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Metrolinx: Presto Fare Card

TheTigerMaster said:
The online system was a pain in the ass for me to set up. It takes 24 hours to activate, and I recall having some issues getting it to work. I think I was typing in the wrong code on the card. But it was so long ago that I don't remember.
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Well, you've made my day. I honestly thought the trouble I have logging on to presto was because of some computer setting at my end. If I input the card number, it will not let me log on. But the system "remembers" and reinserts my card number, and does not remember my user name. I have to erase the card number, and type in my user name, every time.

I find the Presto system is more annoying even than 407etr's, and that's not good.

- Paul
 
crs1026 said:
Well, you've made my day. I honestly thought the trouble I have logging on to presto was because of some computer setting at my end. If I input the card number, it will not let me log on. But the system "remembers" and reinserts my card number, and does not remember my user name. I have to erase the card number, and type in my user name, every time.

I find the Presto system is more annoying even than 407etr's, and that's not good.

- Paul
Click to expand...

The process to sign up, if I recall correctly, was:

1. Register the card on the website using the code on the card. It took me many tries to get this right. I'm not sure what the problem was, but I recall being very confused.

2. Wait 24 hours. You can't use your Presto card during this time.

3. Get an email from them and sign up with username and password.

4. Activate the card by tapping on a Presto kiosk within 7 days (or was it 30 days?), or the card will be deactivated.

(It was some variation of these steps)

There is so much wrong with this. I can't believe somebody approved this crap. Especially the 24 hour wait and having to tap to activate within x number of days.
 
I think it was 30 days.

But yeah, setting up and using my Starbucks app was way easier :)
 
To counter the discussion here, I had no issues setting up my card. It was free, so it came with a $0.01 balance, but nothing more. I went online, registered, and the next day went to a customer service outlet to complete the activation and loaded $20 in person. I only went to the outlet to activate it because I wasn't sure I would use it in the next 30 days as I still had a monthly pass.
 
PinkLucy said:
I think it was 30 days.

But yeah, setting up and using my Starbucks app was way easier :)
Click to expand...

In the age where companies have figured out how to add virtual credit cards to their phone with a single photo,there's no excuse for Presto's setup to be so convoluted. It should take seconds; not 48 hours and a half dozen steps to register and load the card.
 
nfitz said:
On the bright side, that twitter thread does say they will introduce daily rate capping the same day!
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Do you know what that will look like? And are they implementing weekly/monthly capping too (and/or have they already? ...it's hard to catch up on these things when you leave the city and the internet for a week)?
 
bennessb said:
Do you know what that will look like? And are they implementing weekly/monthly capping too (and/or have they already? ...it's hard to catch up on these things when you leave the city and the internet for a week)?
Click to expand...
What it will look like? Presumably similar to the weekly rate capping that HSR is already doing using Presto - they have free trips after 11 in a week (Monday to Sunday). Presumably trips 1 through 4 each day will be charged $2.90, trip 5 will be charged 40¢ to get to $12 total, and trip 6 and above will be free.

I don't think any other agency than HSR is doing daily or weekly rate capping; though GO does have it's complex discount after 30-35 trips a month. I'm surprised Ottawa hasn't done anything.

This was the decision in the December 16, TTC Board meeting - see http://www.ttc.ca/About_the_TTC/Com...16/Reports/Presentation_Fare_Policy_final.pdf and http://www.ttc.ca/About_the_TTC/Com...eports/Decisions/Presentation_Fare_Policy.pdf

There's no plans for weekly or monthly capping (not sure it can handle two different capping schemes simultaneously), but they also decided to start selling weekly and monthly passes on Presto at the same time. Though I'd think this would be of limited benefit, given that they won't have all of the subway stations and buses on Presto until much later this year.
 
TheTigerMaster said:
And only reloading is hellish. You have to reload 24 hours in advance, and you don't get any confirmation when funds that are loaded on the card are available to use. So every time you use the card you have to hope the funds are available. This will obviously be an issue for persons who are unable to plan 24 hours in advance, or who may not have the funds to add to the card 24 hours in advance.
Click to expand...

There are confirmations by email when the process has completed and the load can be pushed to the card. It often takes less than 24 hours. For the most part I find a request submitted online by 6PM will be ready at 6am the next morning.

You can load instantly in person or at a machine to have the balance available immediately. There is a pilot project in Hamilton that put terminals at the customer service desk of 9 grocery stores where you can load a balance direct to the card. York region has card terminals in gas stations, grocery stores, and a Shopper's Drug Mart.

A great option for Toronto would be to get a terminal in every library branch.
 
Jonny5 said:
There are confirmations by email when the process has completed and the load can be pushed to the card. It often takes less than 24 hours. For the most part I find a request submitted online by 6PM will be ready at 6am the next morning.
Click to expand...
The email confirmation does not mean that the load can be pushed to the card. The email confirmation says this:

The request to load funds on your PRESTO account has been received.Please be aware this process may take up to 24 hours.After 24 hours has passed, simply tap your card on a PRESTO device or a balance checker (where available) within 30 days.

They say 24 hours because the load isn't pushed to all Presto readers at the same time. When I used to use Presto more often, I noticed that the load would only take a few hours when tapping on the subway, but longer for buses since buses are only hooked up to the system when they go to the garage.
 
nfitz said:
That's just your browser, surely. Have you tried clearing your cookies? Or simply deleting the prestocard.ca and www.prestocard.ca cookies (I see 3 in my browser)?
Click to expand...

I have always figured it was my machine - had tried clearing the cookies many times without success. Possibly it's something in my keychain trying to autofill the form. The part that is not my machine is - it only accepts the user name but refuses to log on with the card number, even though the logon screen invites me to use the card number.

- Paul
 
The whole new card process is terrible. I bought one online, preloaded it with $25, got it delivered. Registered it and it says to tap against any Presto device to activate. Tried it today (about a week after I registered it, well within the 30 days) and it was "declined". Went to King Station and the kiosk says it's registered, active and has $25 on it. Just checked online in my account and it still shows as "
Status: ActivationInProcess" and advises me to tap it against any Presto device to activate it.

Surely this system can be closer to real time? I get that we're in the early adopter stage here, but there are so many flaws in this rollout.
 
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