LIRR starts pilot to accept credit cards onboard

The LIRR is taking “a swipe” at a new payment system for riders buying tickets onboard.

On Tuesday, the LIRR began accepting credit cards for ticket purchases on trains between Ronkonkoma and Greenport, as part of a pilot program that will be extended to Montauk next weekend.

Conductors will sell tickets using iPhones with attached credit card readers. But customers will still have to pay an extra fee of up to $6.50 per ticket for buying on the train instead of in advance.

The LIRR will consider making the practice permanent and system-wide after the pilot ends in October.