Oyster Card: A Guide to London Travel

An Oyster card is a reusable smartcard for paying for travel on London’s transport network. Add pay-as-you-go credit, then use it on eligible rail, Underground, bus and tram services. Current fares depend on the journey and applicable caps; compare Oyster with contactless payment to choose a suitable way to pay. You can top up at suitable station machines, Oyster Ticket Stops and through the available TfL online or app services. A standard Oyster can also hold eligible Travelcards or Bus & Tram Passes, so check which product suits your travel pattern. A new card has a non-refundable fee separate from the credit used for journeys; check the current charge before buying. Visitor Oyster has its own conditions. On rail journeys, touch in and out on yellow readers using the same Oyster card. On buses and trams, normally touch in only. Pink readers at certain interchanges record the route you have taken and are additional to the yellow entry and exit readers, not a replacement for them. Follow the signs and staff instructions at stations with special arrangements. Missing a required touch can result in a maximum fare. Check your journey history and use TfL’s correction process if a journey has been recorded incorrectly. Child discounts depend on age, route and eligibility, and may require a photocard or a Young Visitor discount. Check the correct arrangement before travelling. Each person needs their own card or payment device for a journey; several people cannot travel together using the same Oyster card. Keep enough credit for the journey and top up before travelling. If the balance becomes negative, it must be cleared; do not assume that insufficient credit gives a general right to continue travelling. TfL’s limited arrangements for an additional bus journey have their own conditions. Register an eligible standard Oyster card to help protect its balance and products. If it is lost or stolen, report it promptly through your TfL account or the appropriate contact channel. Refunds and replacements depend on the card and registration status; Visitor Oyster cards cannot be registered. An accepted contactless card or device can be an alternative, but always use the same one at the start and end of a rail journey.