Presto

How to buy and load your Presto card?

Getting and using your Presto card is simple. Follow these three simple steps

Buy a Presto card
Get your card online, at stations, or retail locations.
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Load funds
Add money online, at a ticket machine, or setup autoload.
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Use your Presto card
Tap and go on OC Transpo, the O-Train or Para Transpo.
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Presto on mobile wallet (Google Pay or Apple Pay)

Presto on these apps won't work on OC Transpo buses, fare gates, or Para Transpo.

O-Payment icon Use O‑Payment instead:

Just tap your Interac® Debit, Visa, Mastercard, or mobile wallet (Google Pay or Apple Pay) to pay.

Benefits of using a Presto card

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What exactly is a Presto card? Does it only work on OC Transpo?

It's a $4.00 reloadable card that never expires, and it covers more than just OC Transpo! You can use it on OC Transpo buses, the O-Train, Para Transpo, and even STO routes and other transit systems across Ontario.
Everything — (single fares, monthly passes, transfers) is stored right on the same card, which makes travelling super convenient.

How Presto ensures you always pay the lowest fare?

When you tap your Presto card, the system automatically tracks your trips and calculates the lowest fare based on how often you ride.

  • Monthly fare capping: If you ride often, Presto will stop charging you once you reach the cost of a monthly pass. This means you never pay more than necessary.
  • Transfers included
  • Presto remembers if you set a discount and only charges you the correct fare.
Check out reduced fares

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What happens if I need to transfer between buses or trains?

Transfers are totally free! Once you tap your card, you've got up to a 105-minutes window during off-peak hours or 90 minutes at peak times to switch between buses, trains or Para Transpo without paying again.
Just tap like usual when you board the next ride.

More about transfer times

Do I have to line up at a machine to reload it?

Not at all — you can do everything online. Just go to prestocard.ca or use the official Presto app. You can reload your card, buy passes, set up Autoload and Autorenew, track your trips, and even report a lost or stolen card.
It's quick and secure.

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Get your Presto card

Where to buy a Presto card

You can purchase a Presto card for $4.00 at the following locations:

*Limited pilot program started in September 2025.

Register your card to protect your balance

As soon as you receive your card, you should register it at prestocard.ca or complete a paper Presto registration form and mail it to the Presto Customer Service Centre. Registration lets you:

  • Transfer funds to a new card if your card is lost or stolen
  • Access your Transit Usage Report for tax credit purposes

Set your Presto card for a Community, EquiPass or Access discount

Before you can take advantage of a Community, EquiPass or Access fare discount for which you qualify, you need to bring your card and proof of eligibility to the Rideau OC Transpo Customer Service Centre. Once you have bought and setup your card, you’re ready to load it.

Buying a Presto card with an age-based (Pre-teen or Senior) discount

You can purchase a Presto card set with a Pre-Teen or Senior discount at the Rideau OC Transpo Customer Service Centre (CSC) or a participating Shoppers Drug Mart store. The Pre-Teen discount will appear a Child discount in the Presto system.


See the complete price list

Replacing a lost or stolen card

If your card is registered, you can transfer your balance to a new card if it gets lost or stolen:

  1. Report your card lost or stolen. It can take up to 24 hours for the card to be blocked on the readers. You are responsible for charges during this period.
  2. Get a replacement card (card costs $4.00)
    • NEW: Transfer your card balance to another card in your account, a new card you bought online, or a new card you bought in-person.
    • You can only transfer your balance to a new card if:
      • It doesn't have any discounts set or has the same fare type as your current card.
      • Isn't loaded with a monthly pass.
    • Some information on the new card will be overwritten to reflect the information on the old card.
    • More on replacing a Presto car from Prestocard.ca.

  3. Transfer your information by phone or online

    • Have your new card number at hand

Please note that until your new card is active and the transfer is complete, full fares must be paid using cash or O-Payment.

Load funds to your card

How to load funds to your Presto card

Choose from several convenient options to add funds to your Presto card:

*Limited pilot program started in September 2025.

Load funds

If you load your card online or by phone, you need to load at least $0.05 at a time. Your account can't hold more than $1,000. Card readers on the bus are updated at least three times a day. Be sure to leave enough time for your online purchase to get activated on the buses. Once loaded, you need to tap onto a card reader within 30 days to complete the transaction.

Autoload your card

Make sure your card never runs out of money by setting up Autoload:

  1. Register your card.
  2. Set-up an Autoload contract at prestocard.ca:
    • Choose the balance at which you want to reload
    • Choose the amount that will be loaded at each reload
  3. Activate your Autoload contract by tapping onto a reader within 30 days.

Load a pass onto your Presto card

You can load a monthly pass onto your card up to 14 days before the start of the month. Before you can ride with your pass, you need to activate it by tapping your card onto a Presto reader on or after the first day of the month. If you have not done so, your monthly pass is not valid and does not count as paid fare.

Autorenew your pass

Make sure you always have a pass loaded to your account by setting up Autorenew. Your payments will go through six days before the start of the month. Simply cancel Autorenew before the 20th day of the month to stop the following month’s pass from loading. At the start of the month, you need to tap your card as part of a regular trip to activate the load onto your PRESTO card. Until you have done so, your monthly pass is not valid and does not count as paid fare.

Use your Presto card

Tap and go on OC Transpo buses, the O-Train or Para Transpo. It's that simple.

OC Transpo buses

How to pay:

  • Board through the front door.
  • Tap your Presto card on the reader.
  • Wait for the green light and beep, then take your seat.

O-Train

How to pay:

  • Tap your card at station fare gates.
  • Enter when gates open.
  • Board any train.

Para Transpo

Para Transpo minibuses:

  • Tap on the red O-Payment readers. You'll find the reader in the customer area.
  • The reader's screen will turn green to show that the payment is successful.

On vans and taxis:

  • Hand your card to the driver. They'll tap your card, then return it to you.
  • The reader will make a sound if your payment is successful.

Using your card on OC Transpo buses and the O-Train

Once your card is loaded and ready to go, you can use it to pay for your travels. Whether it’s pay per ride or monthly pass, always tap your card when boarding. The readers are located near the doors of buses and on the fare gates at O-Train stations.

When you tap, Presto will instantly calculate the fare and deduct it from your account as needed.

  • If the screen goes green, your fare was accepted
  • A screen with a yellow exclamation point icon means the reader is rebooting or not ready to accept payment. Please wait before tapping.
  • If a red light goes on and you hear two beeps, the transaction did not go through. If this happens, pay the fare with cash and contact Presto

If you ride without tapping (and your card isn’t loaded with a valid pass or transfer), you may be fined.

Tapping every time also helps us better plan our service levels. We review the number of taps on our different routes and factor them in when we develop schedules.

Using Presto on Para Transpo

Load your card with a monthly pass or load funds to pay per trip. On minibuses, tap your card on the red readers. On taxis and vans, hand your Presto card to the operator after boarding. The operator will tap your card on the Presto smartcard reader located at the front of the vehicle.

If you are using a Presto card to pay for a rural trip, make sure to load funds to your card. A monthly pass cannot be used to pay for a rural fare.

Learn about Para Transpo fares

Sharing your card

Lend your monthly pass

You can share your monthly Presto pass with someone else, who can use it when you aren't. However, if your card is set for a discount (Senior or Pre-teen) you can only lend it to someone else who qualifies. Presto passes loaded with a Community Pass, Access Pass, or EquiPass can't be shared.

Use your card to pay for a second fare

If you pay per ride aboard a bus or Para Transpo vehicle, you can use your Presto funds to pay the fares of others you are riding with. Here’s what to do:

  • Board the bus.
  • Let your driver know that you would like to pay an additional fare.
  • On Para Transpo, your companion will not receive a transfer.

Current system limitations only allow you to pay one fare at a time at the O-Train station using a Presto card. You can purchase a second person’s fare from the vending machine using cash or a credit card.

Transferring

The transfer period begins from the time your Presto card is tapped on a fare reader. Depending on the time of day, this period is 90 or 105 minutes long.

When you pay with a Presto card, you can transfer between buses, the O-Train and Para Transpo vehicles within this transfer period for no additional charge.

Because Para Transpo trips must be booked 90 minutes apart, most normal trips don't qualify for a transfer.

Using Presto on STO routes

You can use your Presto pass and valid transfer to ride on all STO routes, without a fare top-up. Simply tap your card. You can't use your Presto funds to start your trip on an STO route.

Using Presto with other transit agencies

Presto cards can be used at transit agencies across Ontario. Visit Presto’s Transit Agency Fares page for a list of participating agencies and their fares.

Manage your Presto card online

Managing your Presto account online is simple, secure, and convenient. You can do most tasks at prestocard.ca. Please note: setting up a discount (Senior, Pre-Teen, Community, or Access Pass) must be done in person at approved locations.

Things you can do on the Presto website:

  • Order and register a new card
  • Load your card or set up Auto-reload
  • Check your balance and travel history
  • View and download your usage report for taxes

Extra options for registered cards:

  • Update Pre-teen/Senior status and renew discount documents
  • Transfer your balance to a new card if it is lost or stolen
  • Block (hotlist) a lost or stolen card
  • Note: Blocking a lost card takes up to 24 hours. Any fares used during that time can't be refunded.

You can also download the official PRESTO app (Android, Apple) for a simple, easy way to manage and instantly load your card on the go.

Manage your Presto card

blockPresto on mobile wallet (Google Pay or Apple Pay)

Presto cards in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet don't work with OC Transpo. They aren't accepted on buses, O‑Train fare gates, or Para Transpo. The Presto app blocks mobile setup to avoid payment issues.

semantic_success-circledWhat to use instead:

Use your Presto card to access discounted fares or transfer to STO. Or, tap your debit card, credit card, or phone with O-Payment iconO‑Payment for adult fares. With O‑Payment, your fare is capped at $12.00 per day and $135.00 per month, after that, you ride free for the rest of the day or month.

O-Payment

O-Payment logo

O-Payment makes taking OC Transpo much easier and faster.

Pay your fare by tapping with Interac® Debit card, Visa, Mastercard, or Google Pay or Apple Pay mobile wallets at fare readers on buses and fare gates at O-Train stations.


Learn more about O-Payment