Manage your adult Oyster card on the move with the TfL Oyster app. You can’t currently add Oyster photocards to this app. You can’t currently buy discounted tickets through the app. I have bought top up online and advised to collect it from the reader which I assumed was the ticket machine. ![]() ![]() Going to the station I was then advised by the guard on duty that I would have to show it to the reader to start a journey there and back and it would be refunded. I do not want to start a journey now, I just wanted it ready for use whenever. This is 2017, why can this service not be simplified. Top up online and it shows on your card immediately. Now because of the brainchild of whoever I will now wait for it to be refunded back into my account. If you can't create this online top up simply, please remove it so others cannot get as annoyed as me. The app is good. However, my oyster card is now so unreliable since I have used the app to add travel cards. The amount of times my card can't be read has increased especially on buses. Lucky the drivers have waved me on in all cases. Today picking up a travelcard at Holborn (there is a live travel card and pay as you credit on there) but after five taps of it saying 'seek assistance' I have to step away as the tuts from behind get serious. However, I then wait a minute and tap again and I am through. Even taking the card out the wallet makes no difference. Is the card dying or is this a consequence of using the app? London Travelcard v Oyster Card v Contactless Card in 2018 Make an informed choice on the right London travel pass for you For the visitor to London, the question of which travel pass to purchase can be confusing. Those living and working in London will almost always have an Oyster Card in their wallet and, as a general rule of thumb, the Oyster Card is the benchmark to be beaten, although people are fast migrating to contactless payment cards. Many will have a long-term travel pass attached to the Oyster, and these can be valid for as short as a week or as long as a year. Buying a single ticket for one journey is rare, you are penalised very heavily financially. A one-way single ticket on the Underground in Central London is double that of an Oyster fare and not far off the maximum you can pay in a day of unlimited rides using Oyster. On the buses buying a one-way ticket is just not an option offered. The Contactless payment card is the new option available and the authorities hope this may become the dominant channel in the longer term. However for short-term visitors the adoption rate is far less and for good reason, especially if you are from overseas and do not have a British sterling or pound currency credit/debit card. For the tourist or those making short visits to London there are aspects of the Travelcard that make them appealing and if understood can make Travelcards cheaper than Oyster cards or Contactless payment cards, especially if you are visiting the major sights on a first time visit. So all in all it can be quite confusing for the visitor planning their visit to London to make an informed choice. This page discusses the differences between Oyster, Contactless Payment Cards and Travelcards so you can identify the right product for you. Our detailed, and pages give a full explanation of each. Where you can use London travel options All three options, Oyster card, Contactless payment card and Travelcards cover the same London public transport, with the exception of Gatwick Airport (see below): - The network. - The network. - The network in Greater London. - Docklands Light Railway, TfL Rail and Overground Railway. - Discount on many (though not Contactless payment card and fragmented implementation on Oyster/Travelcard). You cannot use any on the Heathrow Express train, the Heathrow Connect train between Heathrow and Hayes and Harlington and the High Speed Trains between St Pancras and Stratford. You can use Oyster or Contactless payment cards on the trains to/from Gatwick Airport but it may well be cheaper to buy tickets from the railways instead. You cannot use Travelcards to/from Gatwick Airport and it may be cheaper to travel using rail tickets between Gatwick and London than using Oyster. Stansted, Southend and Luton airports are outside London and beyond the scope of London public transport or TfL, so the airport buses and trains from these airports are not covered. City Airport is serviced by the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and is covered. Differences in ease of purchase/charges Both Oyster and Travelcard can be purchased on demand from Underground stations, Visitor Centres and literally hundreds of retail outlets, such as newsagents and convenience stores inside London. There are few places outside London you can purchase them. ![]() Note at Underground and DLR stations there are no manned ticket desks, just ticket machines. You can purchase Oyster cards and Travelcards online from the TfL online shop (banner link below) and have them delivered to your home address wherever in the world. Oyster cards you purchase in this way are Visitor Oyster cards, the differences are explained further down the page. Contactless payment cards are your normal personal credit/debit cards, so as long as your cards support the Contactless payment technology then you don't have to do anything. You just use your credit/debit card as an Oyster card. Deposits & Admin Charges When you buy a Visitor Oyster card you pay an activation fee (currently £5) which is not refundable. For standard Oyster cards purchased in London you pay a £5 deposit which is refundable (see Oyster v Visitor Oyster section below). For short-term visitors, contactless payment cards and Travelcards are the only travel passes where you do not incur the deposit/admin charges of Oyster purchase. Oyster cards & Visitors Oyster cards There are two types of Oyster card. If you buy in London you get the standard Oyster card. If you buy outside London, including airport trains and National Express coaches, overseas agents and online you will get a Visitors Oyster card. Oyster & Visitor Oyster card differences - Key Facts: • Oyster fares and caps are the same whether you use a standard Oyster or a Visitor Oyster, a common misconception. • For Visitor Oyster cards you pay an activation fee (£5 in 2018) which is non-refundable. If you buy an Oyster card in London you pay a deposit (£5 in 2018) which is refunded (in cash/coins) when you surrender/cancel the Oyster card. • You cannot load 7 day Travelcards on Visitor Oyster cards only standard Oyster cards. If you are in London for 5 plus days having a 7 day Travelcard loaded on your Oyster can save you significant cash. For 5 days daily travel in London, Oysters and 7 day Travelcards for most visitors will be almost identical in price. For 6 or 7 days the sixth and seventh days are effectively free for a 7 day Travelcard compared to the Oyster total price. • At the end of your trip both Visitor Oyster cards and standard Oyster cards you can cancel at ticket machines and get any cash left on the Oyster refunded (in cash/coins). However at the time of writing there is no such facility at Gatwick Airport to get refunds. • For a standard Oyster card you can, if you wish, register online. With Visitor Oyster cards you cannot. The main advantages of being registered online is that if you lose your Oyster you can stop its use, you can get a good audit trail of your journeys and you can request a refund of cash left on your Oyster online direct into your bank account. • Visitor Oyster cards have “special offers” made available to purchasers, normally discounts on anything from food to theatre tickets relevant to visitors. Whether you would make use of any of these offers is another thing and the specifics of offers are often not clear. Returning your Oyster card at end of trip If you plan on returning to London at some time then you can retain your Oyster and use it again on your return however far in the future. Have any questions? If you purchase the London Pass now through this site then you get the option to have your order. Will the Oyster Card activate my London. Find out how to use your London Oyster Card, from daily travel card caps to how to top up your Oyster card credit and more. Get around London with ease! Travel around London on the Tube, buses, and trains using the right electronic smartcard: Visitor Oyster Card, Oyster Card, or Travelcard. I tried to activate my Auto Top-Up at Liverpool Street Station on saturday. (or else buy in a. Oyster - Activating Auto Top-Up. Oyster activation - London Forum. According to TfL 'Please note that you must activate your purchase as part of a normal journey. To activate you must touch your. Otherwise you will want to reclaim your Oyster deposit and any cash balance left on your Oyster or Visitors Oyster. You can do this using any ticket machine (though notably not at Gatwick Airport). The machine will cancel the Oyster card and refund your deposit plus any cash left on your Oyster up to £10. If you forget to get the refund whilst in London you can post the Oyster card back to TfL customer services requesting the refund. For overseas visitors the big disadvantage is that the refund will be in the form of a cheque in British pounds. This procedure is the same for both Oyster cards and Visitor Oyster cards. Can I share Oyster cards? Do I need photo ID? ![]() Only one person can travel with an Oyster card at any time. If 2 people are travelling together they need 2 Oyster cards. However, another person can use your Oyster card when you are not travelling. No photo is required for an Oyster and your name is not stamped on the card. You can register the Oyster card if you want but that is entirely voluntary. For concessions, principally child fares, a separate Oyster Photo ID card is often required if your child is 11 years or older and wants child fares (see bottom of the page). Photo ID • No photo ID is required when you buy an Oyster card, except where children are concerned. You may well need an Oyster Photo ID card of one kind or another to access child rates. See the at the foot of this page for which one (if any) and fees. • No photo ID is required when you buy adult Travelcards from anywhere but railway stations. • For a 7 Day Travelcard or longer (adult or child) bought from a railway station ticket office (not Underground) you need to bring along a passport size photo for a rail photocard to be made up on the spot and free of charge. • 7 Day Child Travelcard or longer bought from anywhere but a railway station or with TfL online shop requires an Oyster ID Card. Adults do not. See the at the foot of this page for which Oyster ID Card (if any) and fees. Contactless payment cards - are your cards compatible? Like all new technologies, compatibility and speed of introduction varies across the world. To make sure Contactless payment cards are even going to be an option for your credit/debit cards take a look at our Contactless payment card dedicated page linked below. Also do remember if you are a visitor with a non-UK issued credit/debit card you'll probably be hit for foreign exchange charges by your card issuer like all other foreign purchases. Oyster card compared with Contactless payment cards + Travelcard - which is cheapest? • As a general rule a Travelcard is more expensive than an Oyster card or Contactless payment card. The exception is if you make 3 or more journeys for 6 days or more within a 7 day period. In this case a 7 day Travelcard works out cheaper than an Oyster or Contactless payment card. Otherwise an Oyster on a Pay As You Go basis or a Contactless payment card is cheaper. If you are a resident or long-term visitor there are monthly and annual Travelcards. • You can load 7 day Travelcards onto an Oyster card and switch between Oyster Pay As You Go and Travelcard as your travel patterns change. You cannot do this on a Contactless payment card. • If you use a credit/debit card using Contactless payments whose home currency is not British pounds your card will be charged like any other overseas purchase so you should check whether you will be hit for punitive foreign exchange charges by your card issuer - there is a wide variance between different cards. The best cards have no fees. • If you have children under 18 year of age then your decision will probably be driven by access to child fares. Travelcards often give you access to child rates much easier than Oyster for short duration visits - see the further down this page. • Discount entitlements can't be added to a Contactless payment card. So if you are eligible for free or discounted travel, you should continue using your existing Oyster card. This in effect rules out children using Contactless payment methods.• If you are doing the sights in London like the Tower of London. London Eye, Madame Tussauds etc. Then you really should read about the which Travelcards can qualify you for, but Oyster cards do not. Oyster v Contactless payment cards v Travelcard peak & off peak travel - the differences Price caps apply to Oyster cards and Contactless payment cards. A price cap is the maximum you can pay in any one calendar day (see next section down). Prior to 2015 there were separate price caps, peak and non-peak for Oyster. So if you travelled in the peak period then you triggered a higher 'peak' price cap - this is no more. However 1 day Travelcards do still have peak and off-peak products. The 1 day Travelcard peak travel period is Monday to Friday before 9.30am, there is no afternoon peak period. If you travel in the peak period you need a peak 1 day Travelcard. The substantial variance in fares is detailed on the price table below. All Travelcards with a duration 7 days or longer cover both peak and off-peak times. Oyster / Contactless payment cards price caps v Travelcard prices Travelcards are a flat rate pass where you have unlimited rides for the time period purchased. Oyster / Contactless payment cards are charged on a per journey basis but has a daily maximum you can be charged. Once you hit this 'price cap' through individual fares aggregating, you are charged no more for subsequent journeys made that day. The daily Oyster/Contactless payment cards price cap is less than the cost of a 1 day Travelcard so over one day is cheaper. Over longer periods Travelcards can work out cheaper depending on your travel. For instance a 7 Day Travelcard is less expensive than an Oyster or Contactless payment cards if you travel 3 or more times each day for 6 days or more in a 7 day calendar period. Travel zones All travel (except the buses) is charged by the number of zones you travel through. Most tourists never get out of zones 1 and 2 where all the main sights and hotels are, but there are exceptions like Heathrow Airport in Zone 6. Look at the page for a full explanation and zone maps. Using an Oyster card with a 7 day Travelcard loaded onto the Oyster card Most visitors will just travel in the central zones, 1 and 2. If you are staying more than 5 days in Central London then a 7 day Travelcard zone 1-2 is probably going to be cheaper than just an Oyster card. 7 day Travelcards can be loaded onto your Oyster card and be used in combination with Oyster on a Pay As You Go basis for a single journey. Note this flexibility is not available on Visitors Oyster cards or Contactless payment cards. This is useful if you want to take the occasional trips outside the central area (zones 1 & 2), perhaps to Heathrow Airport in zone 6 from Central London in Zone 1. By loading some PAYG money onto your Oyster as well as the Travelcard zone 1-2 the ticketing system will recognise the zone 1 and 2 Travelcard for the zone 1 and 2 segment of the journey and take the fare for zones 3 to 6 from the Oyster PAYG amount on your card. Similarly if you are staying in London for 9 days you might buy an Oyster Card and use it on a PAYG basis for 2 days and have a 7 day Travelcard loaded and use that for the remaining 7 days. Oyster & Contactless Payment Card Price Caps 2018 Compared to Travelcard Prices Zones Travelled In Oyster Daily Price Cap 1 Day Travelcard 7 Day Caps ‡ (No Peak / Off Peak) Peak† Off-Peak Zone 1-2 £6.80 n/a n/a £34.10 Zone 1-3 £8.00 n/a n/a £40.00 Zone 1-4 £9.80 £12.70 £12.70 £49.00 Zone 1-5 £11.60 £18.10 £12.70 £58.20 Zone 1-6 £12.50 £18.10 £12.70 £62.30 † Travelcard peak fares apply for any travel made Monday to Friday before 9.30am. All other travel is off-peak. ‡ Prices for a 7 day Travelcard. Also the 7 day cap for contactless payment cards between Monday to Sunday - not available on Oyster SPECIAL CAP FOR BUS TRAVEL ONLY: £4.50 (For if you only travel on London's buses on 1 day). CHILDREN'S OYSTER CAPS: Off Peak: £1.50 (all zones) Peak: half of adult cap. Oyster Card & Contactless Payment Card Fares 2018 Compared to Single Cash Fares Zones Travelled Fare 1 Journey Cash Fare Peak* Off-Peak Within One Zone Zone 1 £2.40 £2.40 £4.90 Zone 2 £1.70 £1.50 £4.90 Across Zones Zone 1 To 2 £2.90 £2.40 £4.90 Zone 1 To 3 £3.30 £2.80 £4.90 Zone 1 To 4 £3.90 £2.80 £5.90 Zone 1 To 5 £4.70 £3.10 £5.90 Zone 1 To 6 £5.10 £3.10 £6.00 Zone 2 To 6 £2.80 £1.50 £5.90 £19.80 £19.80 £14.70 £8.30 No return fares. ANY BUS JOURNEY: £1.50 (no fare zones) * Peak fares apply Monday to Friday between 6.30am and 9.30am and 4pm to 7pm except public holidays Children travel free if under 11 year old or are between 11 and 15 years with an Oyster 11-15 Photocard Childrens fares (11-15 yrs old) with an Oyster 11-15 Photocard on Oyster for any trip within zones 1 to 6 is £0.75 off peak, £0.85 peak Seniors concessions There are no seniors fares for visitors. If you reside in London and are over 60 you can get a Freedom pass or 60+ Oyster ID Card that makes free bus travel available. You can apply online or get a form from your local Post Office. Anybody with an English National Concessionary bus pass can use that on London's red buses too and travel free of charge. If you have a railways you can get your 1/3 discount on off-peak Oyster fares. You have to ask a member of staff to load the concession onto a standard Oyster card (note, not a Visitors Oysters card) at an Underground station after showing your Seniors Card. If you have a railways you can also buy 1 day off-peak zone 1-6 Travelcards at with the discount applied. Child concessions This is a complex subject and is covered in detail at the foot of the page. A child is defined as under 16 years old, but in the last couple of years it has been possible to get child fares after jumping through a few hoops up to the age of 17. Children under 11 can travel free on the London Underground, DLR and buses without a ticket. If a child is between 11 and 15 years old you require an Oyster 11-15 Photocard (which has a fee see below). This allows 11 to 15 year olds to travel at child fares on the Underground, DLR, Overground and some trains, free on the buses. If you are a short-term visitor (in London for up to 14 days) with kids between 11-15 you can take advantage of the Young Visitor Discount. This means you can get half price fares on an Oyster Card on a temporary basis for your child without going through the hoops and expense of getting an Oyster ID card. You do need to read carefully the rules of this scheme though. Group Tickets - 1 Day Group Travelcard for Groups of 10 or more This ticket is for groups of 10 or more travelling together. This in scope is the same as a for zones 1-6 and 1-9 providing unlimited travel on all services after 9.30am Monday to Friday and all day Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays. The pricing is particularly attractive if you have kids in the group and those staying in one of the outer zones, however if you are staying in the centre of London zones 1 to 3 it will be cheaper to purchase individual Oyster cards. If you are a group of 10 or more then do check out this product. Click through on the blog link right for more details. Oyster versus Travelcard - getting child rate travel One of the biggest nightmares for those on short visits to London with children is accessing child rate fares if they do not qualify for free travel. Note child fares are not supported by Contactless payment cards. If after reading the table below you find that you require an Oyster ID Card, then are taken aback by the cost and time required to obtain one for your child read on. These are your options for travelling without the Child Oyster ID Card (if your child is under 16) at child rate: • Pay for individual journeys at child rate • Buy an adult Oyster Card and load a Young Persons Discount onto it. For short-term visitors staying less than 14 days this is probably the best choice. • Purchase a 1 day Child Travelcard each day • Purchase your Travelcards or Oyster Cards online from the TfL online shop (banner below) • Purchase 7 Day Travelcards or longer from railway stations (you will need to bring a passport size photo with you for a railways photo card which is made up on the spot free of charge). Children Under 5 Children under five can travel free at any time on the Tube, DLR, buses and trams as long as they are accompanied by an adult with a valid ticket. You do not need a ticket for free travel. Children in this category do not need Oyster ID Cards*. Children 5-10 Under-11s can travel free at any time on buses and trams without the need for a Oyster ID Card*. You do not need a ticket for free travel. They can also travel free at any time on the Tube, DLR, Overground and any TfL train service when they are travelling with an adult who has a valid ticket. Up to 4 children under 11 years old accompanied by a paying adult travel free. Travel on the national railways which operate suburban commuter trains in London only have free travel for those under 5. In the last year or so many train routes in London have switched from the railways to TfL Rail. Confusingly a few national railways routes where both rail and TfL rail operate on the same tracks children under 11 can travel free on the railways trains - this includes the popular route for visitors between Euston and Watford Junction (for Harry Potter Studio Tour). Unaccompanied children between 5 and 10 must have a valid Oyster ID Card*. Children 11-15 Children aged 11 to 15 years must get an 11-15 Oyster ID Card* to travel free on buses and trams and at child-rate on Tube, DLR and London Overground services. You do not need a ticket for free travel, just the ID Card. You cannot get a standard child rate Oyster card without an Oyster ID Card. Young Visitor Discount (for visitors to London staying up to 2 weeks) If you are a short-term visitor to London you can get child fares on a special child Oyster card that expires after 14 days. There are restrictions. You can only get these Oyster cards credited with a Young Persons Discount at Underground stations, TfL Rail stations, Visitor or Travel Information Centres and Victoria National Rail station ticket office. For full details of this scheme click through on the Child Fares banner to the right. Alternatives to Oyster cards for children You can get around the Oyster ID card requirement by purchasing a 1 day Travelcard for the child (longer length Travelcards do require an Oyster ID Card), paying the cash fare or purchasing your Child Travelcard online in advance from the. You can buy 7 day child Travelcards at railway stations (not Underground or Overground) with a railway ticket office. The railways will issue a railways photocard free of charge if you bring along a passport size photo of your child. You can only use this for buying tickets from the railways which in practise for visitors means Travelcards. Children 16-17 All 16 to 17-year-olds can travel at child-rate on bus, Tube, tram, DLR and London Overground services with a 16+ Oyster ID Card*. However, you can only use this concession on Oyster cards and 7 Day Travelcards or longer, not 1 day Travelcards. Students 18+ If you are 18 or over and enrolled with a participating education establishment registered on the TfL scheme and are resident in London while studying there is an Oyster ID card that gives a 34% discount on Oyster Pay As You Go. *Oyster ID Cards Visitors to London from overseas can order an Oyster Photocard in advance for their children and collect on arrival at a travel centre. There is a Travel Centre at Heathrow Airport as well as in Central London. If you are resident in the UK but live outside London you can again order online but the Oyster ID Card is sent to your home address. Note you need to apply (online) at least 4 weeks prior to arrival. Note: There is a non-refundable £10-£20 administration fee for each Oyster ID Card.
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