Have questions about how to load your PRESTO card and check your card balance? Get the answers to some of our most commonly asked questions here.
There are several ways to load your PRESTO card or check your balance:
Transaction times depend on how you choose to load your card and where you travel. If you ride on TTC buses and streetcars, GO Trains or OC Transpo, your load can be ready in as little as four hours. TTC fare gates are able to load the transaction to your card in 12 hours.
PRESTO devices on GO buses and GTHA transit buses outside of Toronto aren’t connected to the PRESTO network when they are on the road. They only connect when they are inside their vehicle depot – this is when the devices pick up all transaction information that the PRESTO system has processed since the device last connected. Some buses only connect once a day, so if you load your card online, then tap on a bus that has not connected to the network since your online transaction, that device won’t know to add that value to your card.
The maximum time you may have to wait until your transaction is processed to all PRESTO devices is 24 hours, but it could be quicker depending on when the device you tap was last connected to the system. For example, if you load funds online at 6:00 p.m. and a bus ends its service day and returns to its vehicle depot later that night, your funds will be available for pick up on that bus’ devices when it begins service the following morning.
To make sure you always have funds available, consider one of these options:
If you purchased a pass or signed up for the TTC 12 Month Pass for next month, it will be ready for you to use on the first day of the month. If you purchased a pass or signed up for the TTC 12 Month Pass on the last day of the month, please note that it can take between 4 and 24 hours for your pass to be ready to use. Make sure you have funds on your card if you wish to travel during that time.
If you purchased a monthly pass or signed up for the TTC 12 Month Pass for the current month, it will take between 4 and 24 hours for your pass to be ready to use.
Lists of new transactions are sent to over 14,000 devices regularly, including financial and contract transactions for Autoload/Autorenew, and each device can only store a limited number of transactions. The 30-day expiry period is designed to manage the number of transactions stored on devices in order to guarantee proper functioning of the system.
If you don't tap your card on a PRESTO device within 30 days of any transaction, with the exception of transit passes, it will expire. For financial transactions, your method of payment will be refunded. If you want to reactivate an expired transaction, please call us at 1-877-378-6123.
Load funds or a pass instantly with the PRESTO App, or at PRESTO vending machines, Shoppers Drug Mart locations or Customer Service Outlets. The funds or pass are available immediately because the transaction is added directly onto the chip on your card.
When adding funds or a pass online, there is a delay because the transaction is added to the PRESTO central system and must be downloaded to each PRESTO device across the network. Once it is available on the device, the transaction gets added to the chip on your PRESTO card when you tap the device.
The period of time for devices to download information from the central system varies with the transit agency you’re travelling with. PRESTO devices at GO train stations or across TTC or OC Transpo connect to the PRESTO central system several times a day so your online transaction will be available on devices within 4 to 12 hours. If you’re travelling on GO or other GTHA transit buses, it may take up to 24 hours for an online load transaction to be available because their PRESTO devices may only connect to the central system once per day.
PRESTO devices on the TTC, OC Transpo and at GO train stations connect to the central PRESTO system several times a day. If you’re using any of these transit agencies, you shouldn’t have to wait more than four hours to tap your card and complete your transaction. PRESTO devices on GO buses and GTHA transit buses may only connect to the system once a day, so the time between loading your card online and that transaction being processed to the devices on buses can take up to a maximum 24 hours.
It can take up to 24 hours for your transactions and balance to sync online. If you tapped your card to travel on transit today, it can take up to 24 hours for your online balance and card activity to update.
If you loaded your card online, you must tap your card on a PRESTO device to update the balance on your card. Your updated balance will appear online up to 24 hours after you tap your card.
If you have tapped and the funds still have not been loaded onto your card, sign in to your PRESTO account and open a live chat window.
You can check your balance in real time with the PRESTO App.
It doesn’t. Transaction times depend on how you choose to load your card and where you travel. If you ride on TTC buses and streetcars, GO Trains or OC Transpo, your load can be ready in as little as four hours. TTC fare gates are able to load the transaction to your card in 12 hours.
Online transactions are processed through the PRESTO system right away; however, your PRESTO card must be tapped on a device to complete the transaction.
PRESTO sends your transaction out to all 14,000 devices across the network so that no matter which device you tap, the transaction will be loaded to your card. Some devices are connected directly to the PRESTO network, others connect at various times throughout the day and some buses only connect once a day.
For customers travelling by bus on GO or GTHA transit outside of Toronto:
To make sure you always have funds available, consider one of these options:
The charge on your bank account or credit card was pre-authorized by your financial institution when you went through the checkout on the PRESTO App or website.
Your financial institution will automatically release this charge within 7-10 business days.
A “Pending Load” is funds you have added online or through the PRESTO App that have not yet reached your card. Funds will be ready to use in 4 to 24 hours. After that time, the next time you tap to take transit or check your balance, the funds will be loaded to your card and your account will no longer have a “Pending Load.”
If you loaded funds through the PRESTO App on your phone and chose the “load now” option, your funds are already on your PRESTO card.
After tapping your card, it can take up to 24 hours for your account to be updated online.
Autoload automatically and instantly loads funds to your PRESTO card whenever your card balance falls below the minimum balance that you set. Using Autoload means you will always have the funds you need to travel.
You can set up Autoload online anytime once you have added your PRESTO card to your My PRESTO Account. Autoload can be set up using your credit card, Visa Debit or Debit Mastercard. If you would like to set up Autoload using your bank account (pre-authorized debit), please use a paper form.
If you want to set up Autoload by mail, please visit our Paper Forms page.
There are a few reasons why this may be happening:
You can cancel Autoload at any time in your My PRESTO Account in the Autoload settings section.
Your Autoload was terminated because either:
If your existing Autoload is terminated, you can set up a new one. See our Load Your Card page for more information.
If you believe your Autoload was terminated in error, sign in to your PRESTO account and then open a live chat window.
The Autorenew feature automatically reloads your monthly transit pass onto your PRESTO card each month. Six days before the end of each month, your chosen method of payment is charged for the value of your pass.
You can set up Autorenew if you have a My PRESTO Account. You only have to set up Autorenew once and your monthly pass will always be available for the first of the month. You can set up Autorenew online anytime once you have added your PRESTO card to your My PRESTO Account. You can manage your Autorenew settings through your account. Autorenew can be set up using your credit card, Visa Debit or Debit Mastercard. If you would like to set up Autorenew using your bank account (pre-authorized debit), please use a paper form.
If you set up Autorenew in the first 14 days of the month, the current month’s pass will be added to your card and a monthly pass will automatically be added every month. You will be charged for the next month’s pass six days before the end of each month. After that, the next time you tap your card on a PRESTO reader as part of a regular trip your monthly pass will be added to your card.
If you set up Autorenew in the second half of the month, you will be charged for the next month’s pass six days before the end of the month. The next time you tap your card on a PRESTO reader as part of a regular trip your Autorenew contract will be added to your card.
If you want to set up Autorenew by mail visit our Paper Forms page.
A “Pending Pass” is a weekly or monthly pass you have added online or through the PRESTO App that has not yet reached your card. If you loaded a pass for next month, it will be ready to use on the 1st of the month. If you loaded a pass for the current month, it will be ready to use in 4 to 24 hours. After that, the next time you tap to take transit or check your balance, the pass will be loaded to your card and your account will no longer have a “Pending Pass.”
If you loaded a pass through the PRESTO App on your phone and chose the “load now” option, your pass is already on your PRESTO card.
After tapping your card, it can take up to 24 hours for your account to be updated online.
You can cancel the Autorenew feature if you no longer wish to receive your monthly transit pass automatically. Please note: if you wish to terminate your Autorenew monthly agreement for the next month without incurring additional charges, please ensure you cancel by the 20th day of the month prior.
If you wish to cancel your Autorenew feature, please follow the below steps:
1. Once logged into your My PRESTO Account, click on the Load drop down menu and then click on Autorenew Transit Pass.
2. Manage Autorenew page is displayed. To terminate, click Remove.
3. On the Cancel Autorenew page, click Confirm.
4. The Autorenew cancellation confirmation page will be displayed.
Your Autorenew was terminated because either:
Please note that cancelling your PRESTO card will not cancel any Autorenew agreements on the card if you transfer your information to a replacement card. Any Autorenew agreements in place must be cancelled first, prior to cancelling your PRESTO card and ordering a replacement card.
You can set up a new Autorenew online. See our Load Your Card page for more information.
If you believe your Autorenew was terminated in error, please check to ensure your credit card has not expired before contacting us for help.
Yes, you can have two different Autorenew contracts for two different transit agencies on one card.
| Agency | Passes offered | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| Brampton Transit | Weekly & Monthly | Monthly: 14 days prior to end of month Weekly: Next week's pass available Wednesday until following Tuesday |
| Burlington Transit | Monthly | Current month’s passes can be purchased up to the 12th day of the month. Next month’s passes can be purchased as early as 19 days before the start of the month. |
| Durham Region Transit | Monthly | Current month’s passes can be purchased up to the 17th day of the month. Next month’s passes can be purchased as early as 11 days before the start of the month. |
| GO Transit | None. GO Transit has a Frequent Rider Discount program. | N/A |
| Hamilton Street Railway | Monthly & Seniors Annual. HSR has a Frequent Rider Discount program. | 15 days prior to end of month |
| MiWay | Monthly | Passes are available 14 days before and after the start of the month. |
| Oakville Transit | Monthly | Current month’s passes can be purchased during the first 7 days of the month. Next month's passes can be purchased 19 days prior to the end of the month. |
| OC Transpo | Monthly | 14 days prior to end of the month |
| TTC | Monthly | Current month's passes can be purchased up to the 5th day of the month. Next month’s passes can be purchased as early as 8 days prior to the end of the month. |
| UP Express | None | N/A |
| York Region | Monthly | 14 days prior to end of month |
Please note that period passes can only be purchased via debit or credit card online; however, it is possible to load a period pass on to a PRESTO card at the Customer Service Outlet of your desired transit agency, using cash, debit, credit or from funds on your PRESTO card.
Saved Payment Method stores your credit card or debit account information in your PRESTO account so you don't have to enter it each time you load funds online, through our Chat feature, or by phone. When you load funds or purchase a transit pass online there will be an option to use your Saved Payment Method at checkout.
Saved Payment Method does not automatically load funds - if you would like your card to reload automatically please set up Autoload.
You can set up a Saved Payment Method and manage your existing Saved Payment Method online through your My PRESTO Account. Simply follow the instructions on the Reload with Saved Payment Method page.
You can set up a Saved Payment Method and manage your existing Saved Payment Method online through your My PRESTO Account.
If your Autoload or Autorenew setup has expired, please check to ensure your credit card has not expired before contacting us to reactivate it.
You can update your payment information on the Autoload Settings and Autorenew Settings pages.
If you use a Saved Payment Method you can update your information on the Saved Payment Method page.
If your Autoload or Autorenew expires, please check to ensure your credit card has not expired before contacting us to reactivate it.
If you would like to use pre-authorized debit from your bank account for Autoload or Autorenew, submit this paper form. Please note on the form you are requesting an update to your existing account.
If you added your PRESTO card to a PRESTO account but don’t need the card anymore, you can get a refund on your card balance by completing our Refund Form and mailing the form and your PRESTO Card to the following address:
PRESTO Card Refund
c/o PRESTO Finance Back Office
20 Bay Street, Suite 600
Toronto, ON M5J 2W3
A cheque or e-transfer will be sent to you approximately 4-6 weeks after we receive your Refund Form and PRESTO card.
A processing fee of 4% of your card balance will be deducted from your refund amount. The $6 cost to buy a PRESTO card is non-refundable.
Remember to include your PRESTO card when sending us the form. We can only refund your card balance if you send the card to us.
GO Transit does not provide refunds in-person at our stations. However, some local transit agencies will provide PRESTO card refunds in person, if the balance on your card is less than $50. Check with your local transit agency and if an in-person option is available, you may complete "Form B (station)" and bring the form along with your PRESTO card to your transit agency’s Customer Service Outlet.
Visit the GO Transit website for information on whether you’re eligible for a refund and submit a claim under the GO Transit Service Guarantee.
PRESTO card users who have created a My PRESTO Account have the benefit of taking one trip when the cost of the trip exceeds the balance on the card. If you hit a negative balance, you will need to load enough funds to have a positive balance on your PRESTO card before you can use it again to travel.
GO Transit customers can only go into a negative balance if you start your trip with at least $5.30 on your card.
We have added this feature to improve the security of your credit card purchases. Requiring the CVV verification number is an extra step we are taking to reduce the risk of credit card fraud.
You can find an up-to-date list of participating banks on the Interac website.
Interac Online support is decided by each bank. You can contact your bank for questions about Interac Online.
