That still seems expensive for a $3.75 metro fare.
2.4% of the cost of your ride is the chip in the ticket itself? Maybe it's worth it because it lets them eliminate mechanical ticket-reading and unify paper tickets with other NFC payment methods.
These single use tickets are used essentially only by tourists and those who use public transport only on occasion.
The vast majority of users will use rechargeable Opus cards [1] that can contain a variety of different fare types (single tickets, monthly tickets, etc).
From an operator's point of view it definitely makes sense to only have to maintain one type of reader, even if that means losing a few cents profit on the low single digit percent of rides that use the disposable tickets.
I assume all regular customers will be paying a fare of $3.25 or less per ride on the reusable Opus card (fare purchased in a 10-ride pack). Essentially you’re paying for the chip with the very-occasional-commuter one-ride convenience fee.
That still seems expensive for a $3.75 metro fare.
2.4% of the cost of your ride is the chip in the ticket itself? Maybe it's worth it because it lets them eliminate mechanical ticket-reading and unify paper tickets with other NFC payment methods.