Ok guys so how does this card card really work?
I mean at one moment it charges me $4.50 just to go one way and the next my balance goes down by $10..so yeah, o clue whats goin on.
Can anyone clarify this?

i think it depends on how far u travel

from sauga to mac one way its like 7 - 8 bux

I think it charges 4.50 when tap on and takes off the remaining $3 - $4 when u tap off. Altoegter about 10 bux. I am still kinda confused abt this But i'm guessing this is how it works.

I go from Hamilton to Toronto a lot and use the card, I'm not sure how the fare payment system works, I think when you initially tap on it takes off 4.50, but then when you tap off it takes off the rest of the 10 dollars.

Depends on where you go/your route.. Also, if you aren't 'tapping off' on your final destination properly it will charge you for the furthest possible route.

Make sure your card is registered and you have it sent to student rate as well (they switched mine to student at COMPASS).

do i have to tap on/off for every connection (i.e. if i am catching a connecting train/bus). eg: tap on at hamilton then tap off at toronto then tap on again at toronto and tap off at my end station?

Originally Posted by Awesomeness

do i have to tap on/off for every connection (i.e. if i am catching a connecting train/bus). eg: tap on at hamilton then tap off at toronto then tap on again at toronto and tap off at my end station?

You have to tap on and off at GO busses, and trains.

So on the bus, its easy (but easy to forget).. but sometimes its hard to find the presto machines at train stations.. local transit is just tap on, no tap off.

Originally Posted by RyanC

You have to tap on and off at GO busses, and trains.

So on the bus, its easy (but easy to forget).. but sometimes its hard to find the presto machines at train stations.. local transit is just tap on, no tap off.

go trains is just tap ON, no tapoff, as is local transit; GO buses are tap ON and OFF

It costs me 15.60/day for a round trip to Mac and back, so thats 7.80 one-way, and I take 2 buses each way. I believe it takes an initial 4.50, then depending how far you travel it deducts more/returns some funds, so it makes sense when you're tranferring from bus to bus or transit system to transit system.

Originally Posted by RyanC

You have to tap on and off at GO busses, and trains.

So on the bus, its easy (but easy to forget).. but sometimes its hard to find the presto machines at train stations.. local transit is just tap on, no tap off.

I don't think that's what they meant...
Like, if I bought a one-way ticket from hamilton to X, with a connection in toronto, you would only need the one ticket to get you the whole way. Would tapping on in hamilton and off in X be sufficient, or would I need to tap on in hamilton, off in toronto, and then on in toronto and off in X (treating them as two separate trips)?

Also...I haven't used this system at all yet so I don't really know much about it, but what is stopping someone from getting on a train without tapping on?

Originally Posted by drpatel

go trains is just tap ON, no tapoff, as is local transit; GO buses are tap ON and OFF

It costs me 15.60/day for a round trip to Mac and back, so thats 7.80 one-way, and I take 2 buses each way. I believe it takes an initial 4.50, then depending how far you travel it deducts more/returns some funds, so it makes sense when you're tranferring from bus to bus or transit system to transit system.

You have to tap on and off at trains, unless you have a 'preset trip.' E.g., you set an aldershot-toronto trip, so if you tap at either place you don't have to tap off.

Originally Posted by nerual

I don't think that's what they meant...
Like, if I bought a one-way ticket from hamilton to X, with a connection in toronto, you would only need the one ticket to get you the whole way. Would tapping on in hamilton and off in X be sufficient, or would I need to tap on in hamilton, off in toronto, and then on in toronto and off in X (treating them as two separate trips)?

Also...I haven't used this system at all yet so I don't really know much about it, but what is stopping someone from getting on a train without tapping on?

When the conductors come around to check normal tickets, they also have a device that checks Presto cards to see if they were tapped on, so you will get a fine just as if you hadn't bought a ticket.

Originally Posted by Awesomeness

do i have to tap on/off for every connection (i.e. if i am catching a connecting train/bus). eg: tap on at hamilton then tap off at toronto then tap on again at toronto and tap off at my end station?

Yes. Tap on before getting on the train, tap off when you get off the train, tap on when you get on the bus, tap off when you get off the bus. I think the way it works is you have a time limit (3hrs or something) and within that time it'll charge you from your first to your final destination (ie. Toronto to McMaster) it will not charge you separately if you do it that way (I had this concern too). =]

I'm new to using a PRESTO card (got mine a few days ago) but I think this is how it works. When you tap on, the fare system will charge you the maximum amount of fare charge initially and then when you tap off, the fare system will refund you the pay difference. For example, lets say a trip from Mac to York cost $10 max. And lets say the trip from Mac to Square one cost $6. What would happen here is that when you tap on initially at Mac, the fare system will deduct $10 from your balance. When you tap off at Square one, the fare system will refund you the difference, or $4 so in reality, you only paid $6 which is the correct price. Time in this case should be irrelevant as the trip could be longer due to traffic or different circumstances.

Originally Posted by xXDeathXx

I'm new to using a PRESTO card (got mine a few days ago) but I think this is how it works. When you tap on, the fare system will charge you the maximum amount of fare charge initially and then when you tap off, the fare system will refund you the pay difference. For example, lets say a trip from Mac to York cost $10 max. And lets say the trip from Mac to Square one cost $6. What would happen here is that when you tap on initially at Mac, the fare system will deduct $10 from your balance. When you tap off at Square one, the fare system will refund you the difference, or $4 so in reality, you only paid $6 which is the correct price. Time in this case should be irrelevant as the trip could be longer due to traffic or different circumstances.

Actually, no.

My trip from Mac to York worked like this:

Tap on at Mac: Took off $4.50
Tap off at York: Took off another $6.60

My total trip costed $11.10 (with a student PRESTO card), as opposed to $8.43 with a 10-ride ticket

I want my 10-ride tickets back please!

Originally Posted by xXDeathXx

I'm new to using a PRESTO card (got mine a few days ago) but I think this is how it works. When you tap on, the fare system will charge you the maximum amount of fare charge initially and then when you tap off, the fare system will refund you the pay difference. For example, lets say a trip from Mac to York cost $10 max. And lets say the trip from Mac to Square one cost $6. What would happen here is that when you tap on initially at Mac, the fare system will deduct $10 from your balance. When you tap off at Square one, the fare system will refund you the difference, or $4 so in reality, you only paid $6 which is the correct price. Time in this case should be irrelevant as the trip could be longer due to traffic or different circumstances.

Ok but I think in the case I mentioned above time is relevant. When you tap off with your Presto card you will see something like "2hrs 15min remaining" or something of that sort. Because if for example you tap on at Union, tap off at Aldershot that's like $7. Then you tap on at Aldershot and tap off at McMaster that's another $5, however the trip from Union to McMaster all together is really actually $8.50 and that's how much they charge you. I think that's more for them though that's why they give you such a long time, in case you do need to make a transfer. Really, that's the only thing I can think of how they determine whether you're taking 2 separate trips, or just transferring buses/trains.

Also, when it comes to PRESTO, the initially charge you the $4.50, when you tap off they'll charge you the correct amount of your trip. If you forget to tap off (like someone above said) they will charge you the max for that trip (ie. if you went to the end of the line).

Also, when I got my PRESTO card they asked me what my most traveled route was, and they set that to my default. So for me, if I ever take a bus from Union straight to Hamilton Go I won't have to tap off, just tap on and that's what I'll be charged for.

Originally Posted by Watoko

Actually, no.

My trip from Mac to York worked like this:

Tap on at Mac: Took off $4.50
Tap off at York: Took off another $6.60

My total trip costed $11.10 (with a student PRESTO card), as opposed to $8.43 with a 10-ride ticket

I want my 10-ride tickets back please!

In the long run it's cheaper, if you commute everyday (I like PRESTO so I'll will support it, I hate carrying different tickets for TTC, MiWay, Brampton Transit, HSR/student ID, GO etc.)
If you set a it as student (at a PRESTO/GO centre, ie. SquareOne, HamilGO Station, COMPASS) It does end up being cheaper