Alicja
In the early days, I spent a lot of money buying paper tickets. I didn’t realise this was more expensive until I spoke to a local shopkeeper. I moved to Oyster ‘pay as you go’ on the same day, and now use a contactless bank card.
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Scroll down the page to view the next sections: 'Payment options' and 'Saving money'.
Key information
1. Oyster or Contactless bank cards are cheaper than paper tickets
They can also be used on all public transport across London, so it’s not surprising that they are so popular:
- Oyster card - a reusable electronic card that can be used for ‘pay as you go’ travel and Travelcards/ season tickets
- Contactless bank card - a card with the ‘Contactless’ symbol that can be used for "pay as you go” travel only
2. The cost of your Tube / train journey depends on where, when and how you travel
It’s more expensive if you start your journey during busy ‘peak’ times or travel longer distances. To give you an idea of the costs:
- A single adult train journey in central London (‘Zones 1-2’) costs £2.40 to £2.90, if you ‘pay as you go’ and travel during less busy ‘off-peak’ times
3. The cost of your bus journey is a fixed fare of £1.50
A single bus journey costs £1.50, regardless of when and how far you travel. On top of this, you can make unlimited bus journeys within one hour for the same price, when using Oyster or a Contactless bank card!
4. Most people use ‘pay as you go’ as it’s convenient and money-saving
The best option for you depends on how often, how far and when you travel:
- ‘Pay as you go’ - if you travel more than once daily or weekly, you are not charged more than the price of a Travelcard over this period (cheaper than adding the cost of each journey)
- Season pass - you only save money over ‘pay as you go’ if you travel frequently each week
5. Plan how you will pay before you travel - you cannot pay in cash on board!
- Oyster card - if you are using ‘pay as you go’, check your Oyster card credit. You can add money to your card at any local store that displays the ‘Oyster’ sign
- Contactless bank card - check you have enough funds in your bank account to ‘pay as you go’
Payment options
You can’t use cash to pay for public transport once on board, but the good news is that one payment method or ticket can be used across a range of public transport. Before you start your journey, you need to decide:
- How you want to pay
- ‘Pay as you go’ vs. a season pass
How to pay for your travel
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Oyster card
What is it?
A reusable electronic card specially used for travel. You must use an Oyster card if are eligible for discounted or free travel
Which ticket types?
- ‘Pay as you go’ - add money to the card
- Season pass - unlimited travel within a given period
Where can I use it?
On all public transport across London including buses, trams and most trains
Where can I buy it?
You can buy an Oyster card for £5 and add money or a season pass to it using cash or a bank card.
- A train station - Underground (Tube) or Overground
- A local shop that displays the ‘Oyster’ sign
- Online using the TFL website or app
How can I use it?
Touch your card against the yellow pad reader:
- At the start of bus journeys
- At the start and end of Tube/ train journeys (to avoid paying more than you should)
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Contactless card
What is it?
A bank card with the ‘Contactless’ symbol. You can also use it through your smartphone or other device
Which ticket types?
- ‘Pay as you go’ - money is taken directly from your bank account
Where can I use it?
On all public transport across London including buses, trams and most trains
Where can I buy it?
A Contactless card is issued by your bank
How can I use it?
Touch your card against the yellow pad reader:
- At the start of bus journeys
- At the start and end of Tube/ train journeys (to avoid paying more than you should)
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Paper ticket
What is it?
A paper ticket, which is rarely seen now as most people pay by Oyster or Contactless bank cards to save money
Which ticket types?
Single/ return tickets or season tickets that allow unlimited travel within a given period:
- Bus and tram pass
- Travelcard
Where can I use it?
It depends on the ticket type:
- Bus and tram pass - travel on buses and trams only
- Travelcard - travel on all public transport including buses, trams and most trains
Where can I buy it?
- A train station - Underground (Tube) or Overground
- A local shop that displays the ‘Oyster’ sign
How can I use it?
- Train/ Tube travel - pass the ticket through a slot in the ticket barrier and collect it from above to open the gate
- Bus travel - show your ticket to the driver when you board the bus
Choosing pay as you go vs. season passes
The best option for you depends on when, where, and how you travel. You can check your travel costs on the Transport for London website, but in general:
- Most people prefer 'pay as you go' - it's convenient and money-saving
- Season passes only save you money if you travel frequently - do your Maths before you buy!
Pay as you go
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What is it?
It means you pay every time you make a journey
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How can it save me money?
If you make multiple journeys in one day or week, you don’t get charged more than the price of a Travelcard over the same time period, travel distance and start time:
- It’s cheaper than adding the cost of each journey
- For example, you can make unlimited trips within the central area of London (‘Zone 1’) for £7, instead of a Travelcard for £13.60!
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What type of passes are available?
There are three ways to ‘pay as you go’:
- Oyster card - preferred option
- Contactless card - preferred option
- Paper ticket - avoid this option as it will cost you more!
Season pass
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What is it?
It allows you to make unlimited journeys within a day, week, month or longer period across a certain area of London
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How can it save me money?
It may save you money over ‘pay as you go’ if you are travelling regularly each day and week, and especially if you combine different modes of transport.
- Avoid daily Travelcards - they are more expensive than using Oyster or Contactless ‘pay as you go’, no matter how many times you travel!
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What type of passes are available?
There are two types of season passes that are available as paper tickets or can be added to an Oyster card. You can choose from daily, weekly, monthly or longer options:
- Bus and tram pass - travel on buses and trams only. The price is fixed no matter when and how far you travel.
- Travelcard - travel on all public transport including buses, trams and most trains. It’s more expensive if you travel during busy ‘peak’ times and over further distances.
Saving money
Top tips
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Choose your journey and payment options with care to reduce costs
Check your travel costs on the Transport for London website to decide the best option
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‘Pay as you go’ Oyster and Contactless cards are usually cheaper no matter how often you travel
If you make multiple journeys in a day / week, you don’t get charged more than the price of a Travelcard (this is cheaper than adding the cost of each journey).
- It’s cheaper to ‘pay as you go’ than get a single paper tickets or a daily Travelcard
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Touch in (and out) using the same Oyster or Contactless bank card
Use the same card to touch the yellow/ pink pad reader so the cheapest fare can be automatically calculated:
- Bus travel - at the start of your journey
- Tube/ train travel - at the start and end of journeys, and when changing trains at some stations
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Make unlimited bus or tram journeys within one hour for £1.50
A single bus or tram journey costs £1.50 regardless of when or how far you travel across London. You can also make unlimited bus / tram journeys within one hour for the same price, when using Oyster or a Contactless bank card!
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Season passes only save you money if you travel frequently
Travelcards and Bus & Tram passes only save you money with weekly, monthly or longer-term options, and if you travel multiple times over that period. Do your Maths before you buy!
- Avoid buying daily Travelcards - it’s cheaper to ‘pay as you go’, no matter how many times you travel
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Train costs are higher the further you travel and at busy times
- Area (‘zone’) of travel - train services across London are divided into nine ‘zones’. It costs more to travel in ‘Zone 1’ (central London) or to cross more than one ‘zone’.
- The time you start your first journey - it’s more expensive to travel during ‘peak’ hours (Monday to Friday, 06.30 - 09.30 and 16.00 - 19.00).
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Plan how you will pay before you start your journey
You can risk paying a fine if:
- You use an Oyster card that belongs to someone else and displays their photo
- You don’t touch in and out correctly when using an Oyster or Contactless bank card
- You don’t have a valid ticket for your journey - staff sometimes carry out random checks!
How to get free or discounted travel
Some people get free or discounted travel in London based on their age or needs. If you are eligible, you need to fill in a form, show proof of who you are and provide photographs for your photocard. We include the main groups below, but you should check if you can get help with travel costs:
- Online - on the TFL website here
- Asking locally - at your local Post Office or Jobcentre Plus (if you get financial help from the government)
If you are not confident in English, there are local organisations such as the ‘Haringey Migrant Support Centre’ who can help (read more about other organisations in our dedicated section ‘Other local help & support’).
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Children (under 16 years)
- Under 5 - free travel with a paying adult (they do not need a ticket)
- Age 5-10 - free travel on buses, Tubes and trains with a ‘Zip Oyster’ photocard
- Age 10-15 - free travel on buses and trams, and discounted travel on Tubes/ trains with a ‘Zip Oyster’ photocard
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Older students
Older students
- Age 16-17 - free travel on buses and trams, and discounted travel on Tubes/ trains with a ‘Zip Oyster’ photocard
- Age 18+ and studying - discounted Travelcard rates with an Oyster photocard
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Older people
Older people
- Age 60+ - free travel on buses, trams, Tubes and most trains with an Oyster photocard
- Age 66+ - free travel on buses, trams, Tubes and all trains with a ‘Freedom Pass’ across London, and discounts on travel outside of London
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People with a disability
People with a disability
- Free travel on buses, trams, tubes and all trains with a ‘Freedom Pass’, and discounts on travel outside of London
- Cheaper travel by taxi for people with severe mobility or sight problems with a Taxicard
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People who receive financial support from the government
People who receive financial support from the government
People who receive certain ‘benefits’ may get discounted travel using:
- Bus & Tram discount photocard
- Jobcentre Plus travel discount card