Fares to use the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) transit system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, can be paid using various media. Fare prices vary according to age (concessions for seniors aged 65 and over, youth aged 13 to 19, and free fares for children aged 12 and under), occupation (discounts for post-secondary students), income level, and health condition of riders (Fair Pass program).

To pay fares on the TTC, riders tap Presto fare media on card readers, which deducts a fare or validates transfers. Fare media includes Presto cards (multiple-use, stored-value, electronic fare cards), Presto tickets (single-use, electronic paper tickets) and open payment with contactless credit or debit cards. Cash fares are also accepted.

Fares All Presto card and contactless credit and debit card fare payments on the TTC for single-ride use as well as customers using one-ride or two-ride Presto tickets are valid for two hours from the first tap-in when one boards any TTC street vehicles or enters the paid zones in the TTC subway stations.

These are the fares : Fare type Adult Youth 13–19 Senior 65+ Post-secondary student Fair Pass Cash fare $3.35 $2.40 $2.30 $3.35 $3.35Debit/credit card$3.30$3.30$3.30$3.30$3.30Presto card$3.30$2.35$2.25$3.30$2.10

Fare payment option Cost Presto one-ride ticket$3.35Presto two-ride ticket$6.70Presto day pass$13.50

TTC post-secondary student monthly passes and adult 12-month passes are available only on the Presto card. All the prices below are per month, with monthly subscription prices listed for the adult 12-month passes: +Fare typeMonthly pass12-month passAdultN/A$143.00Youth (13–19) or senior (65+)N/AN/APost-secondary student$128.15N/AFair Pass transit discount programN/AN/A

Under the TTC monthly fare capping system, beginning on 1 September 2026, if a rider using the same Presto card or contactless credit or debit card pays for 47 rides in a calendar month, then all subsequent rides will be free for the remainder of that calendar month. The exception is for those who have a post-secondary student pass or adult 12-month pass.

Concessionary fares In addition to the regular fare that must be paid by adults (age 20–64), there are concessionary fares, some based on the rider's age. Children aged 12 and under can travel fare free on the TTC. While children in this age group can travel fare-free on the subway and on TTC surface vehicles operating within Toronto city limits, as well as those travelling to or from Mississauga using the 52B/D Lawrence West or 900 Airport Express routes, children aged 6 to 12 must pay the appropriate York Region Transit (YRT) child fare for TTC bus routes operating in York Region (north of Steeles Avenue) as per YRT's fare policy. Fares for children on the TTC overall were eliminated on 1 March 2015 as part of a general TTC fare price change. Youth fares are available to those aged 13 to 19, who are required to provide ID upon request. Senior fares are available to those aged 65 or older, who are required to provide ID upon request.

There are two other concessionary fares that are not age-based. Both are implemented on the Presto card: The Fair Pass program is for Toronto residents who are low-income earners benefiting from any of the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), Ontario Works, or a Toronto Child Care Fee Subsidy. Those eligible for the Fair Pass program receive a Presto card configured for the reduced Fair Pass price for single rides which count towards the TTC monthly fare cap; Fair Pass users must renew their card annually to continue receiving discounted fares, though since the COVID-19 pandemic, the renewal became automatic. Post-secondary students enrolled at a post-secondary institution recognized by the TTC are eligible for a discounted monthly pass. Individuals travelling on such a pass must provide their TTC post-secondary photo ID upon request.

In 2019, the TTC revised its description of "youth" and "student" for the purpose of fare pricing. Until early 2019, the TTC described a person aged 13–19 as a "student". By mid-2019, the TTC described such a person as a "youth" and used the word "student" in the context of a post-secondary student, who could be older than 19.

Presto

The TTC supports three types of Presto fare media: the Presto card, Presto ticket and open payment methods by contactless credit and debit cards. All of these process fares and transfers when Presto media is tapped on readers, which are located on buses, on streetcars, and at subway entrances.

The TTC pays Metrolinx a 5.25-percent commission on fare revenue from Presto use. The TTC estimates the total commission paid for 2019 to be $50 million. The Presto contract between the TTC and Metrolinx went into effect in 2012 and expires in 2027, after which the TTC is free to switch to another fare system. The TTC adopted Presto in 2012 due to provincial pressure, including the threat of reduced provincial funding to the TTC.

Presto card

The Presto card is a stored-value smartcard that can be used on the TTC, along with GO Transit, Union Pearson Express and eight other transit service providers across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area as well as on OC Transpo in Ottawa (similar to the Opus card used in the Greater Montreal area and Quebec City and the Compass Card used in the Metro Vancouver area).

Using the Presto card on the TTC, a cardholder can pay adult single fares by default with the option of lower concessionary fares for senior, Fair Pass, post-secondary student, youth, or child riders. (Even though children ride free, a child Presto card allows the child to pass through the fare gates at unstaffed subway station entrances.)

Post-secondary students can load a TTC monthly pass on their Presto card that provides unlimited travel across the TTC network for the corresponding month selected. The 12-month pass is a commitment by an adult Presto cardholder to purchase 12 consecutive monthly passes, and receive a discounted monthly price for each pass. Presto cardholders can add a monthly pass to their Presto card during the last twelve days of the previous month and the first eight days of the new month.

When using a Presto card to pay a single fare, a two-hour transfer is automatically recorded. From the time of initial tap-on, the transfer is valid for two hours, during which passengers can enter and exit TTC vehicles or subway stations and change direction of travel repeatedly without having to pay any additional fare.

Presto ticket A Presto ticket is a limited-use, reinforced paper ticket with an embedded electronic chip. Like the Presto card, users must tap the Presto ticket when entering a TTC bus, streetcar or subway station. Unlike the Presto card, they do not support concessionary fares; it is valid only for TTC services. Unused Presto tickets expire 90 days from the day of purchase, except for tickets purchased in bulk by non-profit organizations for free distribution to their clients, which are valid for five years from purchase. It is still possible to exchange an expired ticket, if unused, for a valid one up to one year past the printed expiration date.

Presto tickets are accepted at all TTC subway stations, including those outside city limits. However, on surface routes, Presto tickets can only be used within the City of Toronto's limits (including both sides of Steeles Avenue itself) and at Toronto Pearson International Airport, Viscount station and Renforth station in Mississauga. On TTC-operated bus routes that travel into Mississauga (west of Pearson Airport) or York Region (north of Steeles Avenue), where an additional MiWay or York Region Transit (YRT) fare, respectively, is required, they cannot be used.

There are three types of Presto ticket: 1-ride, 2-ride and day pass. Like Presto cards, there is a two-hour transfer window available for 1- and 2-ride Presto tickets. The TTC Presto day pass expires at 2:59a.m. on the calendar day following the ticket's first use.

Contactless payments by credit or debit card Since 15 August 2023, customers are also able to pay single-ride TTC fares by contactless credit and debit cards or mobile wallet by tapping these items on Presto fare readers. The charge is the same price as the adult Presto card TTC fare rates and two-hour transfers are also included in the cost of the fare. This method does not support concessionary fares for seniors, youths, and those eligible for the Fair Pass program.

Convention pass The convention pass is available only to those attending certain conventions, trade shows, and similar conferences; it is not sold to the general public. The TTC issues these passes for the applicable number of days and sells them to convention operators.

Presto procedures Purchasing Presto media

Presto cards can be purchased, or loaded with a balance, by the following means: Online from the Presto website (if the Presto customer has previously created a "My PRESTO account") Through the Presto mobile app (if the Presto customer has previously created a "My PRESTO account") Presto vending machines in TTC subway stations, as well as at GO Transit and Union Pearson Express railway stations At most Shoppers Drug Mart across the GTHA and select Loblaws and No Frills stores within Toronto city limits

Presto cards purchased from the Presto website or from Presto vending machines are set to the adult fare rates by default. For concessionary fares (excluding the Fair Pass program), a Presto cardholder must take their Presto card to either a Shoppers Drug Mart, Loblaws store or staffed GO Transit and Union Pearson Express railway stations to have the concession fare rate set. In the case of those eligible for the Fair Pass program, ODSP or Ontario Works case workers can grant approval of the discount for their clients.

Presto tickets are sold at Presto vending machines at all TTC stations. They are also sold at most Toronto Shoppers Drug Mart stores as well as select Loblaws and No Frills stores. A customer can purchase up to ten Presto tickets at a time from a Presto vending machine at TTC stations. Presto tickets must be used within 90 days of purchase, though some print the date of expiry and some do not.

Presto vending machines are also available at Toronto Pearson International Airport at each of Terminals 1 and 3, ground transportation level for both. These sell both Presto cards and Presto tickets.

TTC post-secondary student monthly passes can be loaded onto a Presto card online or at a participating retailer (most Shoppers Drug Mart stores and select Loblaws or No Frills stores in the Toronto area) while TTC adult 12-month passes can only be purchased and loaded onto a card online.

Metrolinx granted Loblaw Companies exclusive retailing rights to sell Presto fare media (currently via participating Loblaws, No Frills and Shoppers Drug Mart stores). , there were 136 Shoppers Drug Mart stores in Toronto selling Presto products. Presto has a mobile app that can be downloaded through Google Play or Apple's App Store and also allow mobile devices to be used for payment using Presto.

Using Presto media A rider paying their fare with a Presto card, Presto ticket, credit card or debit card must tap every time they board a bus (including Wheel-Trans) or streetcar, or pass through a fare gate at a subway station. All buses and streetcars have a Presto reader at each door while Line 5 and 6 surface stops have several Presto readers on the platform. Presto customers may board by any door on a streetcar. On most buses, customers can only board by the front door, unless that bus is replacing a streetcar or inside the fare-paid zone of a subway station, as well as replacing subway trains at certain stations during subway closures, both planned and unplanned.