PRESTO FAQ's

What is PRESTO?

PRESTO is an electronic fare system being introduced to transit systems across the Greater Toronto Area, Hamilton and Ottawa. PRESTO uses smartcard technology to give riders the most convenient fare payment possible. For more information about PRESTO, visit the PRESTO website.

How does PRESTO Work?

PRESTO uses smartcard technology and special reading devices to collect and process payments. With a single card (about the size of a debit card), you can pay fares on a number of transit systems – no cash fare, paper tickets or paper passes required!

The card stores a pre-loaded dollar amount (called e-purse). Each time you travel, the cost of the trip is deducted from your card’s e-purse. All it takes is the tap of a PRESTO card and your fare is paid! 

Brampton Transit period passes (weekly or monthly) for Adults, Students and Seniors can be loaded onto a PRESTO card at Brampton Transit terminals/facilities and online at prestocard.ca. Passes CANNOT be refunded or excahnged.
 
Important: You can transfer to another service provider using e-purse or a Brampton Transit period pass loaded on your PRESTO card. A two-hour transfer is valid from the time of issue. Your card can be loaded with both e-purse and up to one period pass per transit service provider. When travelling outside of Brampton with a period pass, once the two-hour transfer has expired, you will be required to pay with e-purse or period pass of that transit service provider for your return trip. 

How do I use PRESTO?

1. Purchase a Card
Purchase a PRESTO card online or at one of the following Brampton Transit terminals/facilities:
   • Bramalea Terminal
   • Downtown Brampton Terminal
   • Brampton Gateway Terminal
   • Trinity Common Terminal
   • Clark Transit Facility 
  
There is a $6 non-refundable issuance fee upon purchase.

Note: A minimum load of $10 is required upon purchase and at each load. This minimum load of $10 can be used towards the purchase of a Brampton Transit period pass (weekly or monthly).

The maximum amount of money that you can load onto your PRESTO card is $1000. You can load money onto your card as frequently as you need to.

 

If you want to register your card, you must wait 24 hours after purchase from a Brampton Transit terminal/facility.

 

2. Register Your Card

Note: If you want to register your card, you must wait 24 hours after purchase from a Brampton Transit terminal/facility.

Register your card online or by mail (registration forms are available online or at Brampton Transit terminals).

Note: 24 hours after you register your PRESTO card online, you must tap on to any PRESTO device* within a 30-day period to complete the registration. 

*PRESTO devices include: Balance checkers at Brampton Transit terminals and facilities or fare payment devices on Brampton Transit buses. It is recommended to use the fare payment device to activate your registration only if it is part of your trip, as it will deduct a fare upon tap.

3. Setting Discounted Fares
Although it is recommended that you register your PRESTO card, unregistered cards can be set with the student or senior discounted fares.

What are the benefits of registering your card?

Lost or stolen cards
Report a missing card to PRESTO and have it blocked. You will be responsible for the value spent within 24 hours of reporting the loss. You must purchase a replacement card and load a minimum of $10 on to the card. Before you register your new card, call the PRESTO Call Centre and ask that the funds be transferred from your old card.

Autoload
Autoload reloads your PRESTO card automatically through your bank account or credit card, when your e-purse balance drops below a dollar amount chosen by you - the minimum amount you can choose is $5. The minimum autoload amount is $20, up to a maximum of $980.
Note: Your new balance will show up immediately on your card. The minimum and maximum amounts are subject to change by PRESTO without notice.

Autorenew
This feature automatically reloads a monthly pass each month. Six days before the end of each month, your method of payment is charged for the value of next month’s pass. When you tap your card as part of a regular trip, the next month’s pass is loaded to your PRESTO card.
Note: To set up Autorenew you first have to have a monthly pass on your card.

 

Federal tax credit
Only registered cards are eligible for the federal tax credit. You must use your PRESTO card for at least 32 one-way trips within a single transit system during an uninterrupted period not exceeding 31 days. You can also claim the cost of passes used to travel for a period of one month or greater.
You will be able to print off a usage statement from the PRESTO website for tax purposes.

Emergency Trip
Registered card holders without sufficient funds to complete a trip are entitled to a single tap on and receive a two-hour transfer from the time of issue.

• The card will drop into a negative balance and will automatically be cleared the next time you load your card
• Negative e-purse settlement charge is $0.25 at the time of reload

Track your Usage
Check your balance and access a three month history online. You can have up to 10 cards registered under the same account.

IMPORTANT NOTES
- You will be required to create a username and password for existing/new registered accounts. Anonymous card holders will use the card number and a pin.
- For Registered Cardholders: If your PRESTO card is loaded with a period pass (weekly or monthly) and it becomes lost, stolen or damaged, you CANNOT load a pass to the card until AFTER the pass from your lost/stolen/damaged has been transferred to your new card; otherwise, the pass from the old card will NOT transfer to the new card.

How do I transfer?

With PRESTO, you no longer have to ask the bus operator for a paper transfer.

PRESTO’s smartcard technology recognizes your continuous travel each time you tap your card and allows you a two-hour transfer period from the time of issue.

If you are connecting to or from GO Transit, the GO co-fare is automatically calculated on the card.

 

Effective January 1, 2013

If you travel from Brampton to York Region using PRESTO, and you need to transfer onto a TTC bus (contracted by YRT) or YRT’s Dial-a-Ride to complete your trip, you must:

• Request a special transfer upon boarding the Route 501 Züm Queen service.
  Note: The special transfer will only be issued on the Route 501 Züm Queen service and will not be accepted at anytime by Brampton Transit or any other YRT buses.
• Show this transfer to the TTC bus operator or YRT’s Dial-a-Ride operator upon boarding.

Click here to view the special transfer.

 

For information on YRT services, including Dial-a-Ride, visit www.yrt.ca

 

Effective April 1, 2013
If you are transferring from a Brampton Transit bus to the TTC Route 58 – Malton bus at Westwood Mall, you must request a special transfer.

• Request a special transfer upon boarding a Brampton Transit bus. 
  Note: The special transfer will only be issued on routes going to Westwood Mall and will only be accepted by TTC Route 58 - Malton bus at Westwood Mall.
•  Show this transfer to the TTC bus operator upon boarding.

How does the GO co-fare payment work with PRESTO?

PRESTO will calculate and deduct the co-fare discount for your local transit trip to or from a PRESTO activated GO Train station or GO Transit bus. The local transit system must also be PRESTO active to receive the co-fare discount when travelling with your PRESTO card.

Click here for more information on how co-fares work with PRESTO.

I loaded value onto my card, why is my card not working?

If you load your PRESTO card online or over the phone, you must wait 24 hours before your purchase can be validated.  You must then tap onto a fare payment device onboard a bus or a balance checker located at Brampton Transit terminals, within 30 days to complete your transaction.

Will PRESTO affect Brampton’s bus fares?

No. Fare increases are determined and established system-wide based on cost versus revenue ratios. City of Brampton Council approves all fare increases based on the costs associated with providing transit service and the revenues required to maintain, improve and offer additional service.

Can I still apply for the Federal Tax Credit for Public Transit Passes?

Yes. However, you must register your card and use it for at least 32 one-way trips within a single transit system during an uninterrupted period not exceeding 31 days. You can also claim the cost of passes used to travel for a period of one month or greater. You will be able to print off a usage statement from the PRESTO website (www.prestocard.ca) for tax purposes.

Should I register my PRESTO card?

It is your choice. Registering your PRESTO card has numerous benefits. Registered cards that are lost or stolen can be reported to have future transactions blocked. You will be responsible for the value spent within 24 hours of reporting the loss. The remaining value can be transferred to a new card.

Although it is recommended that you register your PRESTO card, unregistered cards can be set with the student or senior discounted fares.

IMPORTANT NOTE for Registered Cardholders: If your PRESTO card is loaded with a period pass (weekly or monthly) and it becomes lost, stolen or damaged, you CANNOT load a pass to the card until AFTER the pass from your lost/stolen/damaged has been transferred to your new card; otherwise, the pass from the old card will NOT transfer to the new card. 

How is my privacy protected?

The PRESTO system meets all legislation and applicable guidelines designed to protect your privacy. Your name will not appear on your PRESTO card nor is any personal information stored on it.

Click here for more information.

Which transit systems are participating in PRESTO?

PRESTO, an operating system of Metrolinx, is a partnership involving GO Transit and nine municipal transit authorities:

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

• OC Transpo (Ottawa)
• Select TTC subway stations

Who can I contact for more information?

For PRESTO customer service, call 1.8.PRESTO.123 (1.877.378.6123), or visit prestocard.ca for more information and answers to frequently asked questions.

What should I do if my PRESTO card has been lost or stolen?

1. Contact the PRESTO Customer Service Centre immediately to have your card blocked at 1.8.PRESTO.123 (1.877.378.6123) Monday to Friday from 6am to 10pm; Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 9am to 9pm.
2. Call Brampton Transit’s Lost and Found at 905.874.2750 extension 62732 to find out if your card has been returned.  If your card is registered, you must provide verification to obtain your lost card, if found.  If your anonymous card is lost, you must provide the transaction history to prove the card belongs to you, if found. 
3. If your card is registered, your money is protected. PRESTO Customer Service can cancel your card and transfer your stored value to a new card. You are responsible for any costs incurred on the card up to the first 24 hours after reporting it lost. There will be a $6 issuance fee to replace the card. 

We recommend that you record the serial number of your PRESTO card to help us determine if a lost or stolen card is yours, should it be found and returned to us.

Autorenew: The Autorenew feature automatically reloads a monthly pass each month. Six days before the end of the month, your method of payment is charged for the value of next month's pass. When you tap your card as part of a regular trip, the next month's pass is loaded to your PRESTO card.

 

Note: To set up Autorenew you first have to have a monthly pass on your card. This can be done online at prestocard.ca/or in person.

How do I register my PRESTO card?

Registering your PRESTO card is easy!

For more information and to register your card online, click here.
To complete a paper registration form, click here. 

How do I load my PRESTO card online or over the phone?

Here are the options:

 

1. Visit prestocard.ca and load money onto your card using your bank account or credit card information every time you reload.
Note: Your new balance will show up on your card in 24 hours.

2. If you don’t want to provide your bank account or credit card information every time, set up a Requested Reload Contract. This allows you to reload the card’s e-purse amount via the PRESTO Call Centre at 1.8.PRESTO.123 (1.877.378.6123) or the PRESTO website at prestocard.ca.
Note: Your new balance will show up on your card in five business days.The minimum requested reload amount is $10 and the maximum is $1,000; these amounts are subject to change by PRESTO without notice.

3. To never worry about your card balance again, set up an Autoload Contract. Reload your PRESTO card automatically through your bank account or credit card when your e-purse balance drops below a dollar amount chosen by you. However, this dollar amount must be between $5 and $60. The minimum autoload amount is $20, up to a maximum of $980.
Note: Your new balance will show up immediately on your card.The minimum and maximum amounts are subject to change by PRESTO without notice.

If you are using your credit card, you can set up a contract online or by mailing in a paper form.

If you are using your bank account information to set up a contract, it must be done by mailing in a paper form that can be downloaded from the PRESTO website or obtained at a Brampton Transit terminal.

4. The Autorenew feature automatically reloads a monthly pass each month. Six days before the end of each month, your method of payment is charged for the value of next month’s pass. When you tap your card as part of a regular trip, the next month’s pass is loaded to your PRESTO card.
Note: To set up Autorenew you first have to have a monthly pass on your card. This can be done online atprestocard.ca or in person.

 

When I load funds online, why is there a 24 hour delay before the funds reach my card?

Your card balance is stored on the chip inside your PRESTO card. It does not update automatically when you load funds online.
The details of your transaction need to be downloaded to each PRESTO device, which can take up to 24 hours.
Your card balance is then updated when you tap your PRESTO card on a PRESTO device. If your balance is low, load your card at least 24 hours before you travel to make sure you’ll have sufficient balance.

Transactions conducted online or by phone have three parts:

1. When you activate, register, load, or report a lost card online or by phone, you have created a transaction. This transaction is then delivered to all PRESTO devices however, it may take a few hours (think of this as shopping online).

2. When you tap on-board a bus to complete your transaction, on-board devises may only update once per day. All PRESTO devices update within 24 hours - think of this as having your purchase sent to a post office for pickup.

3. Your card is updated when you tap. The transaction is applied to your card when you use it to travel. The transaction will expire in 30 days if you do not tap - think of this as picking up your purchase.

Can I connect to TTC using my PRESTO card?

​Visit the TTC website for an up-to-date listing of where the PRESTO card can be used on TTC.