Smart card issues on Saskatoon Transit resolved, city says

The City of Saskatoon says an issue affecting sales and reloads of the smart cards used on Saskatoon Transit buses has been resolved.

The city said the issue was caused by a routine software update, and while the cards continued to function, the issue impeded both the sales of new cards and the ability to reload existing cards.

Read more:

• Saskatoon Transit working to fix disruption around smart card sales, reloads
• Saskatoon City Council aims to improve safety through new transit bylaw
• Fare evasion on transit buses led to estimated loss of $400,000 for Saskatoon in 2025

The reloadable smart cards were rolled out in March in an effort to unify the Saskatoon Transit fare system, and the city said the old cards are currently being phased out.

“As a reminder, starting September 1, 2026, old smart cards will no longer work,” the city said in a statement.

“Riders with old cards are encouraged to exchange them for a new reloadable smart card before September 1. The $5 card activation fee is waived when exchanging an existing card. Existing cards with balances must be transferred at the Transit Customer Service Centre.”

The city thanked transit users for their patience and understanding during the disruption.