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What is the minimum amount to put on a PRESTO card?

Buy a physical card, load it, and set your fare type. Minimum load: $0.05.



As of 2026, the minimum amount you can load onto a physical PRESTO card (used for transit in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area) varies by the method of payment. If you are loading funds through the PRESTO website or the mobile app, the minimum load has been reduced to just $0.05. This change was implemented to make it easier for riders to top up their cards without needing a significant upfront cost. However, if you are using a Self-Service Ticket Vending Machine at a GO Transit or TTC station, or if you are loading funds in person at a Shoppers Drug Mart or Customer Service Outlet, the minimum load requirement is typically $10. It is also important to note that when you first purchase a physical card, there is a $4 issuance fee for the card itself, in addition to whatever initial balance you choose to load. For the most flexibility in 2026, many riders have switched to using the digital PRESTO card on their smartphone or simply tapping their credit/debit card directly, which avoids the minimum load requirement altogether.

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A PRESTO reader can detect PRESTO cards as well as debit and credit cards, please take the card you want to pay with out of your wallet when you tap, to avoid unwanted charges on other cards. $3.30 will be charged to your card. This is the same as the adult PRESTO fare.

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Tap your card or PRESTO ticket on a reader each time you enter a subway station and when you board a bus or streetcar. As long as you're within two hours from your first tap, you won't be charged another fare.

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How many people don t pay for GO Train? The transit agency says that about three per cent of GO Transit riders typically don't pay their fares but that number has recently increased to about five-and-a-half per cent.

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