Patent ID: 8126769

Claim:
A method of electronic transit fare payment, comprising: receiving, by a mobile device, a transit card state correction input for a transit card responsive to the transit card being in a transit card state that is unexpected, wherein the transit card state is one of an entry coded state and an exit coded state, and wherein the unexpected state is the exit coded state when the transit card is outside of a transit system and the entry coded state when the transit card is inside of the transit system; storing, by the mobile device, a transit card state correction record based on receiving the transit card state correction input; changing, by the mobile device, the transit card state to an expected state in response to receiving the transit card state correction input, wherein the expected state is the entry coded state when the transit card is outside of the transit system and the exit coded state when the transit card is inside of the transit system; providing, by the mobile device, transit card information including the transit card state correction record to an exit fare gate to support electronic payment with a transit card; and deducting, by the mobile device, a maximum fare from a funds balance based on information from an exit fare gate about the transit card and on the transit card state correction record when the time difference between receiving information from the exit fare gate and receiving a request to correct the transmit card state is less than a pre-defined threshold based upon a determination that an attempt to charge an erroneous fare has occurred, wherein the mobile device comprises a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a media player, or a handset.