Where to purchase a PRESTO card or PRESTO ticket?
You can purchase PRESTO cards from ticket vending machines located at the entrance of any subway station or at Toronto Pearson International Airport.
These machines also allow you to top up your card or load a monthly pass, which permits unlimited travel on any TTC service throughout the month. There are discounts available for seniors, school students, and university students.
To obtain a discounted fare pass, you must take your PRESTO card to Shoppers Drug Mart or the TTC Customer Service Centre (Davisville subway station) to have the settings adjusted. Additionally, you must have a government-issued ID or a TTC post-secondary student ID card if you are studying at a college or university in Toronto.
To get a TTC student card, you need to visit the TTC Photo ID Office at Bathurst station and present your class schedule or an acceptance letter from the program at the university, as well as an identification document. The cost of the TTC student card in 2020 was $5.25, and it's best to pay in cash.
Monthly passes can only be purchased online at prestocard.ca. The new monthly pass goes on sale 12 days before the start of the upcoming month.
Purchase discounted passes only after the card has been reconfigured! Reconfiguration of the card is not required for regular passes.
How to top up the balance on the card?
You can top up your card balance using special PRESTO machines located at any subway station. There are two types of machines that look different. The narrower machines (Self-Serve Reload Machines) only allow you to add funds to your card. The wider machines (Fare Vending Machines) allow you to both pay for a ride and purchase an actual PRESTO card.
Additionally, you can top up your card online through your personal account at prestocard.ca.
Who is required to pay for rides?
Everyone over the age of 12 must have their own PRESTO card or PRESTO ticket. The same applies to daily PRESTO passes.
School students aged 16-19 are required to carry a high school photo ID or another government-issued ID (for example, a driver’s license or Ontario photo card) and present it upon request from TTC staff.
University students must have a TTC post-secondary student card if they are using a discounted monthly pass.
People over 65 are also required to carry a TTC senior’s photo identification or another government-issued ID (for example, a driver’s license or Ontario photo card) and present it upon request from TTC staff.
How to use the pass?
Each time you board a vehicle, simply tap your PRESTO card or ticket on the fare payment terminal located at the entrance of the bus, streetcar, or subway station.
Transfers
If you are paying with a PRESTO card, you are subject to the two-hour transfer rule, which allows you to transfer to any mode of public transport in any direction completely free of charge within two hours of payment. You still need to tap your card on the payment terminals when transferring, but no charge will be deducted from your card.
Intercity Transportation
If you need to travel outside of Toronto, you can use other carriers such as Viva or Go Transit. Payment for rides follows the same system, but with Go Transit you need to tap your card at the terminal twice: once when boarding and once when exiting the vehicle. The reason is that the routes of these companies are divided into zones – the farther you travel, the more you pay. If you get off before the end of the route and forget to tap your card, you will be charged for the total fare for the entire route. Be careful!
