GO with PRESTO

GO Stations
We're waiving the regular $6 issuance fee for our loyal GO customers; you just need to see a station attendant, trade in your recent GO 10-ride ticket or GO monthly pass for a PRESTO card and load your new card with at least $10. It's just that easy!

Online
Order your PRESTO card online at prestocard.ca ($6 issuance fee applies)

Customer Service/Transit Outlets

• Acton Town Milk
• Ajax Bus Terminal
• Barrie Bus Terminal
• Durham College
• Finch Bus Terminal
• Georgetown  Main Video & Variety
• Guleph Bus Terminal
• Newmarket Bus Terminal
• Orangeville Total Video
• Oshawa Bus Terminal
• Peterborough Bus Terminal
• Scarborough Town Centre
• Square One Bus Terminal
• Sutton Bus Agency
• Uxbridge Travel Agency
• University of Guelph
• University of Waterloo
• York Mills Bus Terminal
• York University's Inkblotz
• For a list of participating municipal transit outlets, please visit the PRESTO site.

Once you have your card, don't forget to register it at prestocard.ca. Registering your card will allow you to protect your balance in case you lose your card. Also, you'll be able to receive a tax credit for transit trips made with your registered PRESTO card.

You can load money onto your card’s balance...

•  by contacting PRESTO, online or by calling 1-877-378-6123
•  in person at ticket counters at GO stations, selected GO Bus terminals, and at participating customer service outlets (for a listing, please see the tab "Getting your PRESTO card" above)

You can also arrange for automatic reloads. The autoload feature reloads your PRESTO card automatically when your balance drops below a dollar amount chosen by you. Visit the PRESTO website to learn more.

Some things to note:

• Be sure to have sufficient funds on your card to cover your entire trip.
• If you need to add value to your card, you’ll need to do that before tapping on or after tapping off a Fare Payment Device.
• The maximum amount that can be stored in your card’s balance is $1000 and the minimum load you can make at any time is $10. If your balance will exceed $1,000 because of a load, the total of your new load cannot be processed until your balance allows for the full amount to be added. This must occur within 30 days or the transaction will be cancelled by your bank or credit card firm.
• PRESTO loads done through the PRESTO website may take up to 24 hours to be processed. Once processed, you must tap onto a Balance Checker within seven days for your load to be uploaded to your card.
  

Before boarding the train...

•  tap on by touching your card to the PRESTO Fare Payment Device at the station. Be sure to check the screen on the device to confirm that a fare has been deducted from your card. You’ll also hear a beep and see a green/yellow light indicating a successful transaction.
  

Once you've arrived...

• tap off by touching your card to the Fare Payment Device as you exit the station.
• If you forget to tap off, your card will be blocked from further use on GO. Visit a GO station attendant to reactivate your card; a fee will apply.
  

Creature of habit? Set a default

• If you travel between the same two GO stations consistently, you can have a default trip set to your card and not have to worry about tapping off at the end of your usual train trip.
• You’ll only need to tap on at the start of each trip and your full fare will be deducted.
• Default settings can only be set by GO station attendants or at participating GO customer service outlets (for a listing, please see the "Getting your PRESTO card" tab above)
• Default settings can only be used for GO Train trips
• For more details on setting a default trip, see page 3 of the How to use PRESTO on GO Transit user guide.

As you board the bus...

• tap your card on to the PRESTO Fare Payment Device inside the bus near the driver. The machine will validate your card, record the starting point of your trip and deduct the fare to the next zone on the route.
  
  

Once you've arrived...

• tap your card off to the Fare Payment Device as you exit the bus. The PRESTO system will debit or credit your card for the balance of that trip.
• If you forget to tap off, your card will be blocked from further use on GO. Visit a GO station attendant to reactivate your card; a nominal fee will apply.
  
  

More info on riding the GO Bus with PRESTO

• Transfer credits will be automatically applied when transferring between GO Buses, GO Buses to GO Trains or GO Trains to GO Buses.
• Due to the nature of bus travel, default settings cannot be set or used for GO Bus trips.
• For more details, see page 4 of the How to use PRESTO on GO Transit user guide.
  
  

With PRESTO, a fare is deducted from your loaded card each time you travel. There is a built-in loyalty program, and GO riders will receive fare discounts based upon the number of rides taken and the value of the fares accumulated within the calendar month.

• Adult fare:
  With the built-in loyalty program, adults will receive fare discounts similar to the discounts currently offered with GO adult 10-ride tickets and better than monthly passes.
  
  If you take the same GO trip each time you travel within a calendar month, your GO fare* will be:
  

Number of rides	Discount off a single adult GO fare
1-35	7.5% off**
36-40	87.5% off**
41+	100% off
*Fares and discounts subject to change **Actual discount may be .1% lower due to rounding.


If you do not take the exact same trip each time you travel on GO within a calendar month, your first 35 rides on GO will be 7.5%** off the single adult GO fare*. For rides 36 and onwards, your discount will be based on the value of the rides you’ve taken that month.


• Student fare:
  As a full-time student (13+), you are also eligible for fare discounts with PRESTO. After purchasing your card and registering it online at prestocard.ca, take it to a GO station attendant to have it set with a student classification to receive the discount.
  
  To receive the student discount on your PRESTO card...
  
  • Purchase your card
  • Register it online at prestocard.ca
  • Take your card to a GO station attendant to have it set with a student classification to receive the discount.
  • For university and college students, the student classification must be added to the PRESTO card each school year. When travelling on GO be sure to have your valid GO Student ID with you at all times.
  
  If you take the same GO trip each time you travel within a calendar month, your GO fare* will be:
  
  

  Number of rides	Discount off a single adult GO fare
  1-30	15% off**
  31-40	95% off**
  41+	100% off
  *Fares and discounts subject to change **Actual discount may be .1% lower due to rounding.

  
  If you do not take the exact same trip each time you travel on GO within a calendar month, your first 30 rides on GO will be 15%** off the single adult GO fare*. For rides 31 and onwards, your discount will be based on the value of the rides you’ve taken that month.
  
  
• Child/Senior fare:
  GO fares for children (ages 6 to 12 years) and seniors (65+) will be 50%** off the single adult GO fare*.
  
  To receive the child/senior discount...
  
  • Purchase your card
  • Register it online at prestocard.ca
  • Take your card to a GO station attendant to have it set with a child/senior classification to receive the discount.
  • Seniors should carry ID as proof of age may be required while travelling GO
  
  *Fares and discounts subject to change
  **Actual discount may be .1% lower due to rounding.

Once you have your card, don't forget to register it at prestocard.ca. Registering your card will allow you to protect your balance in case you lose your card. Also, you'll be able to receive a tax credit for transit trips made with your registered PRESTO card.  

The co-fare discount program between GO Transit and participating local transit systems is enhanced for PRESTO card users. PRESTO users get an automatic discount when transferring between GO Train or Bus services and PRESTO-activated local buses anywhere across the entire GO network, not just at GO Train stations. Transfers between GO Transit and participating systems must occur within 2 1/2 hours.

Visit our Connecting to GO page to learn more about our co-fare discounts.

How co-fares work

For GO Train riders with a default setting:

• In the morning, on Oakville Sue's way to work...
  • She taps on when she boards the Oakville Transit bus to the Oakville GO Station, and the Oakville Transit fare is deducted from her card’s balance ($3.25).
  • Before boarding the train, Sue taps on at Oakville GO Station; PRESTO’s smartcard technology recognizes that Sue should only be paying the co-fare for the Oakville Transit trip ($0.65), so her GO fare is reduced by the difference (GO fare-$2.60).
    
• In the evening, on her way home...
  • Sue taps on at Union Station and her GO fare to Oakville station is deducted from her card’s balance
  •  Sue taps on while boarding the connecting Oakville Transit bus at the GO station; the co-fare ($0.65) is deducted from her card’s balance. Again, the PRESTO system realizes that Sue has just travelled on the GO Train and therefore qualifies for the co-fare.

For GO Train riders without a default setting:

• In the morning, on Oakville John's way to work...
  • He taps on when he boards the Oakville Transit bus to the Bronte GO Station, and the Oakville Transit fare is deducted from his card’s balance ($3.25).
  • Before boarding the GO Train, John taps on at Bronte GO Station and pays the minimum GO fare.
  • When John taps off at Union Station, PRESTO’s smartcard technology recognizes that he should be credited for part of his Oakville Transit fare ($3.25-$0.65=$2.60) , and his GO fare will be reduced by the difference (GO fare-$2.60).
• In the evening, on his way home...
  •  John taps on at Union Station, and the minimum GO fare is deducted from his card’s balance.
  • When he arrives at Bronte, he taps off, and the remaining balance of his GO fare will be deducted from his balance. When John taps on his connecting Oakville Transit bus at the station, the co-fare is deducted from his card’s balance.

For details about default trip settings, please refer to the How to use PRESTO on GO Transit  user guide.

For GO Bus riders:

• In the morning, on Brampton Maria's way to school...
  • she taps onto the Brampton Transit bus, and the full Brampton Transit fare ($3.25) is deducted from her card’s balance.
  • When Maria transfers and taps onto the GO Bus, the minimum GO fare is deducted.
  • When Maria taps off as she exits the GO Bus, her GO fare is reduced by the applicable co-fare discount.
• In the afternoon when Maria is heading home...
  • the GO fare to the next zone on the route is deducted from her card’s balance as she boards the GO Bus.
  • When she taps off as she exits the bus, the balance of her GO fare is deducted from her balance.
  • When she taps onto a connecting Brampton Transit bus, the discounted local fare will be deducted from her card’s balance.

There is a 2 1/2 hour travel window to complete your GO trip. Transfer credits will be automatically applied when transferring between GO Buses, from GO Buses to GO Trains, or from GO Trains to GO Buses.

If you have a default setting on your card and are taking a second trip on GO within 2 1/2 hours, you'll need to press the override button then tap on before taking that trip, and you will need to tap off at the end. Your second GO trip will be charged at the regular adult base fare, and only the fare will count towards the loyalty program.

For customers who do not have a default setting and are taking a second trip on GO within 2 1/2 hours, tap on at the start of your trip and tap off at the end.Your second GO trip will be charged at the regular adult base fare and only the fare will count towards the loyalty program.

Transfers between GO Transit and other participating systems must also occur within 2 1/2 hours.

You'll see different types of PRESTO machines at our stations.

	The Fare Payment Device is used to pay your fare. Be sure to tap the green circle on this machine before you ride everytime to ensure your fare is paid. You'll also need to tap off at the end of each trip unless you have a default set on your card.
	The Balance Checker shows your card balance and transaction history. You can scroll through the information stored on your card by holding it to this machine. If you ordered your PRESTO card on-line, you can also activate your card on this machine. The Balance Checker is not for fare payment.