Hauling all those coins and tokens up the stairs to street level by hand would have been a huge pain. Many MetroCards are sold in stores, so the MTA doesn't have to handle the cash at all.
For one year Ticketmaster sold Metrocards for the MTA. Ticketmaster didn't like the business because the MTA didn't allow them to overcharge the customers. Ticketmaster just got a 2%-3% commission, the MTA's bulk discount. They had to charge for shipping at their cost, and could not attach ads.
For one year Ticketmaster sold Metrocards for the MTA. Ticketmaster didn't like the business because the MTA didn't allow them to overcharge the customers. Ticketmaster just got a 2%-3% commission, the MTA's bulk discount. They had to charge for shipping at their cost, and could not attach ads.