Tap On and Off With a Credit or Debit Card on GO

You can now use your Interac® Debit card, Visa, Mastercard or American Express credit cards or add these cards to your mobile wallet on your phone or watch using Apple Pay & Google Pay to tap on a PRESTO device to pay for your transit fare.

GO offers a variety of fares and payment methods because we know that the same payment method isn’t the best one for every person. 

We offer you the freedom to pick the payment method that’s right for you, and PRESTO’s newest contactless payment option - tap to pay with your credit or debit card - gives you one more choice and makes it even easier to travel with GO!

How Does The Credit and Debit Card Tap to Pay System Work?

Paying your GO Transit fare with a credit or debit card is simple.

• Tap on a GO PRESTO device with your credit or debit card, including those cards in a mobile wallet on your smartphone or smartwatch at the beginning of your trip.
  
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  If the PRESTO device indicates that your payment was not accepted, try adding the card to your mobile wallet on your phone or watch to pay. If you’re still having trouble, you can also check with your credit or debit card provider to see if your card is ready for use on transit, or use another accepted payment method to pay your fare.
• Some banking plans may charge additional fees for paying with a debit card. Before tapping, check with your bank to see if there are debit transaction fees associated with your account and whether transaction limits apply to public transit purchases. 
• Before you tap, ensure you have tap (contactless) enabled on your debit card. Check with your bank to see if there are any contactless restrictions associated with your debit card/account. Also, some discounts such as Youth, Student and Senior discounts, are only available with a PRESTO card.
• Remember to tap off at your destination using the same card, phone or watch that you tapped on with as your fare is based on the distance of your trip. This avoids being overcharged the fare to the last stop on the train line or bus route because the PRESTO system doesn’t know where you’ve travelled to.
• Use the same credit or debit card to tap on and off. If you tap on with your credit or debit card, you must tap off with the same credit or debit card. If you tap on with your phone or watch, you must tap off with the same phone or watch using the same card set up in your mobile wallet. This will avoid a possible duplication of fare payment.
• PRESTO devices can accept PRESTO, credit, and debit cards, so tap only with the card you want to use. Remember to take the card you want to pay with out of your wallet, purse or phone case whenever you tap. Taking your card out to tap ensures you pay with the right card.
• If you travel between the same two GO Train Stations consistently, you can have a default trip set on the physical credit card, physical debit card, or credit card on the mobile wallet you use to tap on a PRESTO device to pay your fare. A default trip means you only tap on at the beginning of your train trip and you don't need to tap off at the end of your train trip. Default trips are only for GO Train trips, not for GO Bus trips. Please note that setting a default trip is not available if you tap to pay with a debit card in your mobile wallet. If you tap on with a debit card in a mobile wallet, you will have to tap off with the same mobile wallet used at the start of your trip. Learn how to set a default trip on your card.

Yes, You Can Tap Your Phone or Watch to Pay!

Don’t like carrying around a lot of cards with you? Or, maybe you forgot your credit or debit card at home. No problem! Use the credit or debit card on your phone or watch for a convenient way to pay your fare.

• Make your payment through the credit or debit cards that you’ve added to the mobile wallet on your phone or watch.
• Use your phone or watch to tap on and off at a PRESTO device, just like you would with a physical card.

Can I Tap My Credit or Debit Card to Pay For Local Transit?

That depends on your local transit agency!

• Be sure to check with your local transit agency ahead of time to find out if they accept PRESTO contactless payment with credit or debit cards. Currently you can tap with a credit or debit card on GO Transit, Burlington Transit, Brampton Transit, Durham Region Transit, HSR, MiWay, Oakville Transit, TTC, UP Express, and YRT.
• When you tap on with credit or debit between GO Transit and your local transit service, PRESTO automatically calculates your free transfer and applies it to your credit or debit card. Please remember to tap with the same card, phone or watch when you transfer. Free transfers are only available for travel between GO Transit and participating transit agencies in the 905 region: Burlington Transit, Brampton Transit, Durham Region Transit, HSR, MiWay, Oakville Transit, and YRT.
• If you are transferring to another transit agency that does not accept PRESTO contactless payment, you’ll need to use a PRESTO card or other accepted form of payment or you will not be eligible for the free transfer and you will be charged the full fare for your local transit.

Do I Need a PRESTO Account To Make a Tap Payment With My Credit or Debit Card?

Similar to using your PRESTO card, creating a PRESTO account isn’t necessary, but there are advantages to setting one up and adding your cards.

• If you tap to pay with a credit or physical debit card, you can view your transaction history on the PRESTO website or app. The length of time for charges to appear may vary depending on your bank.
• If you’ve tapped with a debit card in a mobile wallet, you can check your bank account to see your charges. Your transaction history is not available on the PRESTO website or app.
• Creating a PRESTO Account will allow you to see more transaction history details – you will be able to see transactions for the last 180 days, while anonymous users will only see a week’s worth of transactions. 
• If you’re keeping track of your travel expenses for business or personal reasons, creating an account will make it easier for you.

Is PRESTO Contactless Payment Right For Me?

That’s up to you! We’re offering more ways to pay so it’s easier to travel with us but, before you tap with your credit or debit card, make sure you’re choosing the payment method that’s the best choice for you. 

Here are some things to consider:

• Learn about all our fares to decide which one fits best for you and your travel.
• If you’re a frequent GO Transit rider, you may still benefit from using your PRESTO card in order to receive PRESTO discounts such as Youth, Post-Secondary Student, and Senior fares.
• If you prefer to use the mobile wallet on your phone or watch as much as possible, then the contactless payment with a credit card is a convenient choice. 
• Even if you generally prefer to use your PRESTO card, it’s great to know that there’s another easy option in case you ever forget it at home!

GO Loyalty Discount Program

You still qualify for our GO Loyalty Discount Program when you tap your credit or debit card to pay your fare – but here’s some things to know!

• Each time you travel on GO and tap to pay with your credit or debit card, you’ll receive automatic fare discounts of 15% or more based upon the number of trips you take within a calendar month.
• To get the most of the GO Loyalty Discount Program, use the same method of payment - your physical credit or debit card OR your phone OR your watch - to tap on and off all month long. 
• If you tap to pay with your physical card for one week, and then tap your phone to pay the next week, you will have one week worth of travel for each individual payment method, even if your mobile wallet is connected to the same physical card that you previously used.
• To earn GO Loyalty Discounts you will need to tap and pay with the same form of payment for all your trips within an entire month - for example switching between a PRESTO card and credit card, debit card or mobile wallet can’t be combined to provide the loyalty discount.
• When you use your credit or debit card to tap to pay, you also still may qualify for a credit under the GO Transit Service Guarantee if your GO train was delayed. Find out how to apply for a credit here.

More Choices When You GO!

PRESTO contactless payment with credit and debit is just one more easy and convenient option to pay for travel on GO Transit – giving you more choices to pay the way you want to.