Mobile recharge of the OPUS card | A brief instruction manual

It is now a reality: public transit users in Greater Montreal can now add tickets or renew their monthly pass on their OPUS card simply through a mobile phone. Here is a brief guide so you no longer have to go to the vending machines.

Download the app Chrono

First you need to download Chrono – or update it. This application has been around for a while now and offers the ability to view timetables for bus, metro and several other services in real time. The OPUS mobile recharge functionality has been integrated into it.

Synchronize your card

Once the application is open, you must click on the icon illustrating an OPUS card, which is located at the top right. To synchronize your card, simply select the “start reading” option on the OPUS card, before placing it on the mobile phone camera. It is this manipulation which will make it possible to find the number of the card and, therefore, of the customer account.

Validate or reload

The OPUS card is kept read and recognized. The application allows you to see if there are tickets left and what type of packages. At the bottom of the screen, you can begin the process of purchasing a transport ticket 100% digitally. Please note: it is always possible to start from scratch to read another card.

Choose your travel area

Before purchasing a ticket, you will need to choose the travel zone. Since the overhaul of the fee schedule, zone A includes the island of Montreal, while zone B includes Laval and Longueuil. Finally, zones C and D affect the northern and southern crowns. The more areas you cross, the higher the cost of the ticket.

Select a ticket

This is one of the last steps before buying: choosing your type of transport ticket. There are several, from weekly to monthly, including single passages, “two passages”, “ten passages”, unlimited evenings or weekends. And the price to pay is indicated for each of these titles. So all that’s left to do is add a credit card, pay, and that’s it!

When’s the sequel?

It will still not be possible to present your phone at the turnstiles; this should be done by 2026. In the shorter term, payment by Interac debit or credit card should be possible in “certain networks” by the fall. This is already in place at the Société de transport de Laval (STL). Cities like Joliette, Lévis or Quebec will receive the mobile recharge software solution and will be able to develop it on their side, in their own application. By 2027, a “multi-mode” payment system will be deployed, bringing together the metro, bus, REM, car sharing, bike sharing, taxi or carpooling.