[Electrify]

I would have thought that if you are below the threshold, the next tap would autoload until you are above the threshold. So for example, let's say you have $5 on your card (perhaps a new card or unsuspending an autoload) and you have the threshold set to $50 where it would add $20 to your account, the next tap would add $60 to the account to bring it above $50 (5+20=25+20=45+20=65).

Then again, it seems as if Presto was programmed to suit the needs of another species rather than humans, so I shouldn't be surprised if it doesn't make sense. I'll add $30 right now so when I use it on Monday or Tuesday, it should keep it from going negative... hopefully.

 

[nfitz]

I would have thought that if you are below the threshold, the next tap would autoload until you are above the threshold. So for example, let's say you have $5 on your card (perhaps a new card or unsuspending an autoload) and you have the threshold set to $50 where it would add $20 to your account, the next tap would add $60 to the account to bring it above $50 (5+20=25+20=45+20=65).

I'd have thought that too. Any person would think that. Only the fools at Accenture would do anything any different - and they did. I've been caught by this too.

I've also noticed that it always triggers $3 to $4 early ... not sure why.

 

[Dan416]

Presto is remarkably un-userfriendly from a loading point of view.

 

[BMO]

Presto is remarkably un-userfriendly from a loading point of view.

THIS, the other day I tapped onto YRT which notified me I only had $2 left. So i went online through my phone and reloaded my card using my credit card, etc through the presto site. I put an extra $60. When I went to use the card again in an hour or so for my return trip, the money still hadn't shown up on my card and I had to use cash.

It's so frustrating :/

 

[Voltz]

THIS, the other day I tapped onto YRT which notified me I only had $2 left. So i went online through my phone and reloaded my card using my credit card, etc through the presto site. I put an extra $60. When I went to use the card again in an hour or so for my return trip, the money still hadn't shown up on my card and I had to use cash.

It's so frustrating :/

There needs to be a way for the load to get to your card, and it can't get to the bus readers in the same day, there would have to be a wireless data connection to each bus and that is just not possible.

 

[nfitz]

THIS, the other day I tapped onto YRT which notified me I only had $2 left. So i went online through my phone and reloaded my card using my credit card, etc through the presto site. I put an extra $60. When I went to use the card again in an hour or so for my return trip, the money still hadn't shown up on my card and I had to use cash.

It's so frustrating :/

It is frustrating, and they need to do better. But they do say it takes 24 hours.

I'd really recommend using the autoload with a relatively high ($20+ or more depending on the trips you make) threshold.

 

[Electrify]

If you add a fare at a customer service kiosk (GO station, transit authority office, fare machine at Union, etc) I believe it is added instantly. It is just online and phone (?) loads take 24 hours to go through.

As to why this multibillion dollar system can only process instant loads from a handful of locations... ask McGuinty.

 

[Voltz]

If you add a fare at a customer service kiosk (GO station, transit authority office, fare machine at Union, etc) I believe it is added instantly. It is just online and phone (?) loads take 24 hours to go through.

As to why this multibillion dollar system can only process instant loads from a handful of locations... ask McGuinty.

McGuinty? Really?

Instant loads are possible at those locations because the kiosk can communicate directly with the card, you can't expect to load it online and have the load somehow instantaneously make its way to the card with no way to communicate with it.

 

[W. K. Lis]

McGuinty? Really?

Instant loads are possible at those locations because the kiosk can communicate directly with the card, you can't expect to load it online and have the load somehow instantaneously make its way to the card with no way to communicate with it.

If your smartphone is capable to accept cloud communications with your own computer, surly Presto can do cloud communications between simple transactions. And don't call be Shirley.

 

[BMO]

McGuinty? Really?

Instant loads are possible at those locations because the kiosk can communicate directly with the card, you can't expect to load it online and have the load somehow instantaneously make its way to the card with no way to communicate with it.

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but if flight attendants can make charges to your VISA/Debit card in the middle of the atlantic, I'm sure there's a possible way to get the presto machines to update quicker. After-all doesn't the use of debit or credit require a reference of how much money or credit is in your account elsewhere?

 

[DSC]

... surly Presto...

A freudian slip, indeed! :->

 

[nfitz]

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but if flight attendants can make charges to your VISA/Debit card in the middle of the atlantic, I'm sure there's a possible way to get the presto machines to update quicker. After-all doesn't the use of debit or credit require a reference of how much money or credit is in your account elsewhere?

It gets into how quick the transaction is though. I'm sure you've sat there for your VISA sometimes waiting for it to authorize. You can't be having transactions that slow at a fare gate.

Presumably VISA cards on trans-atlantic planes work like the Toronto parking meters used to work. They store the transactions, and process them later. Which is why Toronto parking machines are much, much slower now that they are all live on the network.

I assume the way Presto works is that it uploads information about any pending loads to cards overnight every night, so when you touch the card to a machine the next day, it can tell from the balance on your card that it needs to add the money.

Other systems are similar, with Oyster you have to do your online top-up before 11 pm for example.

 

[Voltz]

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but if flight attendants can make charges to your VISA/Debit card in the middle of the atlantic, I'm sure there's a possible way to get the presto machines to update quicker. After-all doesn't the use of debit or credit require a reference of how much money or credit is in your account elsewhere?

The last time I bought something on an Air Canada flight it did not appear on my bill for more than a week. They only take credit cards and I presume just record your number and bill your account later when the card reader get back to their facility.

 

[BMO]

It gets into how quick the transaction is though. I'm sure you've sat there for your VISA sometimes waiting for it to authorize. You can't be having transactions that slow at a fare gate.

Presumably VISA cards on trans-atlantic planes work like the Toronto parking meters used to work. They store the transactions, and process them later. Which is why Toronto parking machines are much, much slower now that they are all live on the network.

I assume the way Presto works is that it uploads information about any pending loads to cards overnight every night, so when you touch the card to a machine the next day, it can tell from the balance on your card that it needs to add the money.

Other systems are similar, with Oyster you have to do your online top-up before 11 pm for example.

The last time I bought something on an Air Canada flight it did not appear on my bill for more than a week. They only take credit cards and I presume just record your number and bill your account later when the card reader get back to their facility.

Aah cheers, that makes sense. I guess the NFC chip on the PRESTO card stores a given value that is just deducted everytime you touch a presto reader on a bus. Hence even if I did add $60 to my card, unless I touch on a reader that is "connected" to the system. My card will not be re-charged. And there is no way for the value to be added wirelessly without my card coming into contact with something to do so. I guess the advent of mobile phones with NFC chips installed may be the answer to overcoming this issue.

 

[nfitz]

Ultimately, contactless credit and debit cards should eliminate much of this.

But Presto can do better. They can make it much clearer how long it takes to load.

They could also do something like take the yellow card checker machines, and perhaps make those able to load in less than 24 hours. The transaction time on those isn't such an issue, and I don't see why they couldn't upload the pending transactions there every 30 minutes or so ... depending on the limitations of their network.

And they could add a lot more self-serve stations. And add the capability to accept a pending reload to those self-serve stations immediately, rather than the 24-hour delay.