NotesToronto
TTC fares and PRESTO, explained: what a ride costs, the two-hour transfer, fare capping, and the mistakes that cost money
Toronto's transit fares changed on 1 September 2026, when monthly fare capping replaced most monthly passes. What each payment method costs, how the two-hour transfer works, how the 47-trip cap is counted, and the habits that quietly add to the bill.
Paying for the TTC used to mean choosing between a monthly pass and pay-as-you-go. Since 1 September 2026 there is a third option that does the choosing for you: tap the same card or phone every time, and after 47 paid trips in a calendar month the rest of that month's rides are free.
Prices and rules were read on the TTC's and PRESTO's official pages on 9 October 2026. They change, so check the TTC fares page before relying on a number here.
What a ride costs
A single trip costs different amounts depending on who you are and how you pay. According to the TTC's fares page:
| Payment method | Adult | Youth (13-19) | Senior (65+) | Fair Pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRESTO card | $3.30 | $2.35 | $2.25 | $2.10 |
| Debit or credit card | $3.30 | $3.30 | $3.30 | $3.30 |
| Cash | $3.35 | $2.40 | $2.30 | $3.35 |
Post-secondary students pay the adult fare ($3.30 on PRESTO, $3.35 in cash); their discount is a monthly pass at $128.15. Children 12 and under ride free, and everyone 13 and older has to tap their own card, ticket or device.
Two things stand out. First, a youth, senior or Fair Pass fare is only available on a PRESTO card with that fare type set up. Tap a bank card and the adult fare of $3.30 is taken, whatever your age. Second, cash is the most expensive way to pay, and it comes with fewer benefits, as covered below.
The ways to pay
You can pay with a PRESTO card (physical, or the digital version in a phone's mobile wallet), a PRESTO Ticket, a debit or credit card tapped directly on the reader (including a card in a mobile wallet), or cash.
A PRESTO card costs $4 at fare vending machines in subway stations, at Shoppers Drug Mart and participating customer service outlets, or online at prestocard.ca. A digital card in a mobile wallet is free for anyone 13 or older. Since 2 March 2026 a card must hold enough to cover the full fare before you tap; negative balances are no longer accepted.
A debit or credit card needs no setup. Tap it where you would tap a PRESTO card. You get the adult fare, the two-hour transfer and the fare cap, but no discounted fare types.
A PRESTO Ticket is a paper ticket sold at vending machines and some stores: $3.35 for one ride, $6.70 for two, $13.50 for a day pass. It includes the two-hour transfer. It does not count toward the monthly cap.
Cash is exact change only, with no change given, on buses, streetcars and the surface platforms of Line 5 Eglinton and Line 6 Finch West. You are given a paper transfer.
The two-hour transfer
When you pay with a PRESTO card, a PRESTO Ticket, or a debit or credit card, a two-hour transfer is applied automatically at your first tap. Any transfer within two hours of that tap is not billed another fare. You have to tap the same card, ticket or device each time you enter a subway station, board at a Line 5 or Line 6 platform, or board a bus or streetcar.
Cash works differently. A cash fare gives you a paper transfer for a continuous, one-way trip, valid at transfer points on the day it is issued, and it does not include the two-hour transfer.
The two-hour window is also the unit the cap counts. The TTC defines a paid trip as the first tap that starts a two-hour transfer period. Taps inside that window are free and do not count as extra trips. A bus to the subway within two hours is one paid trip.
How fare capping works
Fare capping applies to Adult, Youth, Senior and Fair Pass fares paid with a PRESTO card (including one in a mobile wallet), a debit card or a credit card (including one in a mobile wallet). There is nothing to sign up for. The rules, from the TTC:
- After 47 paid trips in a calendar month, the rest of your TTC trips that month are free.
- The count resets on the first day of each month.
- It counts trips on one payment method and one device. A physical card and the same card in a phone wallet are counted separately, and so are a phone and a smartwatch linked to the same card.
- Cash fares, PRESTO Tickets, paper transfers, convention passes and a few accessibility cards do not count.
- Only trips that start on the TTC count toward the TTC cap. TTC and regional agency caps are separate, and a free transfer onto the TTC from another agency is not counted as a paid TTC trip.
The TTC sends no notice as you near the cap. Once you reach it, qualifying trips show as $0 on the reader.
For an adult paying $3.30, 47 trips come to $155.10 in a month. The TTC says a rider who reaches the cap pays the same as or less than the cost of a monthly pass.
What happened to monthly passes
Most monthly and 12-month passes were discontinued on 31 August 2026. Adult 12-Month Passes and Post-Secondary Student Monthly Passes are still sold. The fares page lists the Adult 12-Month Pass at $143.00 and the Post-Secondary Monthly Pass at $128.15, and says the 12-month pass requires a 12-month contract with PRESTO at a discounted rate on monthly passes. The TTC advises existing Adult 12-Month Pass subscribers and post-secondary students to keep using those passes, since they guarantee the lowest fare.
The mistakes that cost money
Paying cash. You pay more per ride, you get no two-hour transfer, and none of those rides count toward the cap. If you ride the TTC more than occasionally, a PRESTO card or a bank card pays for itself quickly.
Switching cards or devices. This is the mistake the TTC itself warns about. Using a phone on Monday, a watch on Tuesday and a physical card on Wednesday gives you three separate trip counts, so you reach 47 on none of them. Pick one method and keep it for the month.
Not tapping after reaching the cap. The cap makes rides free, but you must still tap every time you board or enter a station. The tap is your proof of payment, and it is what you show if someone asks.
Letting the card run empty. Since March 2026 a card without enough funds for the fare will not work, because negative balances are no longer accepted. Autoload is one way to avoid this, and checking the balance before a trip is another.
Not being able to show what you tapped. The card or phone you tapped is your proof of payment, and you must show that same card or phone if asked. Not paying, or using a fare type you do not qualify for, can bring a fine with penalties of up to $425.
Going beyond Toronto
Under Ontario's One Fare Program you pay once when connecting between the TTC and GO Transit, Brampton Transit, Durham Region Transit, MiWay or York Region Transit. It applies to a PRESTO card, a PRESTO mobile wallet card, and a debit or credit card, and it does not apply to cash or a PRESTO Ticket. Tap the same payment method for the whole journey. On GO Transit, tap off at your destination unless you have a default trip set, or you may be billed a full fare to the end of the line.
Drafted with AI assistance.
Sources
- TTC — Fares and passes ttc.ca
- TTC — TTC monthly fare capping is here ttc.ca
- TTC — Proof-of-Payment and fare inspection ttc.ca
- TTC — Regional travel and One Fare ttc.ca
- PRESTO — Physical PRESTO Card prestocard.ca