Getting around Canada just got a bit easier.
Apple’s Wallet app now supports the Presto transit card used in Canada’s Ontario province. The card can be used for travel in Toronto, Hamilton, and Ottawa, and the digital version includes the Express Transit Pass feature, which allows users to tap in and out without having to authenticate.
The Presto contactless smart card system was first trialled back in 2007, and started the full rollout in 2009. The card can be used across 11 different transit systems in the areas covered. Apple Wallet support for the card was first promised several years ago, leading to a quiet phase, then a “coming soon” announcement back in May of this year.
Although the contactless terminals allow the use of credit and debit cards for regular fares, a Presto card is needed for monthly passes and discounted travel.
Per Mobile Syrup, riders can choose between adding their existing card to their Wallet or creating a new one. Users can either buy a new card or move their old one over using the Presto app.
As with any digital card or pass, users can use either their iPhone or Apple Watch, but because each generates a unique virtual card number, they’ll need to use the same device at both ends of their journey.
Express Transit can also work in Low Power mode and can function when the device’s battery is almost entirely out of power.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via 9to5Mac and Mobile Syrup
