New York has the MetroCard, PATH has the SmartLink and it appears that NJ Transit commuters will likely end up with a fare card to call their own.

But not for several years. And how it will work is anyone's guess.

The first tests of the technology that will let commuters tap a card like they're buying a coffee at Starbucks won't begin until 2019, and only on buses.

Contractor Conduent Transport Solutions was hired Wednesday to upgrade NJ Transit's fare collection system, and part of that plan includes the fare card.

"We're going to re-engineer the ticket vending machine for additional fare collection options," said Michael Slack, NJ Transit's chief information officer. "One option is to get a fare card from a (ticket vending machine) and add value as you see fit, either in dollars or (rides)."

Officials said the goal is to reduce the number of cash fares and paper tickets in order to save money.

There are technical and practical details that need to be worked out, and use of a fare card throughout the entire system would likely take several years to implement. There is no schedule, officials said.

The proposed card would use "near-field" technology that works by tapping the card on a reader, officials said.

But before the fare card can be ready for widespread use, equipment has to be installed on several thousand NJ Transit buses, which won't be completed until 2019, Slack said.

After that, fare cards would be tested on individual bus routes, similar to how the MyTix ticketing app was gradually introduced, officials said.

Rail passengers could see the first changes to how their fares are collected, as initial plans call for 1,500 train crew members to be equipped with scanners to read the barcodes on tickets, pending approval by the Federal Railroad Administration.

Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook.