Customers can now tap their credit cards to pay transit fares on Durham Region Transit, York Region Transit, Burlington Transit and Hamilton Street Railway.

These transit systems join GO Transit, UP Express, Brampton Transit, Mississauga’s MiWay and Oakville Transit which already accept credit payment – and debit, in the case of UP Express

All it takes is a quick tap on a PRESTO machine with your credit card, including those cards on a smartphone or smartwatch, and you are ready to travel.

Credit card tapping tips

• Remove your card from your wallet, purse, or phone case to ensure you pay with the card intended. Payment devices accept taps from PRESTO cards and credit cards.
• You can also pay with credit cards on smartphones and smartwatches.
• When travelling on GO Transit or UP Express, customers will need to remember to tap on and off with that same card (or method) as your fare is based on the distance of your trip.
• For journeys with other transit partners (other than GO and UP), you just need to tap once when starting your trip as they charge one flat fare.
• While this credit card option offers more convenience, you should first make sure it’s the right choice for you. Check the price and fare structure before you tap.
• Each individual transit agency is different, and you may get a discount if you use a PRESTO card. A PRESTO card is still the preferred form of payment for concessions like Youth, Student and Senior discounts.

Seamless travel between 905/GTHA transit systems and GO Transit

• As with using a PRESTO card, be sure to tap off with the same card or method of payment when disembarking GO transit, to ensure you only pay for the distance you travelled and to avoid a double charge.

• On GO you can also set up a default trip for contactless payment through the PRESTO App and website, which in this case, you don’t need to tap off when traveling on your default route.
• When on the 905 region transit agencies, you just need to tap once at the beginning of your trip as these systems are based on one flat fare.
• The free co-fare, for those transferring between GO and participating local transit systems will automatically be applied. Paper transfers are not needed but remember to tap off GO Transit before transferring.

Coming next, Metrolinx will be adding debit payment as an option across all transit systems, in addition to rolling out these new payment options as soon as possible, to TTC riders.

To be ready for new fare options, TTC devices are in the process of being upgraded to accept the new fare payments, like credit and debit cards.

Enabling a credit option with PRESTO is part of a plan to give customers more choice, flexibility, and convenience, making the transit experience more seamless across the region.