Metrolinx: Presto Fare Card

[Electrify]

If you use the card for only one ride in a month, then the current token fare value would be deducted. However, the card accumulates the fares paid for each ride, when enough fares are paid equal or past the daily threshold, then the remaining rides for the day are free. The count continues for the week and then for the month. So if the day threshold is 4, then the 5th, 6th, etc. rides are free, for the day. The card should be able to keep the fare counts for you, depending upon the dollar balance available on the card. Don't know about the current Metropass Discount Plan, but likely everyone would be on it when they use Presto. Likely, (using current prices) you would need more than 45 or 46 rides in a month to have any remaining rides free.

That is assuming the TTC goes the cap route. I know a few systems do, including GO, but many do not. There have been times where I have bet on the wrong horse and have spent more than a monthly pass on YRT with Presto.

To the question, it is very unlikely that the unlimited ride pass will go away. Presto can store passes on the card, so the Metropass will likely make such a move.

On that note, the GTA weekly pass will be totally awesome once it can be loaded on to a Presto card.

 

[nfitz]

I'm new to this thread and don't want to dredge through everything for answers; but in light of my kind of work, I'm concerned about whether Presto will mean the end of the existing one-size-fits-all-in-the-416 nature of the existing monthly Metropass.

Can anyone quickly answer that, without my having to dig and dig for answers?

Bottom line is it's too early to say. Probably won't find out until 2017 or so, when TTC implementation is complete

The best answer is probably won't fundamentally change that nature of transit on TTC.

 

[BurlOak]

I noticed a Fortinos store in Burlington had a Presto Card reader at the lottery ticket counter. Apparently they can both load and issue cards (for free). The clerk said all Fortinos either do this now or will shortly. She wasn't sure about other Loblaws owned stores. Since they recently bought Shoppers Drug Mart, that could be a path to roll out instant PRESTO reloading to almost every GTA neighbourhood. I'm sure the other chains would want in if too.

I went to the Fortinos near Ikea and asked for a Presto Card. The clerk gave me a weird look like she had no idea what I was talking about. An associate told me to go to the GO station.

Maybe I have to try all Fortinos in town?

 

[TOareaFan]

I went to the Fortinos near Ikea and asked for a Presto Card. The clerk gave me a weird look like she had no idea what I was talking about. An associate told me to go to the GO station.

Maybe I have to try all Fortinos in town?

They are all listed on the Presto site as being customer service outlets

https://www.prestocard.ca/en-US/Pages/ContentPages/CSO.aspx#HSR

I was there looking for where "all" the Mississauga locations were for a friend.....what's with Miway only having 2 outlets for a city that size and only 1 of them actually being in Mississauga?

 

[johntauren]

They are all listed on the Presto site as being customer service outlets

https://www.prestocard.ca/en-US/Pages/ContentPages/CSO.aspx#HSR

I was there looking for where "all" the Mississauga locations were for a friend.....what's with Miway only having 2 outlets for a city that size and only 1 of them actually being in Mississauga?

Because, for some strange reason, Miway only has the one proper terminal to buy fares at, it's all done through authorized sellers, Shopper's Drug Mart is a common one, which are not presto equipped. (There's also any GO stations in Mississauga as well for Presto)

 

[Electrify]

Just saw this on Facebook. At least it wasn't the BSOD (blue screen of death)

 

[ehlow]

Oh great. It runs windows!

 

[TOareaFan]

Because, for some strange reason, Miway only has the one proper terminal to buy fares at, it's all done through authorized sellers, Shopper's Drug Mart is a common one, which are not presto equipped. (There's also any GO stations in Mississauga as well for Presto)

Outside of their GO stations, Oakville has 8 places to service Presto customers....only one of those is a transit location. The use of other public spaces like community centres and libraries is a very customer focused idea.

 

[johntauren]

Outside of their GO stations, Oakville has 8 places to service Presto customers....only one of those is a transit location. The use of other public spaces like community centres and libraries is a very customer focused idea.

Although, comparatively, Mississauga has 9 GO Stations that it services compared to Oakville's 3.

But, yes, it would make sense for some alternative methods for Presto payments in Mississauga.

 

[TOareaFan]

Although, comparatively, Mississauga has 9 GO Stations that it services compared to Oakville's 3.

The populations those serve is bigger than 3:1

Including GO train stations, then, Oakville has 11 places to deal with Presto....Mississuaga also has 11 (only 10 inside the city). Still seems underserved to me especially when you consider that a good deal of those GO stations are not manned/open all day.

 

[johntauren]

The populations those serve is bigger than 3:1

Including GO train stations, then, Oakville has 11 places to deal with Presto....Mississuaga also has 11 (only 10 inside the city). Still seems underserved to me especially when you consider that a good deal of those GO stations are not manned/open all day.

I guess they just never thought it through in Mississauga...

 

[W. K. Lis]

Oh great. It runs windows!

Could have been worse. Could have used IBM punched cards.

Though it does feel like that's the technology they're using.

 

[Tuscani01]

I guess they just never thought it through in Mississauga...

Or there isn't a need for alternative methods since loading online and using auto-load completely eliminates the need to visit an outlet unless there is an issue, in which case, the user will likely be travelling to a GO station or Square One anyway.

 

[Jonny5]

I went to the Fortinos near Ikea and asked for a Presto Card. The clerk gave me a weird look like she had no idea what I was talking about. An associate told me to go to the GO station.

Maybe I have to try all Fortinos in town?

My apologies. I screwed up here. I was actually at a Fortino's in Waterdown, which I casually associate with Burlington, even though I know it's really a part of Hamilton's unwieldy giant Grimsby-to-Caledonia-to-Cambridge-to-Burlington-to-Milton mess of a boundary. The city's area is even bigger than Toronto, I think.

It looks like the PRESTO at Fortinos is an initiative of the HSR only. Since most Fortinos are in Hamilton, the clerk probably was under the impression they "all have it", But there are a few outposts of the store beyond Hamilton's borders.

Sorry about that.

 

[TOareaFan]

My apologies. I screwed up here. I was actually at a Fortino's in Waterdown, which I casually associate with Burlington, even though I know it's really a part of Hamilton's unwieldy giant Grimsby-to-Caledonia-to-Cambridge-to-Burlington-to-Milton mess of a boundary. The cities area is even bigger than Toronto, I think.

It looks like the PRESTO at Fortinos is an initiative of the HSR only. Since most Fortinos are in Hamilton, the clerk probably was under the impression they "all have it", But there are a few outposts of the store beyond Hamilton's borders.

Sorry about that.

Bit off topic but are most Fortinos still in Hamilton? May just be a local phenom but since we have 3 here in Brampton I just assumed the brand had expanded greatly from the Hamilton roots.