Fair Pass Transit Discount Program

You are encouraged to apply online. You can also apply by phone, access language interpretation, and request paper applications by calling the Application & Support Centre at 416-338-8888.  

Any family member aged 20-64 can apply for Fair Pass but each requires a separate application and their own PRESTO card.  

PRESTO cards must be activated before a Fair Pass discount can be successfully applied to the card. See the ‘Your PRESTO Card’ section for full details.   

Applying with a Program Identification Number

If you are a Toronto resident who has a program identification number to complete your application, you must be currently receiving assistance from at least one of the following programs: Ontario Works (OW), Emergency Assistance (through Ontario Works), Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), or Child Care Fee Subsidy (through Toronto Children’s Services). 

You may apply online or by phone. You must provide an email address to complete an online application. To complete your application, you must: 

1. Provide your activated PRESTO card number 
2. Provide your Toronto address* 
3. Identify yourself as a program recipient and provide your program identification number: 

• • Ontario Works including Emergency Assistance – Member ID 
  • Ontario Disability Support Program – Member ID 
  • Child Care Fee Subsidy – Household ID (Client File Number) 

1. 1. 1. To assess your income eligibility: 

• • • Your income information from Toronto Children’s Services will be accessed through your Household ID  
    • You must enter information for yourself and each family member living with you, if applicable (spouse or partner, child(ren), or parent(s) and sibling(s)) 

If you apply by phone, staff will inform you of your eligibility before the end of your call. If you apply online, you will receive an email notification about the outcome of your application. 

Applying with Income Documents

If you are a Toronto resident who is not currently receiving support from any of the above programs, you must provide recent income documents for yourself and each family member between the ages of 20 and 64 to complete your application. 

You may apply online or by phone. 

Apply Online

To apply online, you must:

1. Provide an email address  
2. Provide your activated PRESTO card number 
3. Provide your Toronto address* 
4. Enter information for yourself and each family member living with you, if applicable (spouse or partner, child(ren), or parent(s) and sibling(s)). 
5. Provide income information and Required Documents for you and all immediate family members aged 20 to 64.  
   1. Provide income information for yourself and each family member in the Household Details section of the application. For each person you must: 
      1. Enter the first and last name 
      2. Select the income document type you will attach  
      3. Enter the net (after-tax) income amount from the document you will attach 
      4. Attach the income document(s) 

If your income document does not match the address provided on your application, you will need to upload an address verification document (as described in the Required Documents tab) 

If your application has incorrect or missing documents, you will be asked to re-submit documents and this will increase the processing time of your application. 

The application will calculate the net annual income for each family member and the total net annual family income. Based on the calculations of your family income and family size, you will be provided with a preliminary income eligibility assessment before submitting your application. 

You will receive an email notification about the outcome of your application. 

Apply by Phone

If you apply by phone, you must:

1. Provide your activated PRESTO card number  
2. Provide your Toronto address* 
3. Provide information for yourself and each family member living with you, if applicable (spouse or partner, child(ren), or parent(s) and sibling(s)). 
4. Provide income information for yourself and all immediate family members aged 20 to 64 
5. Provide Required Documents for yourself and all immediate family members aged 20 to 64 within 30 days 
   1. If you provide an email address, you will be emailed a Document Submission link where you must enter your unique token number and confirmation number prior to uploading your Required Documents  
   2. If you do not provide an email address, you will be provided with a fax number during your phone application where you must fax your Required Documents. You must provide a phone number where you can be contacted regarding the outcome of your application 

Once the Required Documents are received, staff will review and assess your eligibility. If you provide an email address, you will receive an email notification about the outcome of your application. If you do not provide an email address, staff will contact you at the phone number you provide during your application to inform you of the outcome of your application.  

Provide Your Toronto Address

You must live in the city of Toronto (postal code starting with the letter “M”) to be eligible for the Fair Pass Transit Discount Program. For individuals who have no fixed residential address or cannot safely disclose their address (see Access TO), you may provide an alternative Toronto address such as where you access services (e.g. a local shelter, community space, hospital, or government office). 

You do not need to provide any proof of income or address documents if you are receiving financial support from the following programs:  

• Ontario Works (OW) 
• Emergency Assistance through Ontario Works 
• Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) 
• Toronto Children’s Services Child Care Fee Subsidy 

Proof of Income

You must have a net annual family income below 75 per cent of Low-Income Measure (After Tax) to be eligible for the Fair Pass Transit Discount Program. 

If you are applying with income documents, you will be required to provide a recent proof of income document for yourself and each family member between the ages of 20 and 64 to assess your net annual family income. 

Acceptable Proof of Income Documents: 

• Canada Revenue Agency (CRA): Current year Notice of Assessment or Proof of Income Statement 
• Employment Insurance (EI): My Current/Recent Claim page from your My Service Canada Account 
• Canada Pension Plan (CPP): Payment Information page from your My Service Canada Account 
• Pay stub(s) for the last 30 days 
• Letter of Support: a signed letter from a representative of a social service provider, religious institution or academic institution that lists all household family members and verifies address and family income (see Letter of Support Guidelines and Template for further details).

Proof of Address

You must live in the City of Toronto (postal code starting with the letter “M”) to be eligible for the Fair Pass Transit Discount Program. For individuals who have no fixed residential address or cannot safely disclose their address (see Access TO), you may provide an alternative Toronto address such as where you access services (e.g. a local shelter, community space, hospital, or government office).  

If your personal income document (or letter of support) includes the address you will provide on your application, no additional documents are required. You do not need to provide proof of address documents for other family members. 

If your personal income document does not include the address you will provide on your application, a proof of address document is required.  

Acceptable Proof of Address Documents (if required):  

• Ontario Driver’s License 
• Ontario Photo Card 
• Current Bank Statement 
• Current Utility Bill 
• Lease/Rental Agreement 
• Current Child Tax Benefit Statement 
• Mortgage Statement 
• Property Tax Bill 

Submitting Documents

If you do not already have a digital file of the document and plan to submit documents online, you can take a photo or scan it. Files must be saved in one of the following formats: jpeg, png, jpg, gif or pdf. The maximum size per file is 10 MB. 

If you apply online, you will be prompted to upload your documents in the Household Details section of the application.  

If you apply over the phone, you will be required to submit document(s) online or by fax within 30 days: 

• Online option: you will be emailed a Document Submission link where you must enter an Upload Token and your Confirmation Number prior to uploading your documents 
• Fax option: you will be provided with a fax number during your phone application where you must fax your Required Documents 

If required documents were missing from your original application or are not clear, you will be notified to resubmit documents. If you have those documents, Confirmation Number, and Upload Token available, select the button to submit them now.

Upload Additional Documents

The Fair Pass discount can only be applied to an activated PRESTO card. Toronto residents must provide their PRESTO card number to complete a Fair Pass application. 

How to Get a PRESTO Card

You can purchase a new PRESTO card, declare a card lost or stolen, and load funds or purchase a TTC monthly pass on your PRESTO card through the following channels: 

1. Online at www.prestocard.ca  
2. By phone to PRESTO Contact Centre at 1-877-378-6123 
3. In-Person, at: 
   1. Davisville Customer Service Centre at 1900 Yonge Street; 
   2. PRESTO self-service machines at all TTC subway stations; 
   3. All Shoppers Drug Mart locations 
   4. See the list of Customer Service Outlets   

Residents can get a free PRESTO card, while quantities last, through Toronto Public Library’s Complimentary PRESTO card initiative.  

How to Activate a New PRESTO Card

You have the following options to activate your PRESTO card: 

• Activate your card online  
• Activate your card through PRESTO’s Chat feature by logging into your PRESTO account , or  
• Activate your card by calling PRESTO at 1-877-378-6123 and following the automated instructions.  

It can take up to 24 hours to process your activation. During this time, you won’t be able to use your card. After waiting 24 hours, you must tap on a PRESTO device within 30 days of activating to complete the activation process.  

Replacing a PRESTO Card

When replacing your PRESTO card: PRESTO can transfer your old card’s remaining balance and your Fair Pass discount to your new card if you have a My PRESTO Account, but you must still notify the Application & Support Centre of your new PRESTO card number before your discount expires to complete the renewal process. If you do not have a My PRESTO Account, you will need to call the Application & Support Centre at 416-338-8888, so the Fair Pass discount can be applied to your new card. 

Eligible residents will receive a 12-month Fair Pass discount programmed onto their PRESTO card. Fair Pass clients will save $1.20 on the TTC adult fare for a single ride and $32.75 on a TTC adult monthly pass. 

*Amounts are subject to change and based on TTC fares using PRESTO payment. Amounts were updated on April 3, 2023

Activating Your Discount

• You will receive a notification once the Fair Pass discount is applied to your PRESTO card.  
• You must tap your card on any PRESTO device 24 hours after receiving this notification, but within 30 days, to activate the discount. 
• If you don’t complete the activation within 30 days, the discount will be dropped from your PRESTO card. If this happens, you must call the Application & Support Centre at 416-338-8888 to have the discount re-applied to your PRESTO card. 

Using Your Discount

• The PRESTO card is not transferable and is intended for the approved Fair Pass discount cardholder only.  
• The discount will only work on Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) vehicles, including Wheel-Trans. The discount is not valid for any travel with a PRESTO card on other transit systems.  
• The discount will save you 36 per cent on each adult PRESTO fare and 21 per cent on each TTC Monthly Pass you pay for using your PRESTO card. For monthly passes, the discount will be applied at the point of purchase for unlimited travel for the month.  

Maintaining Your Discount

• Your Fair Pass discount is valid for 12 months (see Renewals section below) 
• If your PRESTO Card number or email address has changed, or you are being charged a full fare when using the TTC, please contact the Application & Support Centre by calling 416-338-8888. 
• All Fair Pass clients are encouraged to register their PRESTO card by creating a My PRESTO [link: https://www.prestocard.ca/en/] account. With an account, you can confirm your discount and how long it is valid, load and check funds, and report a lost card.  

Renewals

If you are an existing Fair Pass client, you do not need to submit a new application or consent form to renew your discount at this time. 

To support recovery and rebuilding from the COVID-19 pandemic, our staff will be automatically renewing all Fair Pass discounts in 2023. The Application & Support Centre will attempt to renew the Fair Pass discount on the PRESTO card that is on file and, if you provided an email address, you will receive a notification. 

Once you receive the email that your renewal was successful, please wait 24 hours to activate and apply the renewal onto your PRESTO card. You will have 30 days to complete the activation process by tapping your PRESTO card on any PRESTO device.