What to know
- Metrolinx says ongoing PRESTO upgrades may cause “unexpected activity,” including unusual notifications, transaction logs, or device messages.
- Some commuters have reported being overcharged, though the agency maintains issues are rare and being automatically corrected.
- The upgrades aim to introduce real-time transactions and instant card loads, while affected users can contact support for refunds or assistance.
PRESTO card users might see some “unexpected activity” in their transit card accounts, including rare mischarges, as Metrolinx works on system upgrades.
According to the transit agency, with the new upgrades, PRESTO users will see real-time transaction details and instant loads, which it says will bring “more flexibility, ease and convenience for customers across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton area.”
In its initial announcement, Metrolinx advised customers might temporarily face “unexpected activity” on their PRESTO cards or account, including:
- Unexpected emails from PRESTO;
- Unexpected transaction history, such as “card registered” or “card setting changed;”
- PRESTO device revealing “accepted” instead of more detailed information.
Recently, PRESTO users have also complained online about being mischarged for their usual fares.
“[A PRESTO] agent took a look and refunded me for today’s and yesterday’s overcharge and told me if I have the same issue tomorrow, to give them another call. I didn’t even know yesterday had an issue (was overcharged only $1.10 vs $10.50 today, so I didn’t realize),” one person wrote on Reddit.
“I just got refunded my GO Transit over $30 for problems with my card. Once I was charged twice for a tap on and then full price on the TTC instead of the one fare and then the next day two missed tap offs showed up,” another user said.
Metrolinx confirmed to Now Toronto that “a very small number” of PRESTO users might see some irregularities in their account or card during their system upgrade process, including unexpected charges in rare cases.
“These instances remain extremely limited and have been proactively identified as we are implementing automatic fixes,” a spokesperson for the agency said.
Customers who notice any irregularities in their account or extra charges can contact the PRESTO team through their live chat or over the phone for a refund or assistance.
Metrolinx did not confirm when the upgrades are expected to be completed.
