TTC fares in 2026: PRESTO, tap-to-pay, fare capping and transfers explained

Updated: 2026-10-29

By Farshad Fazaeli · Last checked against TTC sources: October 29, 2026

The way Torontonians pay for the TTC changed a lot in 2026. Most monthly passes are gone, a monthly fare cap replaced them, and the fare you pay now depends on how you tap. This guide pulls the official rules into one place and adds practical advice on which option is cheapest for different riders. Prices below are taken from the TTC's Fares and passes page; always check the official page before relying on a number, because fares can change.

What a single ride costs

How you pay	Adult	Youth (13–19)	Senior (65+)	Fair Pass
PRESTO card	$3.30	$2.35	$2.25	$2.10
Debit/credit tap	$3.30	$3.30	$3.30	$3.30
Cash	$3.35	$2.40	$2.30	$3.35

Children 12 and under ride free. Everyone 13 and older has to tap their own card or device.

What this means in practice: tapping a bank card is convenient for visitors, but it always charges the adult fare. If you are a youth, senior or Fair Pass rider, a PRESTO card with the correct concession loaded is the only way to get your discount.

How the 47-fare monthly cap works

Since most passes were discontinued on August 31, 2026, the TTC counts your paid fares each calendar month. After 47 eligible paid fares, the rest of your TTC trips that month are free. The count resets on the first of each month.

The cap only works if you tap the same payment method every time. The TTC warns that a physical credit card and the same card loaded in a phone wallet count as two different payment methods. Pick one and stick with it.

Things that do not count toward the cap:

cash fares
PRESTO Tickets (the paper-style one-ride, two-ride and day tickets)
paper transfers
trips inside your two-hour transfer window (they are free, but they are not an extra paid fare)

Is the cap a good deal for me?

A quick way to think about it: at the adult PRESTO price of $3.30, 47 fares works out to about $155 in a month. A commuter making a return trip on about 22 working days pays for 44 fares and would come close to, but not reach, the cap, so weekend trips push them over. Occasional riders simply pay as they go and are never locked into a pass they don't use. (This is our arithmetic based on the published fare, not a TTC figure.)

Two-hour transfers

When you pay by PRESTO card, PRESTO Ticket, or debit/credit tap, a two-hour transfer is applied automatically. Tap the same card every time you enter a station, board a bus or streetcar, or board on a Line 5 Eglinton or Line 6 Finch West platform, and you won't be charged again within two hours of your first tap.

Cash riders do not get the two-hour transfer. A paper transfer is valid only for a continuous one-way trip on the day it is issued.

Riding between the TTC and GO, YRT, MiWay, Brampton or Durham

Under the One Fare program you pay once when you connect between the TTC and GO Transit, Brampton Transit, Durham Region Transit, MiWay or York Region Transit, as long as you tap on and off with the same PRESTO card or debit/credit card. One Fare does not apply to cash or PRESTO Tickets. If you live in York Region, see our YRT fares guide.

Passes that still exist

Adult 12-Month Pass: $143.00 per month on a 12-month PRESTO contract.
Post-secondary Student Monthly Pass: $128.15.

The adult, youth, senior and Fair Pass monthly passes, and the youth and senior 12-month passes, are no longer sold.

Lines 5 and 6: pay before you board

There is no onboard payment on Line 5 Eglinton or Line 6 Finch West. Tap at the platform reader (or buy a paper transfer from the platform machine) before you board, and keep what you tapped as proof of payment. You must keep tapping even after you hit the monthly cap, because the tap is your proof of payment if a fare inspector asks.

Getting and loading a PRESTO card

A physical card costs $4 at subway fare machines, Shoppers Drug Mart and participating outlets, or online at prestocard.ca. A limited number of free cards are available at select Toronto Public Library branches.
A digital PRESTO card in Apple or Google Wallet is free for riders 13 and up.
Since March 2, 2026, a PRESTO card must have enough money for the full fare before you tap. Negative balances are no longer allowed, so consider Autoload.

Our checklist

Youth, senior or low-income? Use PRESTO with your concession set, not a bank card.
Choose one card or device and tap it every time to build toward the cap.
Avoid cash if you can; it costs more and gives you no transfer or cap.
Connecting to GO or YRT? Tap on and off with the same card for One Fare.

Sources

Toronto Transit Commission, Fares and passes, accessed October 29, 2026.