Metrolinx: Presto Fare Card

[chinesehorse]

https://twitter.com/femwriter/status/914990176484646913

Not all Shoppers have exhausted their old stock of green Presto cards, but according to Twitter, the Queen / Carlaw Shopper's has the new black ones.

 

[Leo_Chan]

https://twitter.com/femwriter/status/914990176484646913

Not all Shoppers have exhausted their old stock of green Presto cards, but according to Twitter, the Queen / Carlaw Shopper's has the new black ones.

So did the Scarborough Town Centre one:

 

[LNahid2000]

This is interesting. I added funds to my Presto card at 12:30 this afternoon using my online account and the funds showed up just two hours later (possibly sooner, but that was when I used the card). Presto is getting better, in my opinion.

From what I understand of how Presto works, this is a pretty common occurrence. Presto terminals sync with the server both on a schedule and after a certain amount of transactions have been processed by a terminal. So if you're using a busy subway station, the load can be very quick since fare gates are processing a lot of transactions at busy subway stations, resulting in more frequent syncing.

I once did an online load while on a Miway bus, and my funds were available by the time I got to Islington.

 

[books]

From what I understand of how Presto works, this is a pretty common occurrence. Presto terminals sync with the server both on a schedule and after a certain amount of transactions have been processed by a terminal. So if you're using a busy subway station, the load can be very quick since fare gates are processing a lot of transactions at busy subway stations, resulting in more frequent syncing.

I once did an online load while on a Miway bus, and my funds were available by the time I got to Islington.

In that case I must have been close to the scheduled sync time since my load showed up at exactly the same time that I tapped onto a bus at Donlands station. I wouldn't think a Presto reader on that bus would process a lot of transactions in a day, or a half day in this case. Whatever the reason it was a pleasant surprise as I've always had to wait twenty-four hours for the money to show on my balance.

 

[nfitz]

This is interesting. I added funds to my Presto card at 12:30 this afternoon using my online account and the funds showed up just two hours later (possibly sooner, but that was when I used the card). Presto is getting better, in my opinion.

If the device updates every 24 hour hours at 1 pm it would take 30 minutes. If it updates every 24 hours at noon, it would take almost 24 hours.

Suburban buses can only update at the garage. So depends where you are. Fixed devices in TTC station and the newer devices on TTC vehicles can update more frequently (using wifi, cellular, or whatever, I don't know, but they have something).

24 hours is the maximum. Not the minimum. For the most part, especially on TTC, if you update before you go to bed, it will be good for your morning commute.

 

[PinkLucy]

Can you swap your existing green card for the pretty new black one?

 

[Leo_Chan]

Can you swap your existing green card for the pretty new black one?

Yes you can. You need to buy the new card ($6 + load amount), go on the Presto site and report your old card “lost or stolen”, choose to transfer to existing card, then your old card’s balance + the new card balance is now on your new Presto Card. I did this last night and the card worked this morning.

 

[PinkLucy]

I'm not paying an extra $6, I guess I'll stick with the old one.

 

[mdrejhon]

It’s kind of a hit or miss. Sometimes the reload happens within an hour, and sometimes it takes the whole 24hrs

I've found it is reader dependant.

It seems that the ground-anchored readers or faregates that are hardwired, are usually the fastest. The balance checker readers too. If you urgently need to update an online payment faster, go to one of those. Not sure if Union ground readers or TTC faregates are faster now at syncing online balances.

These days, I just use the TTC add-value machines. Instand reload.

I'm glad that instead of forcing dependancy on Internet reloads like they had before to TTC users... we now instead have instant-reload machines. And online reload instead becomes frosting on the cake. Internet reload is a feature we have, that many tap card systems in other cities don't have.

 

[WillTo]

In my experience the Eglinton station machines are slower than even buses.

I find the metrolinx branding really cool. I saw this guy wearing a tshirt and thought it was cool. Then I realize it was a metrolinx t-shirt of an info/pamphlet guy.

 

[Tuck]

Its a stylish card, and I like the use of the Metrolinx branding - its pretty slick. But the switch to black is odd. All the machines in stations and busses are green - and they're all pretty new too.Green works better as it stands out more. Plus, the old presto logo was pretty stylish.

Guess you could say I'm for the new Metrolinx branding but not so much for the new presto cards.

 

[lead82]

I like the new black and green colours. I was not a fan of the puke green. I wish they abandon the GO train repaint and start painting the new GO trains and cabs in the new brand colours. The Presto readers can stay as green.

 

[nfitz]

I'm not paying an extra $6, I guess I'll stick with the old one.

One could always need a spare.

It sounds crazy, but I've currently got 5 floating around, and I'll need 2 more when they finish rolling out. A couple were free from GO (you could trade in your old book of tickets for a free card, with equivalent rides).

There's mine, my wife's, one for the 9 year old, and one for the 5 year old (mostly just to open subway gates at this stage - but he was very excited about it). And a spare, if I'm out with someone from out-of-town or something.

But when (if) they get to the stage where kids really DO have to tap every ride ... I'm not really sure how we would keep passing the cards back and forth - it will be a nightmare. Probably easier just to have 2 kids Presto cards each - otherwise disaster will surely ensue.

And somehow I expect that when my MDP pass goes Presto, they'll just end up sending me a new Presto card whether I need it or not.

I do have to say, the ability to manage them all in one account is great! Though they all have autoload going - except the 5-year old. Which has been painless for years.

 

[Leo_Chan]

One could always need a spare.

It sounds crazy, but I've currently got 5 floating around, and I'll need 2 more when they finish rolling out. A couple were free from GO (you could trade in your old book of tickets for a free card, with equivalent rides).

There's mine, my wife's, one for the 9 year old, and one for the 5 year old (mostly just to open subway gates at this stage - but he was very excited about it). And a spare, if I'm out with someone from out-of-town or something.

But when (if) they get to the stage where kids really DO have to tap every ride ... I'm not really sure how we would keep passing the cards back and forth - it will be a nightmare. Probably easier just to have 2 kids Presto cards each - otherwise disaster will surely ensue.

And somehow I expect that when my MDP pass goes Presto, they'll just end up sending me a new Presto card whether I need it or not.

I do have to say, the ability to manage them all in one account is great! Though they all have autoload going - except the 5-year old. Which has been painless for years.

I wonder if we’ll every see a “smart” Presto Card with buttons, similar to the CIBC Double Double Card which has a Tim Hortons Cash and a Debit button right on the card. Of course, this may get cluttered if the card has 3+ buttons, but it would be cool if it was possible. This can be in intermediary between a Presto Phone App that uses NFC on the cards readers, and having multiple Presto Cards on had at all times. I wonder if this is possible, with a new super card of course.

 

[Megaton327]

I wonder if we’ll every see a “smart” Presto Card with buttons, similar to the CIBC Double Double Card which has a Tim Hortons Cash and a Debit button right on the card. Of course, this may get cluttered if the card has 3+ buttons, but it would be cool if it was possible. This can be in intermediary between a Presto Phone App that uses NFC on the cards readers, and having multiple Presto Cards on had at all times. I wonder if this is possible, with a new super card of course.

I don't think it makes sense to do that in terms of R&D, backend integration, and more than anything, public education/customer support. It makes much more sense to just move to having the cards be available to load onto phones as fast as possible.