That's because those cards don't normally involve a credit check, nor do they show up on credit reports. They're prepaid debit cards that you can buy at Walmart and 7-11, so it is no surprise that they managed to do it without tripping any of the credit freezes.

If it isn't the bank, then it has to be the merchant processor for the transit systems that perhaps doesn't accept your bank's card. That's the only remaining explanation. That can happen because the transaction fees are higher than they're willing to pay or any number of other reasons. Believe it or not, depending on your bank AND the program your card is a part of (such as cash back rewards and so on), it changes the bank interchange fees for processed transactions. At last glance, there were more than 4,000 separate interchange fees across all issued credit cards. It's crazy.