NJ Transit To Refund Unused Tickets Amid Customer Backlash

NEW JERSEY — NJ Transit on Wednesday announced it will offer refunds for unused one-way bus, rail and light rail tickets purchased before June 1 of this year, a decision that followed an uproar from riders upset about a new policy implemented by the agency.

According to a NJ Transit news release, refunds will start on Aug. 1 and continue through Dec. 31. Refunds also apply to rail 10-trip tickets, the equivalent of 10 one-way rail tickets purchased in a single transaction.

All one-way tickets will remain valid until the return period starts, officials said.

The decision addresses criticisms from riders and state leaders after NJ Transit implemented a new policy that all one-way tickets would expire 30 days after purchase starting July 1.

To date, more than a dozen people have filed complaints with the state Consumer Affairs Division, according to a NJ Advance Media report; however, the state agency determined it doesn’t have jurisdiction over NJ Transit and referred the cases to NJ Transit.

"We paid for those tickets under the conditions and terms in effect when we purchased them,” Joe Versaggi, president of the New Jersey Association of Railroad Passengers, told NJ.com, adding he filed a complaint on May 6. "My 95-year-old mother has 14 tickets she can’t use by July 30. We’re stuck with them."

State Sen. Raj Mukherji also called on NJ Transit to reverse its decision.

"I welcome NJ Transit’s response in offering refunds to customers who purchased tickets in good faith only to learn after the fact that they would be worthless if not used by a newly imposed deadline,” Mukherji said in a statement sent to NJ Advance Media. "Reversing that policy is the only thing to do."

In a statement, NJ Transit officials said customers are "strongly encouraged" not to purchase any one-way tickets they can't use by July 31.

"While the overwhelming majority of customers do not typically purchase more than three months’ worth of one-way tickets in advance, the refund policy will help assist those customers who might be at risk of having tickets expire before they can be used by July 31st," the statement read.

How customers are refunded will depend on the type of ticket purchased, officials said.

Paper tickets: Customers should bring unused paper tickets purchased before June 1 to a NJ Transit customer service office. Customers should have their receipts with them to expedite the refund process. Customers who don’t have their receipt will be asked to provide contact information and the last four digits of the credit card used for the purchase.

Web tickets: Customers should print out unused one-way tickets purchased online and follow the instructions for paper tickets.

Mobile app tickets: All unused mobile app tickets purchased before June 1 that remain unused on Aug. 1 will be automatically converted to a credit in the amount of the unused one-way tickets in the customer’s electronic wallet. Customers do not need to take any action to receive this credit.

More information on the ticket return policy can be found online.