PRESTO Cards

Loading funds (e-purse) allows you to load as much money as you would like, whenever you would like (minimum of $0.05, maximum of $1,000). Each time you ride, your PRESTO card will be charged a single-ride fare. With the current weekly frequent rider discount, loading funds is less expensive than loading a pass.

If you want the convenience of only loading your PRESTO card once per month, you can load a monthly pass. Passes can be loaded from the 17th of the month prior to the 13th of the pass month. For example, a September monthly pass can be loaded from August 17th until September 13th. With the current weekly frequent rider discount, loading a pass may cost more on a monthly basis than loading funds and paying a single-ride fare each time.

The new PRESTO card is pre-set as an adult. To change your fare type to child, youth or senior, your card must be modified. Visit any customer service outlet and provide proof of your birthdate. The child fare is available for children ages 6-12 years old. The youth fare is available for youth ages 13-19. You must change your card from child to youth when you reach 13 years old or it will default back to adult. Children ages 0-5 years old always ride free and do not need a PRESTO card. At any time, HSR Operators may ask for ID for youth or seniors to prove that you are entitled to use this reduced fare.

If your card is registered, and you do not have enough of a balance for a single ride fare, your card will allow you to tap and take ONE ride only on HSR and Burlington Transit, including transfers, but not on GO Transit. Your card will then go into a negative balance, or overdraft. The next time you add funds to your card, you will have to repay the negative balance, plus a $0.25 service charge. Then you’ll be able to use your card again. If your card is already in a negative balance, you will not be able to take another ride until you reload your card.

To avoid overdraft, check out the auto-load features that PRESTO offers online. You can set up your PRESTO card so your e-purse is always replenished. All monthly passes have an auto-renew feature. Auto-load and auto-renew features can only be used on registered cards.

To receive a Senior rate, your card must be modified from Adult. Visit any of our 14 Customer Service Outlets and provide proof of your birthdate. PRESTO will work for Senior ticket, Senior monthly pass and Senior Annual pass on HSR buses. Anyone 65 years of age or older is considered a ‘Senior’ for HSR fares. 

PRESTO and the HSR Senior Annual Pass
The HSR Senior Annual Pass is loaded onto the PRESTO card which provides you with unlimited travel on the HSR for 12 months.

In order to qualify for this special pass, you must be between the ages of 65 and 79 years old. Proof of age is needed when acquiring this pass.

The HSR Senior Annual Pass is only valid on HSR vehicles. You can transfer for free onto Burlington Transit with this pass, but you need to use money in your e-purse to travel within Burlington or to come back to Hamilton after your transfer has expired, if it is outside the two hour transfer window.

PRESTO and the HSR Golden Age Pass
City of Hamilton residents 80 years of age or older can receive a Golden Age Pass for free. Lost, stolen or damaged PRESTO cards or photo ID cards will require a replacement fee. You must be 80 years of age or older and a resident of Hamilton. Proof of age is required, as well as proof of address in Hamilton (acceptable ID would be a Driver’s Licence, Ontario Photo Card, Income Tax statement with name and address, Health Card that has address, etc.). A photo ID will be issued to be used in conjunction with your new PRESTO card.

The HSR Golden Age Pass is only valid on HSR vehicles. You can transfer for free onto Burlington Transit with this pass, but you need to use money in your e-purse to travel within Burlington or to come back to Hamilton after your transfer has expired, if it is outside the two-hour transfer window.

You can have your card set up with the HSR Golden Age Pass as well as an e-purse that can be used for Burlington Transit, GO Transit or any of the other participating transit agencies. You will be charged the Adult fare when travelling on the other transit agency buses. Do not have GO Transit or any other transit agencies change your card to a senior concession as this invalidates your HSR Golden Age Pass. Golden Age passengers who frequently travel on transit outside of Hamilton should purchase a 2nd PRESTO card with a senior concession to be able to benefit from other transit agency senior rates (if applicable).

For more information on the Senior Annual Pass or Golden Age Pass Program, call the HSR Fare Administration Office at 905-546-2424 ext.1882.

The transfer window is set to two hours from the time of boarding your first bus. When you tap on to the Fare Payment Device as you board, the system will write a transfer to your card when a valid fare is paid. When you tap on to the next HSR bus within the two hours, the system will recognize the transfer and no additional fare will be deducted. A paper transfer is no longer required.

Transferring to Burlington Transit
Burlington Transit recognizes the transfer written to your card, no additional fare will be deducted and no paper transfer is needed when transferring within two hours from the start of your trip.

Transferring to GO Transit
The co-fare and fare subsidy will be applied on a trip specific basis. The card will calculate and deduct the appropriate discount for the local trip to or from an activated GO Train station.

If using an e-purse, a discount of a $1.85 will be applied when you transfer to the next portion of your trip. For example, when you travel on HSR and transfer to the GO Train, the fare you pay GO will be reduced by $1.85.

We were one of the first transit agencies to adopt PRESTO. This means our devices are now almost 10 years old. We’re replacing these devices with upgraded ones to continue to provide reliable service.

Yes. These devices are being rolled out across GO Transit and other local transit agencies in the 905 area.

You’re seeing this message because the PRESTO device is picking up signals from other card(s) that are close to your PRESTO card, preventing payment from being accepted. Make sure you tap only your PRESTO card on the reader – not your whole wallet or purse. The devices have a contactless card reader that has the capability to also accept other forms of payment (like debit and credit) in the future. Because of this, the devices are designed to process only one card or payment method at a time. It’s similar to why you can’t tap your entire wallet on a payment terminal at any retailer.

This is because the devices have a contactless card reader that has the capability to also accept other forms of payment (like debit and credit) in the future. Because of this, the devices are designed to process only one card or payment method at a time. While the readers won’t actually accept payment by debit and credit at this time, the readers can still pick-up signals from these cards if they are close to your PRESTO card and prevent payment from being accepted.  It’s similar to why you can’t tap your entire wallet on a payment terminal at any retailer.

The device will take a bit longer to process your tap than you’re used to, so make sure you hold your card on the reader until you hear the ‘beep’. This is because the new devices have more extensive security features – to meet the latest security best practices to prepare for credit and debit card payments – that add to their processing time.