Key takeaways
- After 47 paid TTC fares in a calendar month, the rest of your rides that month are free
- It works with a PRESTO card, PRESTO in a mobile wallet, or a contactless debit or credit card
- Use the same card or phone all month: each one keeps its own count
- Most monthly passes ended August 31, 2026; the 12-Month Pass ($143 a month) and Post-Secondary Monthly Pass ($128.15) remain
- Adult maximum is about $155.10 (47 × $3.30); youth about $110.45, seniors about $105.75, Fair Pass about $98.70
What is the TTC fare cap?
The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) started monthly fare capping on September 1, 2026. You pay as you go with each tap. Once you have paid for 47 trips in one calendar month, the rest of your TTC trips that month are free. The count goes back to zero on the first day of each month.
The TTC calls this “paying as you go”. You no longer have to buy a monthly pass at the start of the month. If you ride less, you pay less. If you ride a lot, your cost stops at the cap.
How much is the most you pay in a month?
The cap is counted in trips, not dollars. Your maximum depends on your fare type. These are our calculations from the TTC’s PRESTO fares (October 2026):
| Fare type | Fare per trip | 47 trips = monthly maximum |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | $3.30 | $155.10 |
| Youth (13 to 19) | $2.35 | $110.45 |
| Senior (65+) | $2.25 | $105.75 |
| Fair Pass (low income) | $2.10 | $98.70 |
| Children 12 and under | Free | $0 |
Youth, senior and Fair Pass fares need the right fare type loaded on a PRESTO card. With a debit or credit card you pay the adult fare.
What counts as one of the 47 trips?
A paid trip is the first tap that starts a two-hour transfer window. Inside those two hours you can change between subway, bus and streetcar, in any direction, without paying again. Those transfers do not add to your count.
- A round trip to work is usually 2 paid trips.
- Going to work, then to a store, then home within two hours of your first tap can be 1 paid trip.
- Cash and PRESTO Tickets do not count toward the cap.
You must still tap every time you board, even after you reach the cap. The tap is your proof of payment if a fare inspector checks you.
Which cards work, and why you must use the same one
The cap works with:
- a PRESTO card (physical, or PRESTO in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet)
- a contactless Interac debit card or a credit card
- a debit or credit card stored in your phone’s mobile wallet
The TTC counts trips separately for each card and each device. If you tap your physical credit card on Monday and the same card in your phone on Tuesday, the system may see two different payment methods. Pick one and use it all month.
Newcomer tip: until you get a Canadian bank card, a PRESTO card is the easiest choice. A physical PRESTO card costs $4.00 (Brampton Transit fare page, October 2026), and a PRESTO card in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet is free. You need a PRESTO card for youth, senior or Fair Pass fares.
Fair Pass, youth and senior fares under the cap
The cap works for every fare type. The count is always 47 paid trips, so a lower fare means a lower monthly maximum.
- Fair Pass is the City of Toronto’s transit discount for adults with low income. In our October 1, 2026 check of the City’s page, it was open to Toronto residents aged 20 to 64 with income at or below 75% of the Low Income Measure (about $22,691 a year for one person). People who get Ontario Works, the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) or a child care fee subsidy are enrolled more simply. You apply online, by phone at 416-338-8888 or in person, and you need a PRESTO card number.
- Youth (13 to 19) and seniors (65+) must set the matching fare type on their PRESTO card, with photo ID that shows their age. The PRESTO website (prestocard.ca) lists where you can do this.
- Children 12 and under ride free and do not need a card.
If you tap a bank card instead of PRESTO, you pay the adult fare and the adult maximum.
Which TTC passes still exist?
On August 31, 2026 the TTC stopped selling the Youth, Adult and Senior Monthly Passes, the Fair Pass Monthly Pass, and the Youth and Senior 12-Month Passes. Two passes remain:
- Adult 12-Month Pass: $143 a month. You sign up for 12 months. It is cheaper than the cap if you would take about 44 or more paid trips almost every month.
- Post-Secondary Student Monthly Pass: $128.15. For eligible full-time college and university students. It beats paying per ride after about 39 trips.
For most other riders, the cap replaces the pass. You get the same “unlimited after a point” benefit without paying up front.
Worked example: a newcomer commuting 5 days a week
Amina rides the TTC to work and back, Monday to Friday. September 2026 has 21 work days after the Labour Day holiday. That is 42 paid trips × $3.30 = $138.60. She never reaches the cap, so she pays only for the trips she takes.
In October she also takes the subway to English classes on Saturdays. With 21 work days and 5 Saturdays, she reaches 47 paid trips on her way to work on October 29. She pays $155.10, and every ride after that, until November 1, is free.
Try your own numbers in the transit cost calculator.
Will the cap change in 2027?
Mayor Olivia Chow said in December 2025 that she would ask the TTC to plan for a lower cap of 40 trips a month in the 2027 budget. That is a plan, not an approved change. During the 2026 municipal election campaign she also promised a weekly cap of 10 paid rides. Nothing has changed yet. Check ttc.ca/farecapping before you plan around a new number.
The cap covers TTC rides only. GO Transit and other GTA systems have their own fares. Under Ontario’s One Fare program, your TTC ride is free when you transfer to or from GO, MiWay, Brampton Transit, Durham Region Transit or York Region Transit with the same card.