Apple Wallet could soon support Presto cards

According to reports from the TTC board meeting in December 2023, the transit authority is slowly getting closer to adding Presto to Apple Wallet.

That being said, nothing explicitly states that Apple Wallet support is coming, so we’re trying to read between the lines a little bit. However, from what’s stated in the report, it appears that the next version of the Presto virtual card will be available in Q3 2024.

MobileSyrup has reached out to Metrolinx and will update this story with a response.

Here’s what we know

According to a document from the TTC board meeting, there’s a goal to enable a Presto virtual card this year: “The enablement of the Presto virtual card is targeted for Q3 2024.” Since Android has had a virtual card since November 2023, it stands to reason that the virtual card referenced is going to be Presto for iPhone.

A clue leading toward that is by the end of Q1 2024 (March 31), the subway station transit card readers in the Greater Toronto Area will be updated to support Apple’s Express Transit Card feature. This has been live for at least six months on street cars and buses. The subway tunnels are the final piece of that puzzle, and as of the time of writing, we’ve seen reports that it’s working at most stations already.

Express Transit, for those who haven’t used it yet, is Apple’s automatic fare payment feature. It allows you to set a default card that will automatically pay your fare when it detects a transit terminal. This saves time by allowing you to tap your phone without unlocking it, and it also allows you to tap to pay your fare when your phone is dead.

As of the end of March 2024, you can only use a credit card as an Express Transit Card on Metrolinx Transit.

How it works on Android

In the Presto app on an Android phone, you can add your card to your Google Wallet, but once you do this, it disables your physical card since the phone is effectively taking its place. When you load the card into your Google Wallet, it’s recognized as a ‘Transit Pass,’ which means you’ll be able to tap to pay your fare without unlocking your phone. That said, the screen needs to be on.

The Transit Pass will also tap by default on bus, subway and streetcar terminals even if you’ve set a default payment card to be your credit/debit card. The Transit Pass will always override your other cards when at a transit payment terminal.

That being said, reports from TTC riders on Reddit state that the Google Wallet implementation was rocky when it launched four months ago. One user suggests having your Google Wallet open on the Presto card to make it work the best, but your mileage may vary.

Other bits

Metrolinx recently instituted a new One Fare program that will allow all regional transit operators in the GTA to provide users with free transfers between different providers. While not explicitly tied to anything iPhone-related, connecting all the transit agencies under one fare program means that once Presto on iOS does launch, it will work across a variety of transit operators.

Implementing Presto began in 2012 and has so far cost $69 million with a projected budget of $79 million.

It should also be noted that over the course of 2023, Presto machines gained the ability to accept tap payments from debit and credit cards.