Transit riders in Oshawa will soon have another option for managing their PRESTO cards as Metrolinx expands selected services to additional No Frills grocery stores across southern Ontario.
The Oshawa No Frills PRESTO expansion is part of a wider partnership between Metrolinx and Loblaw Companies Ltd., which owns No Frills. Beginning this summer, participating stores in Oshawa, Toronto, Mississauga, Hamilton and Burlington are being added to the PRESTO retail network.
Metrolinx says 29 additional No Frills locations will join the program over the coming weeks, bringing the total number of participating stores to 34 across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area and Ottawa.
What PRESTO services will be available?
At participating No Frills stores, customers will be able to purchase a new PRESTO card, add funds to a new or existing card and set a fare type on a new card.
The expansion gives riders another in-person option for handling common PRESTO tasks while completing regular shopping trips.
Metrolinx has not identified every Oshawa store in its announcement, so customers should confirm that their preferred No Frills location is participating before visiting specifically for PRESTO service.
A limited number of specially branded No Frills PRESTO cards will also be available while supplies last.
Program expands after successful pilot
The Oshawa No Frills PRESTO rollout follows a pilot project launched in September 2025.
That pilot introduced selected PRESTO services at five No Frills stores in Toronto and Ottawa. Metrolinx described the project as successful and is now expanding the partnership to more communities across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.
The provincial transit agency said the goal is to make PRESTO services easier to access in neighbourhood locations rather than requiring riders to rely only on transit stations or existing customer service outlets.
For Oshawa residents who regularly use Durham Region Transit, GO Transit or other PRESTO-enabled services, the additional retail access could make it more convenient to purchase or reload a physical card.
Existing PRESTO options remain available
The new No Frills locations will supplement, rather than replace, existing PRESTO service options.
Customers can already manage many PRESTO functions online or through the PRESTO app, while physical cards and in-person services remain available through authorized customer service outlets and transit locations.
Riders can use PRESTO’s official customer service outlet finder to check where particular services are offered.
Because the No Frills expansion is being rolled out over several weeks, availability may vary by store as individual locations join the program.
Oshawa included in broader southern Ontario rollout
The Oshawa No Frills PRESTO expansion places the city among five communities specifically named in the latest phase of the partnership.
The announcement reflects a broader effort to make fare-card services available in locations residents already visit for everyday needs.
For riders who prefer using a physical PRESTO card or need assistance setting a fare type, having another neighbourhood retail option may reduce the need for a separate trip to a transit service location.
Metrolinx has not announced a single launch date for every participating No Frills store. Instead, the 29 new locations are expected to come online gradually.
Oshawa transit users who want to use the new service should check the official PRESTO customer service outlet list for current participating locations and available services before heading to a store.
