| Bus fares | Single fare | Daily cap | Weekly cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| All zones | £1.75 | £5.25 | £24.70 |
| Train fares | Single fare | Daily cap | Weekly cap | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peak | Off-peak | Peak | Off-peak | ||
| Zone 1 fare | £2.80 | £2.70 | £8.50 | £8.50 | £42.70 |
| Zone 1-2 fare | £3.40 | £2.80 | £8.50 | £8.50 | £42.70 |
| Zone 1-3 fare | £3.70 | £3 | £10 | £10 | £50.20 |
| Zone 1-4 fare | £4.40 | £3.20 | £12.30 | £12.30 | £61.40 |
| Zone 1-5 fare | £5.10 | £3.50 | £14.60 | £14.60 | £73 |
| Zone 1-6 fare | £5.60* | £3.60* | £15.60 | £15.60 | £78 |
| Zone 1-7 fare | £6.40 | £4.70 | £17 | £15.60 | £85 |
| Zone 1-8 fare | £7.80 | £4.70 | £20.10 | £15.60 | £100.30 |
| Zone 1-9 fare | £7.90 | £4.80 | £22.30 | £15.60 | £111.30 |
| Zone 2 fare | £1.90 | £1.80 | £8.50 | £8.50 | £32 |
| Zone 2-3 fare | £2.10 | £1.90 | £10 | £10 | £32 |
| Zone 2-4 fare | £2.80 | £1.90 | £12.30 | £12.30 | £35.50 |
| Zone 2-5 fare | £3 | £2 | £14.60 | £14.60 | £42.50 |
| Zone 2-6 fare | £3.40 | £2.10 | £15.60 | £15.60 | £53.40 |
| Zone 2-7 fare | £4.70 | £3.30 | £17 | £15.60 | £55.40 |
| Zone 2-8 fare | £5.40 | £3.40 | £20.10 | £15.60 | £75.40 |
| Zone 2-9 fare | £7.90 | £4.80 | £22.30 | £15.60 | £75.40 |
| Zone 3 fare | £1.90 | £1.80 | £10 | £10 | £32 |
| Zone 3-4 fare | £2.10 | £1.90 | £12.30 | £12.30 | £32 |
| Zone 3-5 fare | £2.80 | £1.90 | £14.60 | £14.60 | £35.50 |
| Zone 3-6 fare | £3 | £2 | £15.60 | £15.60 | £42.50 |
| Zone 3-7 fare | £3.80 | £2.20 | £17 | £15.60 | £55.40 |
| Zone 3-8 fare | £4.60 | £2.20 | £20.10 | £15.60 | £75.40 |
| Zone 3-9 fare | £7.90 | £4.80 | £22.30 | £15.60 | £75.40 |
| Zone 4 fare | £1.90 | £1.80 | £12.30 | £12.30 | £32 |
| Zone 4-5 fare | £2.10 | £1.90 | £14.60 | £14.60 | £32 |
| Zone 4-6 fare | £2.80 | £1.90 | £15.60 | £15.60 | £35.50 |
| Zone 4-7 fare | £3.10 | £2.20 | £17 | £15.60 | £40.10 |
| Zone 4-8 fare | £3.80 | £2.20 | £20.10 | £15.60 | £67.60 |
| Zone 4-9 fare | £3.80 | £2.20 | £22.30 | £15.60 | £67.60 |
| Zone 5 fare | £1.90 | £1.80 | £14.60 | £14.60 | £32 |
| Zone 5-6 fare | £2.10 | £1.90 | £15.60 | £15.60 | £32 |
| Zone 5-7 fare | £2.80 | £2.20 | £17 | £15.60 | £40.10 |
| Zone 5-8 fare | £3.10 | £2.20 | £20.10 | £15.60 | £67.60 |
| Zone 5-9 fare | £3.30 | £2.20 | £22.30 | £15.60 | £67.60 |
| Zone 6 fare | £1.90 | £1.80 | £15.60 | £15.60 | £32 |
| Zone 6-7 fare | £2.10 | £1.90 | £17 | £15.60 | £40.10 |
| Zone 6-8 fare | £2.80 | £2.10 | £20.10 | £15.60 | £67.60 |
| Zone 6-9 fare | £2.90 | £2.20 | £22.30 | £15.60 | £67.60 |
| Zone 7 fare | £1.90 | £1.80 | £17 | £15.60 | £40.10 |
| Zone 7-8 fare | £2.10 | £1.90 | £20.10 | £15.60 | £67.60 |
| Zone 7-9 fare | £2.20 | £2 | £22.30 | £15.60 | £67.60 |
| Zone 8 fare | £1.90 | £1.80 | £20.10 | £15.60 | £67.60 |
| Zone 8-9 fare | £2.10 | £1.90 | £22.30 | £15.60 | £67.60 |
| * Tube journeys between zone 1 and Heathrow are always charged at the peak rate. Elizabeth line journeys between zone 1 and Heathrow are £10.20 during off-peak hours and £12.80 during peak hours Note: Oyster card prices are correct as of | |||||
Oyster Card charges for children
| Bus fares | Single fare | Daily cap |
|---|---|---|
| Children aged under-11 | ||
| All zones | free | |
| Children aged 11-15 with an 11-15 Zip Oyster photocard | ||
| All zones | free | |
| Children aged 11-15 with a Young Visitor Discount applied to their Oyster card | ||
| All zones | Half the adult fare | |
| Children aged 16-17 with a 16+ Zip Oyster photocard, and you live in London | ||
| All zones | free | |
| Children aged 16-17 with a 16+ Zip Oyster photocard, and you live outside London | ||
| All zones | £0.85 | £2.55 |
| Train fares | Single fare | Daily cap | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peak | Off-peak | Peak | Off-peak | |
| Children aged under-11 | ||||
| All zones | free | |||
| Children aged 11-15 with a Young Visitor Discount applied to their Oyster card | ||||
| All zones | Half the adult fare | |||
| Children aged 11-15 with an 11-15 Zip Oyster photocard | ||||
| Zone 1 fare | £0.95 | £0.85 | £4.25 | £1.80 |
| Zone 1-2 fare | £0.95 | £0.85 | £4.25 | £1.80 |
| Zone 1-3 fare | £0.95 | £0.85 | £5 | £1.80 |
| Zone 1-4 fare | £0.95 | £0.85 | £6.15 | £1.80 |
| Zone 1-5 fare | £0.95 | £0.85 | £7.30 | £1.80 |
| Zone 1-6 fare | £0.95* | £0.85* | £7.80 | £1.80 |
| Zone 1-7 fare | £1.30 | £1.30 | £8.50 | £1.80 |
| Zone 1-8 fare | £1.85 | £1.30 | £10.05 | £1.80 |
| Zone 1-9 fare | £1.85 | £1.30 | £11.15 | £1.80 |
| Zone 2 fare | £0.95 | £0.85 | £4.25 | £1.80 |
| Zone 2-3 fare | £0.95 | £0.85 | £5 | £1.80 |
| Zone 2-4 fare | £0.95 | £0.85 | £6.15 | £1.80 |
| Zone 2-5 fare | £0.95 | £0.85 | £7.30 | £1.80 |
| Zone 2-6 fare | £0.95 | £0.85 | £7.80 | £1.80 |
| Zone 2-7 fare | £0.95 | £0.85 | £8.50 | £1.80 |
| Zone 2-8 fare | £1.30 | £1.30 | £10.05 | £1.80 |
| Zone 2-9 fare | £1.30 | £1.30 | £11.15 | £1.80 |
| Zone 3 fare | £0.95 | £0.85 | £5 | £1.80 |
| Zone 3-4 fare | £0.95 | £0.85 | £6.15 | £1.80 |
| Zone 3-5 fare | £0.95 | £0.85 | £7.30 | £1.80 |
| Zone 3-6 fare | £0.95 | £0.85 | £7.80 | £1.80 |
| Zone 3-7 fare | £0.95 | £0.85 | £8.50 | £1.80 |
| Zone 3-8 fare | £0.95 | £0.85 | £10.05 | £1.80 |
| Zone 3-9 fare | £0.95 | £0.85 | £11.15 | £1.80 |
| Zone 4 fare | £0.95 | £0.85 | £6.15 | £1.80 |
| Zone 4-5 fare | £0.95 | £0.85 | £7.30 | £1.80 |
| Zone 4-6 fare | £0.95 | £0.85 | £7.80 | £1.80 |
| Zone 4-7 fare | £0.95 | £0.85 | £8.50 | £1.80 |
| Zone 4-8 fare | £0.95 | £0.85 | £10.05 | £1.80 |
| Zone 4-9 fare | £0.95 | £0.85 | £11.15 | £1.80 |
| Zone 5 fare | £0.95 | £0.85 | £7.30 | £1.80 |
| Zone 5-6 fare | £0.95 | £0.85 | £7.80 | £1.80 |
| Zone 5-7 fare | £0.95 | £0.85 | £8.50 | £1.80 |
| Zone 5-8 fare | £0.95 | £0.85 | £10.05 | £1.80 |
| Zone 5-9 fare | £0.95 | £0.85 | £11.15 | £1.80 |
| Zone 6 fare | £0.95 | £0.85 | £7.80 | £1.80 |
| Zone 6-7 fare | £0.95 | £0.85 | £8.50 | £1.80 |
| Zone 6-8 fare | £0.95 | £0.85 | £10.05 | £1.80 |
| Zone 6-9 fare | £0.95 | £0.85 | £11.15 | £1.80 |
| Zone 7 fare | £0.95 | £0.85 | £8.50 | £1.80 |
| Zone 7-8 fare | £0.95 | £0.85 | £10.05 | £1.80 |
| Zone 7-9 fare | £0.95 | £0.85 | £11.15 | £1.80 |
| Zone 8 fare | £0.95 | £0.85 | £10.05 | £1.80 |
| Zone 8-9 fare | £0.95 | £0.85 | £11.15 | £1.80 |
| Children aged 16-17 with a 16+ Zip Oyster photocard | ||||
| All zones | Half the adult fare | |||
| Children aged 11-17 without any kind of discount or photocard | ||||
| All zones | Same as the adult fare | |||
| * Tube journeys between zone 1 and Heathrow are always charged at the peak rate. Elizabeth line journeys between zone 1 and Heathrow are £10.20 during off-peak hours and £12.80 during peak hours Note: Oyster card fares are correct as of | ||||
What is an Oyster card?
An Oyster card is a credit card-sized piece of plastic. Other countries might call them a metro pass or travel smartcard. They come in four different types:
Oyster pay-as-you-go – The idea behind a pay-as-you-go card (or PAYG) is that you load it up with credit and the computer will deduct the correct fare every time you touch it against a reader. If you start running low on credit then you can simply top it up at a ticket machine. PAYG Oyster cards do not have expiry dates on, and your credit remains valid forever.
Visitor Oyster card – A Visitor Oyster Card is exactly the same as a normal pay-as-you-go card, but comes with a couple of extras that are primarily aimed at tourists. The most obvious difference is that it comes pre-loaded with credit to save you the hassle of having to load it on yourself. Check out our Visitor Oyster Card page for a full comparison of Visitor Oyster cards vs regular Oyster cards.
Oyster travelcard – Oyster travelcards work differently to pay-as-you-go cards because you don’t have to keep topping them up with credit. You simply choose your start date, and the zones you want it to cover, pay a one-off fee, and then you can make an unlimited number of journeys until it expires. Visit our London travelcard page for more details. [Note: it’s not possible to load a 1-day travelcard for the Train, Bus & Tram onto an Oyster card, and you can’t load any travelcards at all onto a Visitor Oyster card or contactless card, only the normal blue Oyster cards.]
Oyster travelcard + pay-as-you-go – It’s also possible to load some pay-as-you-credit straight onto an Oyster travelcard – but only the weekly and monthly ones.
This can actually be quite handy. Imagine that you’re travelling around zones 1-2 for a week, but you need to make a single journey into zone 6 for Heathrow airport. Buying a zone 1-6 weekly travelcard would be a waste of money just for a single trip, so you’re better off buying a travelcard for zones 1-2 and then loading on some extra pay-as-you-go credit on to cover it. The computer will recognise that your travelcard already covers zones 1-2 and deduct the difference from your credit.
What are the benefits of an Oyster card?
- Oyster is accepted all across the transport network: on the bus, London Underground, London Overground, DLR, TFL Rail, National Rail, Thames Clipper riverbus, and even the IFS Cloud Cable Car
- Oyster card prices for a single bus and tube journeys are always the lowest available (along with contactless), and the Oyster daily cap is always cheaper than buying a 1-day travelcard
- The Oyster daily cap means you can make an unlimited number of journeys without going above a set price
- Oyster pay-as-you-go credit can be used from zones 1 to 9, whereas travelcards are only valid in the zones you buy them for
- Oyster pay-as-you-go credit never expires, so if you have any left over at the end of your holiday you can use it on your next visit
- If you register your Oyster card and lose it then you haven’t lost all of your money – you can just put it onto a replacement card
What time is Peak and Off-Peak?
Peak – Peak fares apply to any tube journey that starts between 6:30 AM and 9.30 AM (Monday to Friday), and between 4.30 PM and 7 PM (Monday to Friday). It doesn’t matter what time your journey finishes.
Off-Peak – Weekends and public holidays are always classed as off-peak. Note: Between the 8th March and 31st May 2024 TFL are running a trial called ‘Off-Peak Friday Fares’, where Fridays will be classed as off-peak all day.
What is the Oyster daily cap?
Daily price cap – The big advantage in using a pay-as-you-go Oyster card over a TFL travelcard is the Oyster daily cap. Think of it as a price ceiling – it’s the maximum daily charge that the computer will take from your credit per day (it actually runs from 04:30 AM to 04.29 AM the following day). It doesn’t matter how many buses or trains you ride during that period, the max per day will never rise above the daily limit – and Oyster card cap rates are always lower than the cost of 1-day travelcard.
If you want to pay the bus cap (which is the cheapest one) then you’ll have to stick with the buses all day. If you use a mixture of buses and trains (or just the trains on their own) then you’ll have to pay the train cap instead.
Weekly price cap – Oyster users can also benefit from a weekly cap. This caps the price at the same rate as a weekly travelcard. Unfortunately it only runs from Monday to Sunday, and not any other combination of days, so if you’re here from Wednesday to Tuesday, for example, then you’ll just get 7x daily caps instead.
Note: Journeys to Gatwick airport and on the Heathrow Express don’t count towards the TFL daily cap, and journeys on the IFS Cloud Cable Car and Thames Clipper don’t count either. The computer will simply deduct the relevant charge from your credit.
What is the Young Visitor Discount?
If your child is aged between 11 and 15 then you can take advantage of the Young Visitor Discount to get cheap child fares. This allows kids to get 50% off the adult Oyster fare for fourteen consecutive days. The discount does not apply to travelcards.
All you have to do is buy your child a normal London Oyster card (not a travelcard), load some pay-as-you-go-credit onto it, and then ask a member of the TFL staff to apply the Young Visitor Discount to it. You can do this at London Underground stations, TFL Rail stations, National Rail stations within London, or at a London Visitor Centre (except the one at Gatwick airport).
Note: Your child must be with you when you do it (up to a maximum of four children per adult), and the member of staff may ask for proof of age.
Your child can then use the card in exactly the same way that they would normally, tapping it down on the yellow Oyster readers on the buses and trains.
Once the fourteen consecutive days are over any credit left on the Oyster card will still be there, but it will revert back to charging adult fares again.
Do seniors get cheap Oyster fares?
There are no senior citizen concessions for foreign visitors, but if you have an OAP bus pass with a red rose symbol on it then you can already travel for free on any bus carrying the TFL symbol:
Unfortunately it doesn’t apply to trains as well, just the buses. If you want to travel on the tube and live in a London borough then you’ll have to apply for a 60+ Oyster card:
60+ London Oyster photocard – This entitles you to travel for free on London’s buses, trams, London Underground, London Overground, DLR and TFL Rail after 9 AM on weekdays and any time during the weekend. Most National Rail trains within London can be boarded after 9.30 AM on weekdays and any time during the weekend.
In order to get one you have to be living in a London borough and be aged 60 or over. You can apply online at tfl.gov.uk by supplying some ID and proof of address.
Note: As soon as you’re old enough to receive a woman’s state pension (regardless of whether you’re a man or a woman) then you have to switch over to a Freedom Pass which offers similar benefits, but is supplied by your local council instead.
Can two people use one Oyster card?
Two people are not allowed to share one Oyster card if they’re travelling together. Each person will need to be in possession of their own card.
But if they’re travelling at totally different times then two people can share one card provided that they each have it in their sole possession for the entire journey. But this rule only applies to pay-as-you-go Oyster cards. If their Oyster card has a travel card loaded onto it then it cannot be lent to anybody else.
Can you pay two fares with one Oyster card?
No. It is not possible to pay two fares with one Oyster card. Lots of tourists tap them down twice making the perfectly reasonable assumption that it will subtract two fares, but the system doesn’t work like that. The first time you tap down the computer will think that you are entering the station, and the second time you tap down it will think that you are leaving the station.
At this point it all starts to get extremely confusing… if you tap down twice at the same station within 2 minutes then you will be charged for a ‘same station exit’, which is 1x maximum fare (from your station to the end of the line). This will automatically be refunded back onto your card if you begin a new tube journey within 45 minutes.
If you tap down twice at the same station within 2-30 minutes then you will be charged 1x minimum fare (from your station to the next one in the same fare zone). And if you tap down twice at the same station after 30 minutes then you will be charged 2x maximum fares (one for each tap).
Is Oyster the cheapest way to travel in London?
Oyster fares are the cheapest way to travel on London’s buses and trains (alongside contactless). But if you need to buy a brand-new Oyster card then you’ll also have to pay a £7 deposit on top – and you can’t get that money back. So contactless actually works out cheaper for first-timers.
The Oyster card cap is always cheaper than buying a day travelcard (but not if you have to pay the £7 deposit on top).
An Oyster card will also work out cheaper than buying a weekly travelcard, unless you’re planning on making three or more journeys on six days, or two or more journeys on seven days.
Where can you buy an Oyster card?
You can buy an Oyster card in four different ways:
From the TFL website – The easiest way is to buy an Oyster card online from the TFL website and have it delivered to you. This website is only suitable for people who live in the UK, though. If you want it delivered abroad then you will have to buy an Oyster card for visitors instead.
UK delivery typically takes between 2-4 days.
From a train station – The second way to get an Oyster smartcard is from a manned ticket window at a train station. TFL have removed all the manned ticket windows from the underground tube stations though, so if you want to speak to a human then you’ll have to visit a big National Rail station instead. (National Rail stations are the big overground hubs like Euston, Liverpool Street, London Bridge, King’s Cross, Marylebone, Paddington and Waterloo.)
From a Travel Information Centre – The third way is to buy one from a Visitor Centre at Euston station, King’s Cross station, Liverpool Street station, Paddington station, Piccadilly Circus station, Victoria station and Heathrow airport (there are actually two at Heathrow: one inside Terminals 2-3, and another one inside the Underground station).
From an Oyster Ticket Stop – You can also buy them from around 4,000 Oyster Ticket Stops all over London. These are basically just high-street shops (usually newsagents), which have a blue Oyster card symbol showing in the window.
Important – you have to pay a deposit of £7 the first time you buy an Oyster card, and you can’t use that money for fares. So if you decide that you want £20 credit then you will have pay a total of £20 + £7.
Where can you use Oyster in London?
Buses – You can use a London Oyster card on all TFL buses (but not sightseeing buses).
London Underground, London Overground, DLR, TFL Rail, National Rail – You can use Oyster cards on trains within Oyster zones 1-9, plus some stations outside the zones including Watford Junction (for Warner Bros Studios) and Gatwick Airport.
Note: If you use it on the Gatwick and Heathrow Express then the fare won’t count towards the daily cap maximum charge. It will just deduct the fare from your credit.
Look at TFL’s handy map to see which stations are within the Oyster zones: http://content.tfl.gov.uk/london-rail-and-tube-services-map.pdf.
IFS Cloud Cable Car & Thames Clipper – You can pay for a ticket on the cable car and Uber’s Thames Clipper by touching your card down on the gate, in exactly the same way that you do for the buses and trains.
But bear in mind neither of these will count towards the travel cap, it will just deduct the relevant fare from your credit.
How do you top-up an Oyster card?
By using the TFL app – The simplest way to top-up an Oyster card is through TFL’s official Oyster and contactless app. Once you’ve bought yourself a card and registered it with TFL you can top it up with your debit card or credit card. You can also use the app to look up your journey history. [Note: You might have to wait for thirty minutes before the money actually appears on your card, which is something to bear that in mind if you’re in a rush!]
Through the TFL website – Similarly, once you’ve registered your Oyster card on the TFL website you can log in and top-up online.
At a train station – Another easy way to top-up is by using one of the self-service ticket machines at a train station. Just tap the card on the big round yellow reader and select top-up on the machine. You can either pay by cash, debit or credit card. Note that some ticket machines are only set up to take credit cards and debit cards, and not cash, so make sure you check the signage before you press any buttons.
At an Oyster Ticket Stop – The fourth of adding some credit to your card is at an ‘Oyster Ticket Stop’. These are basically just high-street shops (usually newsagents), which have a blue Oyster card symbol showing in the window. Just hand them your card and tell them how much credit you want to add on.
Automatic top-up – If you can’t be bothered to keep topping it up yourself then you can also take advantage of the Oyster card’s ‘auto top-up’ feature, which will automatically draw another £10, £20 or £40 from your bank account every time your credit drops below £20. You can set this up at the TFL website.
Note: The minimum amount of money that you can add at an Oyster Ticket Stop is £1.50. The minimum amount that you can add online or at a ticket machine is £5. The maximum amount that the card can hold in total is £90.
How much credit do you need on an Oyster card?
The amount of credit that you need on your Oyster card will depend on how long you’re staying in London for, and where you’re planning to go, but here are some tips for visitors:
Unless you fly in from Heathrow (zone 6), you will probably spend the majority of your holiday inside zone 1 (the touristy bit). You might also visit zone 2 is for places like Camden, Canary Wharf and Greenwich.
Our tube journey planner will tell you which zones you pass through for each station. For example, if you look at the journey from Heathrow airport to Paddington then you’ll see ‘This journey is in zones 1-6’ written in the fares box.
Once you know which zones you’ll be travelling through each day, look up the ‘daily cap’ for those zones on this page. That is the maximum daily charge that the computer will take from your card for that day. If you add up all the daily caps for all the days that you’re staying in London, then the total will be how much credit you need to load onto your Oyster card. Easy!
Bear in mind that you will also have to pay a £7 deposit the first time you buy your Oyster card. And you can’t use that £7 towards fares. So if you decide that you need £20 credit then you will have to pay a total of £27.
How long does an Oyster card last?
The credit on an Oyster card lasts forever. If you don’t use the money up during your first trip then you can carry on using it during your next one.
If you load a travelcard onto an Oyster card then it will have an expiry date. Once you go past the expiry date the travelcard will be useless, but don’t throw away the empty Oyster card because you can always load another travelcard or some pay-as-you-go credit onto it.
How do you get an Oyster refund?
There are two main ways to refund the credit on your Oyster card:
At a train station – You can claim back any unused credit at a self-service ticket machine in one of London’s train stations – but only up up to a maximum of £10. Just touch your Oyster pass against the yellow reader and select ‘Oyster Refund’, and follow the on-screen instructions.
Note: It is not possible to claim back the deposit if your card was bought after 4th September 2022. If your card was bought between the 23rd February 2020 and 3rd September 2022 then you would have paid a deposit of £5 instead, and that money would already have been converted into pay-as-you-go credit on your card, which you can refund in the normal way.
Claiming a refund online – If you need a refund of more than £10 then you will have to visit the TFL website. But this only works if you set up an online account beforehand. And it’s not possible to set up an account for a Visitor Oyster card – only normal Oyster cards.
Keeping the credit – If you can’t be bothered to get a refund then don’t throw the Oyster card away. The credit never expires, so you can carry on using it the next time you’re in town.
How do you use Oyster on a bus?
Using an Oyster card on a London bus is easy. All you have to do is touch it against the big round yellow reader inside the front door. Some styles of bus will also have an Oyster reader by the middle door and back door, but if you’re a newbie to London and want to play it safe then always board it by the front door, because every style of bus will have one there.
If the card registered correctly then you should hear a beep and see a little green light on the reader. If it didn’t work then try taking it out of your wallet and holding it flush with the reader.
The computer will automatically deduct the correct fare from your card, and the remaining credit will be shown on a small screen close to the reader – which is a handy way to check the balance on your card.
There is no need to touch down again when you leave the bus – you only have to do that for trains.
How do you use Oyster on a train?
Using an Oyster card on the train is easy. All you have to do is wave your Oyster card in front of the big round yellow reader at the front of the gate, and wait for the green light to appear. If it worked correctly then the correct fare will be deducted from your card and the gate will open automatically.
If the gate refuses to move then try getting your card out of your wallet and touching it flush against the reader. If that doesn’t work then you’re probably out of credit.
Some of the smaller train stations might not have any gates, and you’ll find the Oyster reader on the platform or by the platform stairs instead.
You also need to touch down again at the end of your journey because the computer needs to work out which zones you travelled through. If you forget to touch down then it won’t know where you went, and you’ll be whacked for the maximum fare on that line.
Note: Sometimes the train station staff will open the gates to speed the flow of people through the station at rush hour, but you must STILL tap down. If there’s a busy event on (like a music festival or a football cup final) then you might not be able to, and the computer might try and guess your destination by itself. But you should always try and tap down to be safe, otherwise you might be lumbered with that maximum fare.
What are pink Oyster readers for?
Fifteen stations have pink Oyster readers: Blackhorse Road, Canada Water, Clapham Junction, Gospel Oak, Gunnersbury, Highbury & Islington, Kensington Olympia, Rayners Lane, Richmond, Stratford, Surrey Quays, West Brompton, Whitechapel, Willesden Junction and Wimbledon.
The pink readers are there because some journeys are cheaper if you avoid travelling through zone 1. For example, if you want to travel from Epping (zone 6) to Richmond (zone 4), then you would normally go through zone 1. But if you don’t mind a slightly longer journey then you can change onto the London Overground at Stratford and bypass zone 1 completely.
Unfortunately the computer has no way of knowing you did this because you don’t have to pass through any barriers when changing trains at Stratford – so it will continue to charge you for zones 1-6 regardless. So what you have to do is prove that you got off at Stratford by touching down on the pink reader.
Pink readers can usually be found on the platforms, or at the entrance to the platform stairs.
Which is best: Oyster, contactless or travelcards?
If you’re a foreign visitor coming to London for just one day then you’re better off with a day travelcard. The Oyster daily cap might work out cheaper than buying a 1-day travelcard, but when you factor in the extra £7 deposit then it actually works out more expensive.
If you’re a foreign visitor coming to London for more than one day then the Oyster card cost becomes better value… unless you’re planning on making three or more journeys on six days, or two or more journeys on seven days, in which case a weekly travelcard is likely to be cheaper.
We always recommend that UK visitors pay with contactless, regardless of how many days they’re staying. That’s because the fares are exactly the same as Oyster, but you don’t have to pay a deposit to get one.
Note: If you’re a foreign visitor then Oyster is still preferable over contactless, because your bank might add on a transaction fee every time you use it overseas, which will likely apply to each individual ticket.
The verdict: Contactless is the best option for UK visitors. Oyster is the best option for foreign tourists staying more than one day, and a 1-day travelcard is the best option for foreign tourists staying for just one day.
Your comments and questions
Isabel I am visiting London next month. This will be my first visit and I need some advice about the best way to get train tickets outside London, for instance, to Winchester and Cambridge. If I get an Oyster card, can I use it for national railway service?
Staff You can use an Oyster card for National Rail trains, but only for zones 1-6 and some of the stations in zones 7-9. Winchester and Cambridge are both too far away, so you'll need to buy a separate ticket from a site like nationalrail.co.uk
Kim Hi, I am planning a trip for my husband's 50th birthday. We are arriving at London Euston. We are staying at the Doubletree Hilton Tower Bridge. I want to pre-purchase my Oyster travelcard, but am confused as to what zones we will need to cover? Any help and advice would be most welcome! Regards Kim
Staff Hi Kim. Euston and Tower Bridge are both in zone 1, but if you're planning to put a travelcard onto your Oyster card then you can't buy zone 1 on its own. You can only buy zones 1-2. But that's okay because that will cover you out to Greenwich as well. But the easiest thing to do is to not bother with a travelcard at all, and just load some credit onto your Oyster card. Then you can use it as a 'pay-as-you-go' card. The computer will deduct the correct fare whatever zone you're in.
Wendy I'm a newbie to using an Oyster card on the tube and am only an occasional visitor to London, so I have just topped up my PAYG card which I purchased a couple of years ago. Cool, eh? I am planning a visit tomorrow and my friend and I are travelling from Richmond to Wimbledon. I have checked the route planner and it tells me that I have to get the District line to Earl's Court, then change trains but get on the District line again to Wimbledon. My question concerning the Oyster card is this: having tapped the yellow 'thingy' to begin my journey, then passed the card to my friend to allow him entry, when we exit the train and get on the other train to Wimbledon, do we have to tap anything and if so, what and where? I am just conscious that I may be charged more than the off-peak fare, which it should be running for this journey. Thanks for your help, Wendy
Staff Hi Wendy, that isn't going to work unfortunately. You each need your own pass. If you try and share one Oyster card between the two of you then you could be done for fare evasion. I suppose it is common sense to think that if you tap the same card down twice then it will charge you twice, but it doesn't work like that. Only one fare will be registered. But you don't have to tap down again when changing trains at Earl's Court. You should be able to walk between the platforms without going through any barriers. You only have to tap down again once you leave the station at Wimbledon.
Faye How far around London can you travel on an Oyster card? eg: can you go from Finsbury Park to Oxford/ Brighton/ Stratford Upon Avon with a Visitors Oyster card?
Staff Hi Faye. Oyster only works for zones 1-6, plus most of the stations in zones 7-9 (but not all of them), so you definitely can't go as far as Brighton or Oxford. Here is a map which shows you all the stations covered by an Oyster card: tfl.gov.uk/cdn/static/cms/images/london-rail-and-tube-services-map.gif
John My wife and I are in London next weekend from Friday to Sunday arriving in to Euston and staying near Pimlico station. Is it a good idea to pre order an Oyster travelcard? We plan to do the usual sightseeing in Central London.
Staff Hi John. If you've got enough time beforehand then it makes sense to order one online, but it will be less hassle if each of you just use your contactless bank cards instead (assuming you both have UK bank cards). It's the same price as Oyster, works in exactly the same way, and you don't have to pay the £7 deposit.
Patrick Hi there. I am new to this site. Please advise on the following scenario. Before I leave Australia, if I buy the 2 or 3 day London Pass with Oyster Travelcard option, can I begin using the Oyster card for a few days before I activate the London Pass? I assume the travel credit will be used up before the London Pass begins, at which point I would re-charge the Oyster to cover the days of the London Pass. Can I then continue to use the Oyster card for the following 2 weeks that we will be in London?
Staff Hi Patrick. You can do that, sure - the London Pass and Oyster card are two completely separate cards. The Oyster card will come with some money pre-loaded onto it. The exact amount will depend on which London Pass you buy, but it should be enough to cover the daily cap for each day. You can keep using it until the money runs out, and then you can top it up again at a self-service ticket machine.
Jools Hi there, first time I will have bought an oyster card, can one card be used for a family of four
Staff Hi Jools, no. If you're travelling together then you will each need your own Oyster card or ticket. If you touch the same card on the gate four times then it won't charge you four fares. The computer will just think that one person is entering the station, then leaving the station, then entering again, then leaving again
Park Is there an admin charge to set up an Oyster card? I'm on route to London now and am presuming I can buy one at a station. I'll be using my contactless bank card myself but need one for my adult daughter
Staff Hi Park. You have to pay a £7 deposit for Oyster cards. She can't use that money to pay fares, though, so you'll have to add some more credit on top.
Kory I have two Oyster card on my account with different numbers can my friend use one of these at the same time I am using the other one, as we will be travelling together.
Staff Hi Kory. As long as it's a pay-as-you-go Oyster card then that's fine. But if it's an Oyster card with a travelcard on it, or you get some kind of discounted travel on it, then that wouldn't be allowed.
G Thomas If I pay the £7 deposit to buy an Oyster card how long will it last? ie. will I be able to use it next time I visit London or will it have time-expired?
Staff Hi G Thomas. If you put some pay-as-you-go credit on an Oyster card then that last forever, so you will be able to use that the next time you come. But if you put a travelcard on an Oyster card then that will obviously expire on the finish date. But you can still carry on using the Oyster card by putting a new travelcard on it, or some pay-as-you-go credit.
Debbie My husband and I will be visiting London tomorrow. Can we buy an Oyster card valid for a year and say put £15 credit on each, and am I to believe the total amount for that day travelling would be £7.20 off our cards then the balance can be used on another day within that year. We will travel from Victoria, to Oxford Circus to Knightsbridge and Kensington and back. What is the total lay out we would need to pay for each card? Kind regards Debbie
Staff Hi Debbie. Oyster cards don't have dates on. The unused credit on them lasts forever. The maximum you would pay for the stations you mentioned is the daily cap for zone 1 = currently £7.20. The prices normally go up after New Year, so I don't know what it will be next year. But remember that you have to pay a £7 deposit for each new card, and you can't use that money for fares, so if you want to load £15 credit on to each card then you'd have to pay 2x£22.
john Sweeney Where can purchase i an oyster card for adults before travelling to london on holidayand how much will it cost
Staff Hi John. If you're in the UK then you can buy them from the TFL website and have it delivered to your house - oyster.tfl.gov.uk/oyster/link/0005.do - if you're abroad then you'll have to buy a Visitor Oyster Card instead (which is basically the same thing) - visitorshop.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/london-visitor-oyster-card - It's all explained in the 'Buy an Oyster Card' section above. The cost is up to you - you can load as much credit on as you want, depending on how much you need for your holiday
Jupin kheni I have a regular travel from Edgware to Tottenham. So, which zone travel card applied for me?
Staff Hi Jupin. if you’re talking about Tottenham Hale station then the stations themselves are in zones 3 and 5, but if you look at a tube map the journey between them goes into zones 1 and 2 as well. So you’ll need zones 1-5
Jim Can a child travel free with an adult using a contactless card or does it need to be an Oyster? Thanks.
Staff Hi Jim. They have to be with a fare paying adult on the train, so a contactless card is fine (assuming that they are under 11, of course). On the bus they can travel on their own.
Melanie Hi, I need to take underground (leichester square to kings cross) then overground (kings cross to Kidbrooke) the a bus. I am trying to understand how much will be charged in my oysters card. I have also linked the Railcard 16-15 for discounts. Thank you
Staff Hi Melanie. It will be zone 1 and zones 1-3 (not including the bus, which you might also be able to pay on your Oyster card, depending on what bus it is) your railcard will get you 1/3 off the zones 1-3 fare if you're travelling during off-peak hours
Gerard If you use contactless instead of oyster do you still benefit from the price cap?
Staff Hi Gerard. You do, yes - londondrum.com/transport/contactless-cards.php
Lorraine We are visiting London for 3 days sun until Tues 4 adults 2 children age 9 and 11arriving at Paddington staying near tower is it worth getting oyster cards if so can we buy at Paddington station when we arrive
Staff Hi Lorraine, assuming you're from the UK the adults are better off just using their contactless bank cards because they have the same fares as Oyster, but you don't have to pay the extra £7 deposit on top for each new Oyster card. Oyster cards can be picked up from the Travel Information Centre at Paddington station. The 9 year old will travel for free, and if it was me I would just get the 11 year old three 1-day travelcards, but you could get them an Oyster card and have the 'Young Visitor Discount' applied to it. It's all explained here - londondrum.com/transport/child-train-fares.php
Antonio We are staying near Penge East Station and the quickest way to get to Central London is with the Southeastern to Victoria. Is that train included in the Oyster or Contactless daily cap?
Staff Hi Antonio. Yes, Penge East in zone 4, so you’ll be paying the price for zones 1-4
Narendra Patel No wounder with the prices as they are there are more cars on the road. Only people who use TFL are the ones who work in London. For a couple we are looking at £28+ which unless you are born with a silver spoon is very expensive. I can see TFL continue to make losses. More TFL prices are hiked more losses.
David I have a question about daily caps. The tables appear to provide charges and caps as if the trips are all in one category. However, what if I use the Oyster card three times for trips from Zone 1 to 2 during a single day and have just exceeded the daily cap of £7.70. Then I travel from Zone 1 to Zone 6 on the same day. Am I charged for that trip? Does the cap change? And if so, to what?
Staff Hi David. The system looks at all the zones you travelled through that day together. So in your example the maximum you’d pay is the daily cap for zones 1-6. If the total for all your individual journeys doesn't reach that cap then you'd pay for the individual journeys instead. if you only want to pay the daily cap for zones 1-2 then you’d have to use a completely different card for the zone 1-6 journey (maybe you have a contactless card)
Robert Schultz My plans are to visit London. I will arrive at Heathrow on Friday May 27th and depart London Monday May 30th. I have a Hop on Hop Off Big bus tour pass to see some of the major attractions. Im trying to figure out which Oyster Card I need to move around London to see other places. I will be out of the city on Sunday so I need a rail card that will move me around London for Friday, Saturday and then to the train station on Monday morning. I dont really understand the different zones. Do you have any suggestions on what card I need and where to buy it when I arrive at Heathrow Airport friday morning?
Staff Hi Robert. I would just get an Oyster card from the Visitor Information Centre at Heathrow. you have to pay a £7 deposit and then add as much credit as you want. you’ll need to cover the fare for zones 1-6 from heathrow into central london, and then enough to cover the ‘daily cap’ each day (which is the maximum amount you'll be charged each day). most people just need the daily cap for zone 1, which covers the central touristy bit of london. but if you’re planning on travelling around on that sightseeing bus one day, then maybe you can use that instead
John I am a retired Network rail worker with a privilage travel card,i wish to travel from Euston sq. to Aldgate on 03/07 and from Aldgate East to Wimbledon and back to Aldgate East on 04/07,on 05/07 from Aldgate to Euston sq. Can you tell me if I can purchase a reduced Oyster card for these travels in advance?
Staff Hi John. You really need to ask your old employer as we don't have any information about Network Rail staff discounts. There's an email address listed here that might help you: networkrail.co.uk/mybenefits/
Ondrej Hi, I have 3 Oyster Cards registered on the TFL Website. Can I use 1 for myself, 1 for my wife and 1 for a child with a discount (11-15 years)? Regard Ondrej
Staff Hi Ondrej. Normally if an Oyster card only has pay-as-you-go credit on it, then yes, it's fine. But if you've loaded a travelcard or any kind of discount on to it, then no... if it's registered under your name then only you will be able to use it. If a non-registered person is found with a card registered in someone else's name then technically TFL can confiscate it and even fine them.
Sam Hi can you use the oyster card at East of India train station
Staff Hi Sam, yes. You can use it at all of the DLR stations
Susie I will be arriving next week for the marathon and will be staying in the Bloomsbury area for 5 days. I have loaded an Oyster card with £20. I can use this visitor Oyster card any time of the day?. Not sure what zones I will be in. Do I need to load more oney to cover my stay?
Staff Hi Susie, you can use it any time of day, but £20 probably won’t be enough to cover 5 days… but it all depends on how many journeys you make. the maximum amount its possible to spend each day, regardless of how many journeys you make, is the ‘daily cap’ for the zones you travel through (shown in the table above). the minimum amount you'll spend is probably a zone 1 single fare there and back each day, which still adds up to more than 20 quid over 5 days. and bear in mind that there will be a train strike going on which might affect people getting to the london marathon
Raul We are traveling to London next month, two adults and two children (13 and 15) from tuesday to saturday. We will take train from Feltham to Victoria Station (zones 6 to 1) and back at the end of the day. Will the daily cap be 14.10 pounds? Can I take later other transport such as the metro, bus, during the day (zones 1, 2, 3) and the limit is still 14.10? Thank in advance!
Staff Hi Raul. Thats right. You can make as many journeys as you like and the maximum price you’ll get charged is £14,10 (assuming that all of your journeys are within zones 1-6, of course)
RAUL Thanks you for your answer. Then I can mix several public transports (tube, bus, train) and the daily cup will be 14.10 if I move between zones 1 to 6
Staff Thats right, yes
PEDRO We will be traveling to London next month for 3 days and we are going to get 2 Oyster cards for the adults and other 2 with Young visitor discount for our children (13 and 14). From what I have read they will pay the half of adult fare but, what is their daily cap for them? is it the same that for the adults? Many Thanks!
Staff Hi Pedro. Everything is half what the adult fare is. The adult daily caps are listed in the table at the top
PEDRO Thanks so, is the daily limit cap 7.05 pounds for them?
PEDRO Sorry, I mean zones 1 to 6
Staff Thats right yes
Russell I will be travelling to London for 4 days, arriving through Heathrow, and staying in St Pauls area. I will be travelling with 24 fifteen year old children. What is the best way to pay for our travel whilst in London (visiting the usual tourist sites).
Staff Hi Russell. I would look at the Group Day Travelcards, that would probably be the easiest. but bear in mind they only last for one day each, can only be used after 9:30 AM (or at any time during the weekend), and you all have to travel together - visitorshop.tfl.gov.uk/en/group-day-london-travelcard
Carol How do I get Senior discount on Oyster card if I have a Senior railcard
Staff Hi Carol. You just have to ask a member of the TFL staff inside a station (you can usually find one standing by the ticket barrier). If you have both the Oyster card and Railcard handy (or the digital card on your phone) then they can add it on - tfl.gov.uk/fares/free-and-discounted-travel/national-railcard-discount (they mention it at the bottom of the page)
W Shes How can I check the remaining time I have on a 7 day oyster?
Staff Hi. You can tap it down on a self-service ticket machine at the station and follow the on-screen instructions
Susanne Hi! We will be in London in June and stay 7 days. We will do 3 journeys between Heathrow zone 6 and Victoria zone 1 and move a lot inside zone 1 and 2. If I buy an Oyster card for 7 £I understand I can pay as I go in zones 1 to 6 with a daily cap of about 9.50 £. Now as we will travel every day, would it be cheaper to put a Travelcard for 7 days zones 1-2 on the Oyster card and use the pay as you go for the Heathrow trips to zone 6? (Knowing that on 2 of the 7 days we will only do 2x Heathrow .) Or can we use the travel card for zones 1-2 to Heathrow as well with a supplement?
Staff Hi Susanne. A weekly travelcard usually works out cheaper if you're doing two or more journeys on each of the seven days, or three or more on six of the days. But like you say, it would definitely be better to put a zone 1-2 travelcard onto an oyster card, and then add some extra pay-as-you-go credit onto the same oyster card to cover the remainder of those journeys into zone 6. (PS the daily cap for zones 1-6 is a bit higher - £14,90 at the moment)
P Ray Harrington I arrive LHR April 13 and go to Greenwich and west ferry. April 14 Greenwich to green part and back to Greenwich. April 16 Greenwich to amersham, April 22 amweaham to green park and return. All of peak. What cars and credit should I apply please?
Staff Hi. I would get yourself an oyster card and add enough credit to cover the ‘daily cap’ each day. heathrow to greenwich and westferry is zones 1-6. Greenwich to green park is zones 1-2. Greenwich to amersham is zones 2-9. Amersham to green park is zones 1-9. The prices are all shown in the table above.
Fran Rae I am visiting London this Saturday with grandsons aged 14 and 17 and will be using the tube. I can pay pay by contactless but how do I pay for them? Thanks FR
Staff Hi Fran. If it's just a day trip then you're best off buying single tickets at the machine, or an adult 1-day travelcard at the machine for them. It's not worth getting them Oyster cards because you have to pay a deposit which will wipe out the savings. And you can't buy child travelcards unless they already have their own Oyster photocard
Theo Lemm What is the minimum credit to use the National Rail from London to Swanley?
Staff Hi Theo. its zone 1-8, so the minimum is £4.70 (off-peak)
Theo Lemm Ok. But Swanley has no gates. So what happens if I check in with less than 4.70 credit?
Staff When suburban stations don't have gates, they usually put the yellow oyster card reader at the foot of the stairs, or on the platform itself. Is there not one there?
Theo Lemm Swanley is the final destination.
Staff There must be a yellow oyster reader somewhere, otherwise they wouldn't be able to take oyster and contactless fares. it's not unusual for there to be no gates at suburban stations. check the platform, the stairs and by the exit
Manuel Brito from Portugal Excellent article, very informative, thank you!
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