Oyster is the new ticketing system in London, designed to make journeys in and around London quicker, easier and cheaper.
Our Oyster pay-as-you-go travelcards are supplied with £5 credit, and the £3 card deposit paid, allowing you to use the card and start saving money as soon as you arrive in London, without the hassle of queuing and filling out forms. After your visit, if you choose to return your card, you can claim a refund of £3 (the card deposit), see below.
|
How do I use Oyster to pay as I go?
At ungated stations you must always touch your
card flat on the yellow reader on the validators provided.
This ensures that the start and end of your journey can
be recorded and the correct fare is deducted from your
balance. If you do not touch in and out at the start and
end of each journey, you may pay more than you need. Do I need a photocard when I am using my Oyster card? If you have an adult Oyster card and pay as you go, you do not need to carry a photo card. What if I don’t touch my Oyster card on a card reader? If using Oyster pay-as-you-go, it is essential that you touch your Oyster card on a reader on each journey to ensure you pay the correct fare. For Tube, DLR and participating National Rail journeys, you must touch in at the start and touch out at the end of every journey, or at the point of interchange between Tube, DLR or National Rail. On buses and trams, you must touch in at the start of each trip. If you don’t, you are likely to pay more than you need for your journeys. If you think you may have been incorrectly charged as a result of not touching your card to a reader, please go to an Underground ticket office or call the Oyster Helpline on +44 207 222 1234. You must continue to touch your Oyster card on a reader on every journey once you have reached a cap. If you do not do so, you may be liable to a penalty fare or prosecution. How does daily price capping work? For each Oyster card, the system automatically adds up the cost of each pay as you go journey made that day on Tube, DLR, Buses, Trams and participating National Rail services. When the total cost reaches a pre-determined limit, a cap is applied and further journeys made in the same zones are free for the rest of the day. Different caps apply for:
Once you reach a cap, you must continue to touch your Oyster card on the card reader on every journey, to ensure you pay the correct fare for the zones you travel through. If you do not, you could end up paying more than you need, you may be liable to a Penalty Fare or you may be prosecuted. What is the lowest fare promise for daily price capping? During a 24-hour period, from 0430 and up to 0430 the following day, you will never pay more than the equivalent One-Day Travelcard price for all your Oyster pay-as-you-go journeys in Zones 1 to 6. For this promise to apply, on the Tube, DLR and participating National Rail services, you must always touch in and touch out at the start and end of every journey you make. On buses and trams you must touch in at the start of each journey. Are Oyster cards available for children? Up to four under-11s can travel for free if accompanying an adult from 0930 Monday to Friday as well as all day at weekends and on public holidays. 11-15 year olds still need to purchase a normal paper travelcard available from all stations. How can I check the balance on my Oyster card? You can check the travel balance on your Oyster card by holding the card on the yellow reader on the touch-screen ticket machines located in most tube stations. You can also get a printout of your balance, and most recent journeys, from tube station ticket offices. The ticket gates display both the cost of the journey just completed and the remaining balance when you touch your Oyster card on the yellow reader as you exit a station. Where can I top up the travel value on my Oyster card? All Oyster cardholders can top up their Oyster card at any tube station ticket office, Oyster Ticket Stop (Oyster Ticket Stops are retailers authorised to sell Oyster cards, most commonly newsagents) or the London Travel Information Centre. You can also use the touch screen ticket machines located in Tube stations. Can I get a refund on my oyster card value? Yes – you can post your Oyster card, with a covering letter to: Oyster Ticketing and Refunds, 55 Broadway, London, SW1H 0BD For all other enquiries concerning refunds, please telephone Oyster Ticketing and Refunds on 0845 330 9881. Can I get a refund on my Oyster card deposit? Yes, if you have no value left on your card and do not plan to use it again or pass it on to someone else to use, you can claim your £3 card deposit back (already paid by Student jetPacks). Ask at your local tube station for further information; this will take up to 5 days to process. Can more that one person traveling together use the same Oyster card to pay as you go? No, only one person can use the Oyster card at any one time. Is there a time limit for using Oyster to pay-as-you-go? No, if you use Oyster pay-as-you-go, it does not have an expiry date. The value will sit on your card until you are ready to use it again. However, if you do not use the card for two years or more the card will stop working. If you still have money on the card and would like to use it again after this period, you will need to contact the Oyster Helpline to restart your Oyster. How do I register my card? To register your card, fill out the registration form contained in the Oyster Pre Pay leaflet found at tube stations, DLR Information Point at Canary Wharf and selected ticket stops. You can do this when you first get your Oyster card or at a later date. Registering your Oyster card will give your card protection if it is lost or stolen, ensuring the reimbursement of your Pre Pay balance. How do I get an Oyster card? All London Travel jetPacks come complete with an Oyster card with £5 credit and £3 card deposit paid, a London underground map, attractions map and more, giving you a chance to plan your stay in London before you arrive. Click here. |
When
you use Oyster to pay for your journey on the Tube, Docklands
Light Railway or participating National Rail services,
you must always touch your Oyster card flat on the yellow
readers on the ticket gates at the start and end of your
journey (see picture). You must do this even if the gates
are open or if you are using the side gate. 
