Presto Card - Fares

Fares

Participating transit systems have different fares and fare policies when using the Presto Card compared to traditional fare media; generally, passengers receive a discount using Presto compared to cash fares. The implementation of the Presto Card has also unified the fare categories of GO Transit and local transit agencies, with local transit agencies adopting the GO Transit standard: previously, local transit agencies differed on the age limits for child and senior fares as well the types of students that may use student fares (some excluding post-secondary students while others do not). Registered Presto Card holders will be assessed the senior or child fares as appropriate; unregistered cards will always have adult fares assessed. Student fare classification must be activated by the card-issuing transit authority through its normal procedures, which differ between transit systems.

Other Presto Card fare notes:

• GO Transit - Fares for adult and student passengers between two fare zones are reduced to levels comparable to that of 10-ride tickets. The loyalty discount system is in place where passengers frequently travelling between two fare zones will receive further discounts after 30 (student) or 35 trips (adult) in a single month, so the fare paid per month never exceeds that of the corresponding GO Transit monthly pass. Fares for child and senior passengers do not receive a further discount beyond the same 50% of adult (ticket) prices offered via traditional fare media. See GO Transit fares for more information.
  • Passengers connecting to local transit from GO Transit will only be assessed the co-fare, if applicable, on the Presto Card if the GO Transit trip was also assessed to the Presto Card; the full local fare will be assessed otherwise. Passengers connecting to GO transit from local transit will have their co-fare discounts assessed when disembarking from their GO Transit trips.

• Durham Region Transit - DRT support for regular (non-co-fare) DRT rides (on the provision that no transfers to GO Transit buses are used for the trip, due to GO Transit integration issues) is limited and on an unofficial basis.
• Hamilton Street Railway - GO Transit co-fares are done differently for Presto Card holders compared to holders of traditional fare media. Passengers transferring to HSR from GO Transit will receive a $0.50 discount on the HSR fare, while passengers transferring to GO Transit from HSR will receive a $1.50 discount on the GO Transit fare.
• MiWay - Although MiWay supports period passes on the Presto Card, it is expected that period passes will be phased out in favour of expanding the present loyalty program.
• OC Transpo - Presto Cards issued by OC Transpo may not be used aboard transit agencies in Toronto. Presto Cards (whether issued in Toronto or Ottawa) registered to addresses in Quebec may not use the Presto Card when boarding OC Transpo buses, as per existing residency policies between OC Transpo and STO; STO fare media (including the STO Passe-Partout PLUS Card) must be used instead.
• Toronto Transit Commission - The TTC has only implemented the Presto Card at 14 subway stations, including all stations with connections to neighbouring transit systems. However, at these stations, passengers may obtain a TTC transfer for connecting travel. Full TTC integration (including transitioning from the existing trip-based transfers to the time-based transfers used by other local transit agencies) is expected by 2015. The TTC has not implemented the Presto Card on its buses or streetcars, including buses operating on behalf of MiWay and York Region Transit; however, passengers may use the Presto Card to connect to a TTC bus route at stations with fare-paid transfer zones, as per TTC's transfer policy.
  • As TTC uses trip-based rather than time-based fares, there are no free transfers between the TTC and any connecting service; passengers connecting to a neighbouring service will be assessed a full fare, even within the nominal transfer window.
  • Though TTC fare media is valid for YRT's Viva Orange service for travel to York University, YRT fares will be assessed if passengers embark at York University, Murray Ross, Dufferin-Finch Vivastations, or outside Downsview Station's fare-paid area; passengers are assessed the TTC fare when boarding Viva Orange from Downsview Station's fare-paid area.
  • As TTC buses do not accept the Presto Card, passengers may not board at Downsview Station or Don Mills Station and pay for both the TTC and YRT fares (using the Presto reader at the Vivastation vending machine for the latter) and board a TTC bus bound for York Region. A separate (non-Presto) YRT fare is required when exiting the bus in York Region, as per existing TTC fare policies.
• York Region Transit - Zone fares may be deducted on request for passengers travelling across fare zone boundaries, or from the ticket vending machines at Vivastations. YRT Express fare supplements will also be automatically deducted.
  • Zone fares and YRT Express fares cannot be assessed on their own; passengers using the GTA Weekly Pass thus cannot use the Presto Card for these fare upgrades.
  • Passengers making a two-zone trip on a one-zone fare will be assessed a second full fare when making a connection past the fare zone boundary instead of a free transfer or a zone upgrade fare. Accidental crossings of the zone boundaries cannot be reconciled when disembarking: the full fare must be paid when boarding the first YRT bus.
  • Due to fare integration issues with GO Transit, GO Transit fares will be deducted when boarding Route 69 Sutton GO Bus. As this is the only route crossing the northern zone boundary, the Presto Card cannot be used for three-zone fares or two-zone fares crossing this boundary.
  • YRT fares are assessed when boarding Züm buses in York Region due to fare integration with Viva Orange, even though both YRT and Brampton Transit fare media are accepted for Züm buses in York Region. Passengers holding a Brampton Transit period pass will not be assessed a fare when boarding a Züm bus in York Region, but will be assessed a fare for boarding Viva Orange. As Viva Orange is on a proof-of-payment system while Züm buses are pay-as-you-board, it does not matter whether fares are deducted at the Vivastation vending machine or on board a Züm bus, except in the case of Brampton Transit period pass holders, as previously mentioned.
  • YRT does not issue paper transfers for Presto card holders. Thus, passengers must pay a second full fare when connecting to TTC services in York Region, due to the TTC not having implemented the Presto Card on its buses.