Transport for London

For information on London Underground and Bus information visit Transport for London.

Oyster cards

What is an Oyster card?

An Oyster card is a plastic credit card sized 'smart card' which is accepted by Transport for London (TfL) as a ticket for travel with the London Fare Zones. The card has a micro-chip embedded within it that is capable of storing and conveying details of electronically stored season tickets ie. 'in-boundary' travelcards and TfL Bus Passes.

The chip also records details of money added to the card, known as pay as you go (PAYG). The card holder can use PAYG to travel on both TfL and participating National Rail services.

The Oyster card is neither a travel document, a ticket or a permit to travel. Nor is it a credit card or debit card. It is simply a way of storing a ticket such as a Travelcard season, and a cash value for payment of single journeys.

What products can I put on an Oyster card?

An Oyster card can hold up to three 'products' at the same time. These may be Travelcards, bus passes or 'Pay As You Go' (PAYG). Travelcards can be loaded onto the Oyster card up to a month in advance of their start date.

How do I use an Oyster card - what do I do at the station?

If you do not 'touch in' at the start of your journey and 'touch out' at the end of your journey, you may be charged more than the advertised Oyster single fare and the daily price capping promise will not apply. You may also be liable to a Penalty Fare or you may be prosecuted.

Where can I buy an Oyster card?

You can buy new Oyster cards, renew Travelcards and top up your PAYG at some National Rail stations. These are usually those stations which serve both the Underground and National Rail.

Where can I use my Oyster card?

Oyster card Travelcards

If you have a Travelcard on your Oyster card you can use it on any National Rail service within the zones for which it is valid.

Oyster cards with 'Pay As You Go (PAYG)'

There are only a few journeys within the National Rail network where PAYG is valid. At the start of your journey you must touch in, by placing your Oyster card on a reader. A PAYG entry charge of £5 or £4, representing the average rail fare, is deducted at National Rail stations where PAYG is accepted - when you touch the Oyster reader on exit the card balance will be adjusted so that you pay the advertised fare.

Using Oyster cards on National Express East Anglia journeys

Liverpool Street to Walthamstow Central
Liverpool Street to Tottenham Hale
Liverpool Street to Seven Sisters
Liverpool Street to Stratford

The following stations will be part of the PAYG scheme from January 2008, Bethnal Green, Cambridge Heath, London Fields, Hackney Downs, Rectory Road, Stoke Newington, Stamford Hill, Clapton, St James Street, Walthamstow Central, Stratford and Tottenham Hale Oyster Card validators (funded by TfL) will be provided at these stations, and passengers using PAYG must touch in or out as appropriate.