Credit and Debit (PRESTO Contactless)

Which transit agencies accept PRESTO contactless?

Currently, PRESTO contactless (payment by credit or debit) is accepted on the following transit systems:

• Brampton Transit
• Burlington Transit
• Durham Region Transit
• GO Transit
• Hamilton Street Railway
• MiWay
• Oakville Transit
• York Region Transit
• UP Express

When will PRESTO contactless payment be available on the TTC?

TTC does not currently accept payment by credit or debit; however, Metrolinx and the TTC are working in partnership to deliver these new, modern payment options as quickly as possible to customers on the TTC. To be ready for contactless payment, TTC devices require upgrading to accept the new fare payments, like credit and debit cards, and this work is already underway.

What payment methods are accepted?

Most major credit cards (most Visa, Mastercard and American Express) and most Interac® Debit cards, including those cards on your phone or watch, are accepted.  

While most credit cards can be tapped on PRESTO devices to pay, some credit cards are not yet accepted on transit systems. Check with your bank to see if you can use your card to pay with PRESTO contactless.

When tapping a phone or watch, please select your preferred payment card within your mobile wallet. For some phones and watches, you may need to unlock your device before tapping.

If paying with debit, some banking plans may charge additional fees. Before tapping, check with your bank to see if there are debit transaction limits and fees associated with your account.

Can I use a credit card or bank card issued outside of Canada?

You can use international credit cards and internationally-issued Visa Debit and Debit Mastercard cards, but please be aware that they may have currency fees and extra processing fees for out-of-country use. You cannot use regular debit cards issued by a bank outside of Canada.

How much is YRT fare with PRESTO contactless? Can I pay a discounted fare, like student or senior?

When travelling on YRT, cash fare of $4.25 will be charged to your credit or debit card. For discounted fares, customers should use a PRESTO card, YRT Pay App or Transit App.

Which card will be charged if I tap my physical wallet with multiple cards?

PRESTO devices can accept multiple fare payments options, including PRESTO cards, credit cards and debit cards, so tap only with the card you want to use. Remember to take the card you want to pay with out of your wallet, purse or phone case whenever you tap. Taking your card out to tap ensures you pay with the right card.

Why was I charged an additional fee when tapping my debit card on a PRESTO device to pay my transit fare?

If paying with debit, some banking plans may charge additional fees. Before tapping, check with your bank to see if there are debit transaction limits and fees associated with your account and whether transaction limits apply to public transit purchases.

How do I know if my payment method was charged?

You will see a charge on your credit card or bank account statement. It may take a few days to appear and multiple trips may be combined into one or more charges. On your credit card or bank account statement, your charges will be listed as “PRESTO” followed by the type of charge (such as fare, inspection, unpaid fare) and a series of letters/numbers.

If you’ve tapped your credit or debit card to travel, later in the day you can check your transaction history on the PRESTO App or PRESTO website, or check your credit card or bank account statement to see the fares charged to your card. 

Before your credit card is charged, a pre-authorization of up to $1 will appear on your statement.

If using a debit card in a mobile wallet on a smartphone or smartwatch, transaction history is not available on the PRESTO App or website. You will have to check your bank account statement to see the fares charged to your card.

Why doesn't my credit card work?

While most credit cards can be tapped on PRESTO devices to pay, some credit cards are not yet accepted on transit systems. Check with your bank to see if you can use your card to pay with PRESTO contactless.

If you’re experiencing an issue with your card, you can sign in with your card details on the PRESTO App or PRESTO website for more information. For example, if there is an unpaid PRESTO fare associated with your card, you will not be able to use it to travel with PRESTO until your fare is paid. You may also need to verify your card with PRESTO.

Why do I keep getting an error message when I tap my iPhone/Apple Watch?

Older Apple devices – iPhone 8 and earlier models – may experience an error message when tapped on a PRESTO device. If you tap an older Apple device with PRESTO contactless and see a message saying that multiple cards were detected, simply tap your device again and the PRESTO device should accept your tap.

What happens if I tap to pay an unpaid fare and I see a message that says, “Tap again | Trying to clear unpaid fares”?

If the device you tapped says “Tap again | Trying to clear unpaid fares” that means PRESTO is trying to collect an unpaid fare. If you are taking a trip at the same time, you need to wait a few seconds to tap to pay your fare for the new trip. If you see an “Accepted” screen once you tap to take your next trip, it means that your unpaid fare was paid successfully and your tap for your new trip has been recorded.

If you tap to pay an unpaid fare and then take a trip with PRESTO contactless at the same time, you will see two different charges on your account: one for the unpaid fare and one for the fare for the new trip.

Sometimes PRESTO devices operate offline. If you see a “Tap again later” message when you tap on a device to pay an unpaid fare, that means the device you tapped was offline at the time and the system won’t collect your unpaid fare from your bank account until the device is back online.

What happens if I don’t have enough balance/funds for the pre-authorization?

If you don’t have enough funds in your account for the pre-authorization amount ($1), but you still tap to take transit, an unpaid fare will be associated with your card. You will have to pay that unpaid fare before you are able to use that card again to travel with PRESTO contactless.

What do I do if my card is blocked or suspended?

Please contact PRESTO Customer Service at 1-877-378-6123.

What is my proof of payment on Viva?

The credit or debit card that you used to tap and pay your fare is your proof of payment. Be sure to tap your card or mobile wallet on the PRESTO device at the vivastation or terminal before boarding.

If you are approached by YRT Enforcement for a fare inspection, you will need to tap the same card you used on the inspection device. The PRESTO system will check your card information to make sure that you tapped to pay your fare.

Customers travelling without valid fare may be subject to a fine or criminal charge.

How do I use credit or debit on Mobility On-Request?

You can pay with credit or debit card the same as you would with a PRESTO card. Simply tap your credit or debit card (or card on your phone or watch) on the PRESTO device provided by the Mobility On-Request driver.

Can I use credit or debit on TTC routes in York Region?

Payment by credit or debit card is currently not accepted on TTC. For customers travelling on TTC in York Region, please continue to use PRESTO, YRT Pay or Transit Apps, or cash fare.

How do transfers work with PRESTO contactless?

A two-hour transfer is automatically included (no paper transfers needed). Tap with the same credit or debit card, or same card on your phone or watch when transferring to another YRT route.

The two-hour transfer is also included when transferring between participating 905 transit agencies: York Region, Brampton, Mississauga, Oakville, Durham Region, Burlington and Hamilton Transit.

When transferring to/from GO Transit, the free co-fare will be automatically applied when you tap to transfer between YRT and GO. Simply tap with the same credit or debit card when you transfer between YRT and GO, and your fare will be reduced accordingly so your trip on YRT will be free. Visit our Ride to GO page for more information.

Can more than one person use the same card, at the same time to travel?

No; each person travelling will need to use a separate credit or debit card, including those on a phone or watch.

Why should I register my credit or debit card for PRESTO contactless payment?

When you register your credit or debit card and add it to your PRESTO Account, you can see your transaction history for the last 180 days on the PRESTO App or PRESTO website. If you don’t add your credit or debit card to a PRESTO Account and you sign in anonymously, you can only see transactions for the last seven days. 

When you add a credit or debit card to a PRESTO Account you will also:

• Receive notifications related to your contactless card through the PRESTO App
• Be able to manage your trips and PRESTO contactless payments
• Be able to sign into the PRESTO App or PRESTO website with your email address and password instead of your credit card number

If you’ve used a credit or debit card at least once to take transit, you can add it to your PRESTO Account and see more of your transaction history.

If using a debit card in a mobile wallet on a smartphone or smartwatch, transaction history is not available on the PRESTO App or website. You will have to check your bank account statement to see the fares charged to your card.

How do I register my credit or debit card to a PRESTO Account?

Once you use your credit or debit card to travel at least once, you can add it to your PRESTO Account. If you don’t already have a PRESTO Account, you can create one on the PRESTO App or PRESTO website, then choose the “Add a Card” option and follow the prompts under “Add a contactless card.” Be sure to enter the correct card information.

If using a debit card in a mobile wallet on a smartphone or smartwatch, transaction history is not available on the PRESTO App or website. You will have to check your bank account statement to see the fares charged to your card.

How do I know if my credit or debit card was added to my PRESTO Account?

You can check to make sure your credit or debit card was added to your PRESTO Account by signing out and signing back in. If your card was added successfully, it will show up as one of the cards in your account.

Why do I need to verify my card information?

Your card may need to be checked to make sure that your card is valid and has enough funds to travel. For registered credit or debit cards, sign in through the PRESTO App or PRESTO website and follow the instructions online. For anonymous credit or debit cards, you can verify your card through PRESTO’s automated phone system.

What is an unpaid fare?

An unpaid fare will appear in your PRESTO contactless transaction history if you used a card to travel but we were unable to charge a fare to that card. This can happen if you used a card that did not have enough funds to pay your fare.

Sign in through the PRESTO App or PRESTO website and follow the steps online to pay your unpaid fares. You can also pay your unpaid fare at any time by tapping your card on a PRESTO device. If you are taking a trip at the same time, you need to tap to pay your unpaid fare, wait five seconds, and then tap again to pay your fare for the new trip.