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They said you did not pay and stopped you from exiting the station but you suggest you paid cash with a cash ticket or you intended to pay with contactless. Well, what is the story, except you never had a chance to exit and pay with contactless as you were impeded in your journey and wrongfully charged and accused. This is worth something in a civil claim.

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__________Tickets & Savings

You can now use your contactless payment card or compatible mobile device on most National Rail services in the Oyster Pay As You Go (PAYG) area where contactless payments are accepted, as well as the bus, Tube, London Trams, DLR, TfL Rail and London Overground. 

 

PAYG has also been extended to several stations outside of the Oyster area. A map of PAYG stations and Tram stops shows the full London Zones and stations within the PAYG boundary.

Please note: Contactless PAYG is only available for use in Standard Class on National Rail services. 

Contactless payment can made in several different ways;

  • Debit & credit cards (check for symbol)
  • Compatible NFC enabled smartphones
  • Compatible iOS devices
  • Wearables

To use contactless PAYG to travel, just touch your card or device on a yellow card reader at the start of your journey and again at the end of it to pay (excluding London Buses and London Trams services).

If you use the same contactless method for every journey, you could benefit from daily Off-peak and Monday to Sunday capping.

Sign up for a Transport for London online account at tfl.gov.uk/oyster and register your contactless payment card or mobile device to see up to 12 months journey and payment history and apply for refunds.

Watch out for card clash

If you touch your contactless payment card on a card reader when it's in the same wallet or purse as other contactless smartcards (for example, an Oyster card or building pass) or devices, the reader might detect more than one card. When this happens, the card reader doesn't know which card to read.

To avoid card clash only touch the card you wish to pay with on the reader when touching in and out.

Daily capping

If you're unsure of the number of journeys you're going to make or where you want to go, contactless offers you flexibility and convenience. Make as many journeys as you like in a day and you'll never pay more than the daily cap for the zones you've travelled in.

The daily cap is calculated based on when and how you travel. Remember, you must continue to touch in and out even after you have reached a cap or you would still be charged a maximum fare.

Monday to Sunday capping

If you use the same contactless method to pay for all your journeys throughout the week until Sunday, you may be eligible for a Monday to Sunday cap. Details can be found at tfl.gov.uk/contactless

Always touch in and out

Always touch in and out on a yellow reader with the same contactless payment card, or device at the start of your journey and touch out at the end, even if the gates are open, to ensure you pay the right fare. When changing trains you may need to touch your card on a pink reader, and if you are travelling on a bus or tram you only have to touch in.

If you don't touch in and out on every journey you make we don't know where you have travelled, so we can't charge the right fare. If this happens your journey is "incomplete" and you could be charged a maximum fare. Maximum fares do not count towards a cap.

Register online to stay on top of your travel costs

You can see your journey and payment history simply and easily by signing up for a Transport for London online account and registering your card or device.

With an online account you can:

  • View a summary of the journeys you have made so far that day
  • See up to 12 months of your journey and payment history
  • Get email alerts if there is an issue with your contactless payment card, Android Pay smartphone, bPay device or Apple Pay device which might stop you from using it to travel
  • Apply for refunds for incomplete journey

Help with contactless

Should you have any trouble using your contactless payment card or for more information you can:

It could be that your card is not accepted for travel and you may be advised to contact your card issuer.

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Contactless and mobile pay as you go

Use a contactless card or mobile device for adult rate pay as you go travel on all our transport services.
 
Black and white icon for contactless showing 4 curved lines starting small and getting bigger

Contactless cards 

If your bank card shows the contactless payment symbol, you can use it to pay as you go straight away. You'll pay an adult rate fare.

Many contactless cards issued outside the UK can be used to pay as you go for travel (overseas transaction fees may apply):

  • American Express (AMEX)
  • MasterCard and Maestro (some cards issued in the USA, Canada and the Netherlands aren't accepted)
  • Visa and V PAY (some cards issued outside the UK aren't accepted)

If you have a prepaid card, it may be accepted on our transport services. Check with your card issuer if you're not sure if your card is contactless or if it's rejected.

Mobile payments 

Using a mobile payment to pay as you go is the same as using a contactless card.

You can make mobile payments with devices such as phones, watches, key fobs, stickers or wristbands. 

You can use different mobile payments to travel on our transport services:

If you use a mobile payment associated with a non-UK bank card, your card may not work or you may be charged overseas transaction fees. Check with your card issuer.

How to use

Touch in at the start of your journey and touch out at the end on yellow card readers using contactless (card or device). Only touch in on buses and trams. Find out more about touching in and out.

Contactless card over a yellow card reader

You can pay for someone else's travel with your contactless card or device if they're travelling with you. You need to pay for your own travel with a different card or device.

If you have a joint bank account, you can usually both use your contactless cards to travel as each card will be charged separately.

Find out why your contactless card might not work.

Pay the right fare

  • Always use the same device or contactless card to touch in and out to pay the right fare for your journey. If you don't, we won't be able to cap your fares. For example, don't touch in with an iPhone and touch out with an Apple Watch or contactless card.
A contactless card over a yellow card reader, followed by a device over a reader and a cross showing a clash. Contactless card followed by the same card showing the correct process.
  • Make sure you have enough battery otherwise you'll pay the maximum fare or might get a penalty fare
A mobile device showing a full green battery.
  • Watch out for card clash by keeping your contactless and Oyster cards away from your device when touching in and out so you pay for your travel with the right card or device

How much does it cost?

You can check your fare on our single fare finder.

Travel as much as you like in one day or week (Monday to Sunday) and we'll cap your fares so you don't pay more.

You might see your payment on your bank statement as:

  • Travel charges
  • Travel refunds
  • Unpaid fares
  • tfl.gov.uk/cp

Create an account

Create a contactless and Oyster account to:

  • Check your payment and journey history
  • Get email alerts if there's an issue with your contactless card which might stop you from travelling
  • Apply for refunds
  • Pay unpaid fares

If you're adding contactless cards for a joint bank account to your contactless and Oyster account, you need to either: 

  • Sign up for one account if the cards have the same long card number and expiry date 
  • Sign up for separate accounts for each card if they have different long card numbers and/or expiry dates

Download the app

Once you've created an account, download our free TfL Oyster and contactless app to manage your contactless and Oyster cards on the go.

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