Looking back over a milestone year with PRESTO

Press Room
Looking back over a milestone year with PRESTO

PRESTO continues to deliver more choice and convenience for customers.

Dec. 19 – 2024 marked a transformative year for PRESTO. The transit payment system made several advancements that gave transit riders in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) more flexibility, seamless transfers and money in their pockets.

PRESTO is continuously making improvements and innovating to meet the needs of customers and make it easier for them to choose transit first.

Expanded payment options for more convenience

A major milestone was the July introduction of PRESTO in Apple Wallet, making PRESTO the first transit card in Canada available in Apple Wallet. Together with PRESTO in Google Wallet, which was introduced last year, these expanded mobile payment options have collectively logged over 37 million taps. This underscores how much transit riders have valued the ease and convenience mobile wallets bring to their daily lives.

PRESTO’s contactless payment options, enabling fare payment with Interac® debit or credit cards, also gained momentum over the past year, and use of this payment option grew in popularity by 12 per cent. Today, one in three PRESTO taps are from PRESTO in mobile wallets and contactless payments.

One Fare for streamlined travel and customer savings

Not only is it easier to travel across the region, it’s also more affordable. PRESTO is the engine of the One Fare program, which provides free transfers to riders connecting to and from TTC and GO Transit or local transit agencies in the GTHA.

Introduced earlier this year, One Fare allows customers to pay only a single fare when transferring between TTC and GO Transit, Brampton Transit, Durham Region Transit, MiWay and York Region Transit.

Over 25 million transfers have been made using One Fare, saving commuters more than $81 million collectively.

More value beyond transit with PRESTO Perks

This year, PRESTO expanded its Perks program by partnering with 141 new businesses, offering cardholders 147 discounts on dining, entertainment and attractions throughout the GTHA and Ottawa. In total, customers saved over $2.32 million through the program this year.

PRESTO’s 2024 advancements highlight its commitment to evolving with the needs of transit users by offering greater choice through expanded payment options, convenience with mobile and contactless payments, and value through cost-saving initiatives like One Fare and PRESTO Perks.

Keep an eye out as PRESTO continues to deliver, adapt and innovate to meet customers’ needs and make it easier to choose transit first.

For accredited journalists, you can contact our media team at mediarelations@metrolinx.com.