You can finally tap your credit card or phone to ride Hamilton transit
Published January 23, 2023 at 1:11 pm
Hamilton Street Railway (HSR) users can now tap their credit cards on a Presto device to pay fares. This includes electronic credit cards stored on a smartphone or smartwatch.
The Ontario government announced Monday that transit riders in Hamilton, Burlington, Durham, and York now have access to the new feature.
“Expanded payment options offer our transit customers greater choice and make it easier to travel seamlessly within our community and between different transit services, which will further grow ridership,” said Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath. “Whether it is a tourist exploring Hamilton for the first time or a resident needing to connect to the region, there has never been a more convenient time to take transit.”
Currently, only adult standard fares can be paid for with a credit card tap.
“This latest milestone in the continuous advancement of the Presto system will provide users greater ease and convenience when travelling for work, school, leisure, and more,” said Stan Cho, Associate Minister of Transportation.
The expansion of credit payment on Presto devices began in 2021 on the Union Pearson Express. In 2022, the option was extended to the entire GO Transit network and the Brampton, Mississauga and Oakville transit systems. According to the province, there have been over 520,000 boardings using credit cards on these transit systems.
“We are thrilled to see transit riders using new Presto payment options like contactless credit, making their transit experience even easier, more flexible and convenient,” said Barclay Hancock, Chief Payments Officer, Metrolinx. “Every day, more riders are tapping their credit cards on agencies where this is already available, and we are excited to expand this functionality to Durham, York, Burlington, and Hamilton.”
The province says it’s also working on expanding the credit card payment system to the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) and introducing debit-tapping payment capability to all transit agencies in greater Toronto and Hamilton.