Transit info 1 — Ottawa
Created Thursday 02 October 2025
Ottawa's public transit system is run by OC Transpo.
Fare
$4 per ride (plus at least 90 minutes of transfer time)
How to pay
Place one of these cards on the green pad:
- MasterCard/Visa credit card
- Presto card with money loaded
Credit cards
You can pay with MasterCard and Visa credit cards.
Fare cap: maximum $12 per day
After that, all rides are free for the rest of the day!
Presto
Ottawa uses the Presto transit card, which is also used in many other cities in Ontario.
You can buy one for $4 at:
- vending machines in O-Train stations
- OC Transpo customer service office, Rideau Centre floor 3
- most Shoppers Drug Marts
Then load it with money at that location.
Which to use?
- For least hassle: use a credit card
- For a souvenir: buy a Presto card to keep as a souvenir and use a credit card anyway
It's probably not practical for you to actually use a Presto card given that you also have to load it with money. But maybe that might reduce the pain of your credit card's currency conversion fee?