Passengers who take train from Pearson Airport in Mississauga to Toronto can pay by debit

Mississauga | Ontario | Latest News | Transit |

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Published October 21, 2021 at 8:51 am

A UP Express train leaves Pearson Airport in Mississauga for Union Station in Toronto. (Photo: Metrolinx)

Passengers who ride the train between Pearson Airport in Mississauga and Union Station in Toronto can now pay for their trips much easier with today’s launch of a new phase of an ongoing pilot study. 

In what Metrolinx officials say is a first for transit in Canada, customers can use their debit cards or debit card added to a mobile wallet to travel on the UP Express, the rail link that connects the airport to the heart of downtown Toronto. 

Metrolinx, the agency responsible for public transit across the Golden Horseshoe, says the new payment method, in addition to credit card and mobile wallet options introduced when the pilot was launched in March, gives passengers even more contactless payment options. 

“Customers can now tap on and off using Interac Debit, and internationally-used Visa Debit and Debit Mastercard, or by adding these cards enabled with these payment methods to their mobile wallet and tapping with their phone or smart watch,” Metrolinx officials say.  

“This not only means more choice and convenience for UP customers; it also marks the first time a transit agency in Canada is offering a Canadian contactless debit option as a way to pay.” 

Passengers can also continue to use their credit cards (physical or digital versions) to pay for their trips, as well as the more traditional options such as PRESTO card and e-tickets, officials say. 

Customers are reminded they still must tap on and off using the same method of payment. So, if they tap on using the new debit card method, they must tap off using the same debit card at the end of the trip as well, Metrolinx says. 

Also, when a passenger taps a debit card at the beginning of their trip, a temporary $15 pre-authorization may be placed on that card, even if the fare is less. 

Following this pilot program, Metrolinx says it will introduce payment by credit, debit and mobile wallet to more transit agencies across the region. 

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