UP Express becomes first in Canada to allow riders to use debit cards to 'tap-on'
UP Express customers can now tap-on and pay for their ride using debit cards instead of having to pre-purchase a ticket or load their PRESTO card.
In March, Metrolinx launched a pilot program allowing for contactless payment on UP Express, the rail link that connects Union Station with Toronto Pearson International Airport.
The transit company started the pilot project with allowing customers to tap their physical credit card or the credit card in their mobile wallet to pay for their fare.
On Thursday, the transit agency said customers will also be able to tap on and off using their Interac Debit, Visa Debit and Debit Mastercard, or by adding these cards to their mobile wallet and tapping with their phone or smart watch.
“This not only means more choice and convenience for UP Express customers, it also makes us the first transit agency in Canada to offer a Canadian contactless debit option as a way to pay,” spokesperson Nitish Bissonauth said.
“These new payment options are all about giving our customers more choice. Customers will have the freedom to choose how they’d like to pay – whether that’s with their PRESTO card or with one of these new options we’re introducing.”
Customers can continue to use their Visa, Mastercard or American Express credit cards (physical or digital version in their mobile wallet) to pay, as well as more traditional options like a PRESTO card and e-tickets.
The transit agency said that for both credit and debit card use, customers will still need to tap on and off in the same way as when they use a PRESTO card.
“If a rider taps on with a debit card, they must tap off with the same debit card. If they tap on with a phone or watch, they must tap off with the same phone or watch using the same card set up in their mobile wallet,” the company said.
“Before you go tapping away, it’s worth mentioning that when a customer taps a debit card at the beginning of a trip, a temporary $15 pre-authorization may be placed on that card, even if the actual fare is less.”
Metrolinx said this amount may be held by a bank until PRESTO calculates the actual fare for the trip and charges the customer’s bank account, and that final charges should typically appear within 24 hours.
The company said it plans to be rolling out its credit, debit, and mobile wallets payment program to “more transit agencies across the region.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.