Fearing hoarders, the TTC is restricting token sales ahead of next month's schedule fare hike.
Transit users can currently buy only 10 tokens from a collector per visit.
When the price hikes begins on Nov. 4, the tokens will go from 10 for $21 to 10 for $22.50 -- a hike of 15 cents per token.
The cash fares remains unchanged at $2.75 for adults, $1.85 for seniors and 70 cents for children.
Tickets go up by a dime for seniors and students, rising from $1.40 to $1.50. children will see ticket prices rise marginally, going from 47 cents to 50 cents.
While tickets can be easily reprinted, TTC spokesperson Marilyn Bolton told CTV.ca Toronto that there's no need to issue new tokens.
"We did new tokens last year, the first time in about 50 years."
Traditionally, because tokens don't change, people often buy as many as they can in advance of a fare change, she said.
"If you had 10 tokens, you would be able to save $1.50," she said. "If you bought 100, you would save $15 ... You could see that someone who could afford to buy that many might think they were saving some money."
Unfortunately, there are only so many tokens in circulation, Bolton said.
"When you start taking hundreds and hundreds and thousands of them out, we have in the past run short to the point where we've had to cut it down to five tokens."
Restricting token purchases is fairer to all customers, she said.
There's nothing to stop someone from going the collector's lineup multiple times per day "if you want to spend your day doing that," she said.
People who require a high volume of tokens might wish to consider a Metro pass, Bolton said.
Metro passes are rising from $99.75 to $109. The one-year subscription's monthly cost rises from $91.50 to $100. Weekly passes will be available for $32.25 -- a rise of $2.25 over the previous price.
