Credit card tapping now an option at more transit stations across Toronto-area

More commuters across the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area now have a simpler way to pay for their fare – with their credit card.

Beginning on Monday, riders on Durham Region Transit, York Regional Transit, Burlington Transit and Hamilton Street Railway (HSR) can tap a credit card to pay for their ride.

Travellers can pay with their credit card, or a credit card loaded on a smartphone or smartwatch, at any PRESTO machine.

Credit card tapping began with a successful Union Pearson Express pilot in 2021 that was followed by an expansion on GO Transit, Brampton Transit, MiWay and Oakville Transit in August.

Collectively, 518,475 commuters have used their credit cards to pay for their rides across these transit systems as of Jan. 11.

“Every day, more riders are tapping their credit cards on agencies where this is already available, and we are excited to be expanding this functionality to Durham, York, Burlington and Hamilton,” Barclay Hancock, Chief Payments Officer of Metrolinx, said.

Next, the province is looking to expand the credit card payment system to the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) along with introducing a debit tapping option at all transit agencies in the GTHA.

“The Ontario government, Metrolinx and the TTC are working in partnership to deliver these new payment options as quickly as possible to riders on the TTC. To be ready for credit payment, TTC devices require upgrading,” a Metrolinx spokesperson said. In October, work began on upgrading bus and streetcar card readers.

The TTC told CTV News Toronto they are hoping to roll out the feature “soon.”

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Since GO Transit and UP Express are on distance-based fare systems, riders need to tap on and off using the same card or method of payment.

“If you forget to tap off at the end of your trip, the fare to the last stop on the train line or bus route will be deducted. This is the same whether you’ve tapped with your credit card or PRESTO card,” Kimberly Truong with the Ministry of Transportation said.

However, the newly added transit systems -- Durham Region Transit, York Region Transit, Hamilton Street Railway and Burlington Transit – are all fixed fares, which means commuters only need to tap at the beginning of their journey.