How to Register Presto Card Account without a Phone Number?

Presto Card is pretty a necessary tool to use public transit for those who live in the GTHA or the province of Ottawa, Canada. However, registering in the Presto app requires verifying an account with a mobile number.

For many people, it seems not a big deal, but for those who don’t want to share their real contacts with the app due to privacy reasons, this is hardly good news to hear. Though, there are methods to bypass this requirement, including utilizing a temporary virtual number instead of your actual number.

Let’s explore how the technology works, but first let’s discover the benefits of the Presto services.

What is Presto Card?

Presto Card is a travel card for public transport and metro transportation rides in the GTHA (Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area) and the province of Ottawa, Canada. This travel pass replaced the familiar Metropass and talon tickets that were still available in Canada until recently.

The Presto fare payment system is compatible with over 10 public transit agencies that operate in the GTHA. You can check the list of transit agencies on the Presto website.

Presto card allows customers to pay for a ride on any public transport, be it buses, trams, and subway. The working principle is simple: when boarding, you need to tap a pass to the reader and tap it one more time when making a transfer. If you manage to keep within 2 hours after the payment, you won’t be charged with an extra fare.

You can access the Presto services with a physical card or its virtual analogue that is sold on the official website or in the app (as for the app, please keep reading). For more convenience, fromlate 2023, riders can purchase a Presto card in Google Wallet and Apple Wallet.

Where Can I Buy a Physical Presto Card?

As for purchasing a material Presto card, you can choose from the three options:

• Automates installed on certain TTC railway stations.
• Stores of the Shoppers Drug Mart network — not all stores, but most of them.
• Customer Service outlets in TTC.

The only nuance is that since the automates cannot confirm a rider’s age, it’s not possible to purchase a concessionary fare for all concessionary categories of citizens, only a standard adult fare. Otherwise, two other options will work when submitting a driver license or other PoI documentation.

What is Presto Ticket?

It’s a paper analogue to a Presto card for a few rides which is meant to be thrown away after being used and cannot be reloaded.

This paper ticket has an embedded RFID chip that prevents it from being recycled, though. Customers can buy a 1-ride, 2-ride or day pass ticket.

Sadly, the discounted fares don’t apply to Presto tickets, but, using a ticket, you can still make free transfers within 2 hours on TTC.

What is Presto Card’s Loading Options?

Standardly for travel cards, you can load a certain amount of funds to a Presto card or a transit pass for unlimited travel. Though, the second option works for some transit agencies only (GO Transit, UP Express, and Burlington Transit excluded).

As for loading money on your Presto card, there are a few ways to do this:

1. Leveraging the Presto app, Google Wallet or Apple Wallet. Just utilizeyour debit or credit card to replenish the Presto balance.
2. Moreover, you can set up ‘Autoload’ in your Presto account.
3. On the website. The loaded money will be ready to use in 4 to 7 hours. But please take notice that, for better protection, utilizing the app is more reliable.
4. Physically. To choose from, you can do this via a TTC Customer Service outlet, fare automates or self-service reload machine. To load a ticket, look for ticket automates that are also installed on the railway stations.

If you need to load a weekly or monthly transit pass, choose from the provided options:

1. In the Presto app — it enables instant loading.
2. Leveraging Google Wallet — Apple Wallet doesn’t allow you to add transit passes directly from there but you still can do this in the app.
3. Physically. Most Shoppers Drug Mart stores and Customer Service outlets support the replenishing feature. As for loading a transit pass to your physical card, you can also utilize an automate on metro stations for this purpose.

Presto App: The Perks of The Digital Version

Leveraging the app is even more convenient, especially for the younger generations and those who are prone to using technologies. The Presto app allows riders to easily transfer a physical card into its virtual analogue so they can utilize a mobile device as a card. After creating a virtual card, the material one goes inactive. So, within a single Presto account, customers can manage up to 10 Presto cards.

Here is what you can do in the Presto app in addition to register Presto card:

• Check the balance of your Presto card.
• Utilize NFC for instant replenishments and loading transit passes.
• Replenish the balance via Google Pay, a bank card or the payment option that you previously saved.
• Set up ‘Autoload’ and ‘Autorenew’ so that you don’t have to check the balance manually on a regular basis.
• Set up reminders on the expiration date of your card or low balance.
• Check the expiration date of your active transfers.
• And more.

How to Register in The Presto App?

It’s a three-step procedure that requires you to:

1. Enter your email address and agree with the service’s ToS — on the first screen.
2. Pass through an account verification by entering a mobile phone number. To complete verification, enter an OTP.
3. On the third registration screen, provide other user information, including your address details, postal code, and more.

As you may see, there’s not an option to avoid using a mobile number when you register Presto card. But you can protect your primary phone number from being leaked or used for spam calls and messages by utilizing a temporary virtual number instead.

What is it, and how to apply this tool for Presto registration? Let’s check it further.

How to Complete Presto Sign In without a Phone Number?

When it comes to virtual numbers functionality, they can receive SMS similar to conventional mobile numbers. Though, unlike cellular numbers that require a SIM card installed in a mobile device, virtual numbers are auto-generated by a special software which is typically accessible through a website or a desktop client. A message also comes to the software that issues the numbers.

Thus, the working principle of virtual numbers gives its customers various advantages, including:

• No connection to a certain physical device. To receive SMS on a virtual number through an online platform, you can utilize any available device that has a stable Internet connection whether it’s a smartphone, laptop, tablet or any other device.
• No geolocation restrictions. Since virtual numbers are generated, you can choose whatever country you need depending on the offering of the issuing provider. Thus, with SMS-Man’s opportunities, you can access 2000+ online services and apps in 190+ countries.
• Enhanced privacy of your data. Using a virtual number protects your actual phone number from being used in malicious actions or being stolen that is not harmless in today’s digital world.
• Mass-following and multi-accounting functionality. This also becomes possible with utilizing virtual phone numbers since this digital tool allows you to provide unique phone numbers for as many accounts as you need.

Well, to get access to the Presto services with the help of SMS-Man, you need to:

1. Register on sms-man.com using social media.
2. Replenish funds to the balance — click the ‘Top Up’ button in the top right corner.
3. To get a disposable number, enter ‘Receive SMS’, select a country and then a service (Presto). Click ‘Purchase’.
4. Scroll down the homepage to ‘History’, copy the purchased number and apply it to Presto sign in.
5. To request a verification code, go back to SMS-Man and click ‘Buy’ near the number.
6. Apply the code as it’s intended.