives the voucher code, it links the electronic ticket to the user before delivering the ticket to the user's mobile device so as to keep a track of the user's usage of the ticket. A software module provides a user app portion for the user's mobile device and a server app portion for the control unit, both of which operate in conjunction with each other.