PRESTO Cards

Ride Burlington Transit with your PRESTO card and save money! By using a PRESTO card instead of paying a cash fare, you pay a reduced rate and automatically participate in our loyalty program.

Here are the benefits of a PRESTO card:

How to buy, activate and ride with PRESTO

Follow these steps to buy, register and use your PRESTO card with Burlington Transit.

Buy and load your PRESTO card

Buy and load your PRESTO card online or in-person at our Downtown Terminal (430 John St., Burlington), at any Burlington Shoppers Drug Mart location or GO Transit station

Activate your PRESTO card

Activate your card with a My PRESTO account. You can activate your new card online or by phone at 1-877-378-6123. Cards purchased without an account can be used right away but do not have balance protection or access to other PRESTO features. Cards cannot be transferred between individuals. 

Tap your PRESTO card to ride

After loading your card, you are ready to ride! Tap your card on a PRESTO machine at the beginning of your journey to pay your fare for your transit ride. 

Manage your PRESTO card

Access your account online to view your card activity, add funds and manage your profile. You can even set up great features like 'autoload' and 'autorenew', which automatically add funds and transit passes to your card each month. 

PRESTO Card Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Where can I buy a PRESTO card and how much is it?

You can buy a PRESTO card online or in-person at our Downtown Terminal (430 John St., Burlington), at any Burlington Shoppers Drug Mart location or GO Transit station. If you buy a card online, you will receive it by mail within up to five business days. A PRESTO card costs $4.

Cards sold at the PRESTO vending machines at the GO Transit Stations are activated as adult cards. You can visit the Downtown Transit Terminal or any Shoppers Drug Mart location in Burlington to have your card set to the correct fare category: child, youth or senior.

How do I load value onto my PRESTO card?

You can load up to a maximum of $1,000 onto your PRESTO card using cash, debit card or credit card online, in-person at our Downtown Terminal (430 John St., Burlington) or at any GO Transit station

How do I activate my PRESTO card?

PRESTO cards are like money. Losing a card means losing any money that is on the card. You should activate your card immediately after buying and loading it on PRESTO's website

How do I check the balance of my PRESTO card?

When you tap your card upon boarding, the PRESTO machine will display the transaction fee for your ride, as well as the remaining balance on your card. You can also check your balance online at any PRESTO balance checker at our Downtown Terminal (430 John St., Burlington) or at any GO Transit station

How do I get a Child, Youth, Adult or Senior PRESTO card?

Every PRESTO card is given a fare type. When you buy a new card, ask the cashier to add the fare type. They may ask you for I.D. to prove your age. If you would like to have a fare type added to your card or you need to change your fare type, visit our Downtown Terminal, 430 John St., Burlington.  

Can more than one person travel on the same PRESTO card at the same time?

Yes. Tell the driver that you are paying for more than one fare before tapping your card. Companions must request paper transfers to make connecting trips. If you are using a card that has a Youth or Senior fare type, the additional passengers must also be eligible for any discounted fares set on the card.

What do I do with a lost, stolen or broken PRESTO card?

Burlington Transit is not responsible for replacing lost, stolen or broken cards. Activated cards with money loaded can be replaced online

How do I get a refund for money I have loaded on my PRESTO card?

To get a PRESTO card refund, your PRESTO card must be added to a PRESTO Account. Some PRESTO products are not refundable. Visit the PRESTO website for more information, PRESTO Refund.

Burlington Transit will not issue PRESTO card refunds at the Downtown Transit Terminal.

Funds loaded on your PRESTO card don’t expire and can be used on GO Transit and other PRESTO participating transit systems

Please visit prestocard.ca to get more answers to your frequently asked questions.