Oyster Cards
An Oyster card is a Smartcard, it acts like a wallet for ticket products that you can use travelling around London. The products available on Oyster are:
- Pay As You Go (PAYG)
- Travelcard season tickets
- Freedom Pass
- Bus season Tickets
Pay As You Go (PAYG)
What is Oyster pay as you go?
With Oyster pay as you go you can travel around London using the same card on bus, Tube, tram, DLR, London Overground and National Rail services using credit on your Oyster card to pay for your journeys as you go. To make sure you pay the correct fare, always touch in and touch out by placing your Oyster card on a yellow reader on station entrances and exits at the start and end of your journey. When using buses or trams you only need to touch in at the start of your journey.
Where can I use Oyster pay as you go?
- National Rail routes within Zones 1-9.
- It is also valid to the following stations beyond the zones: Chafford Hundred, Grays, Ockenden, Purfleet and Watford Junction.
There are a few exceptions where Oyster pay as you go cannot be used:
- For journeys on Heathrow Express, Heathrow Connect services between Hayes & Harlington and Heathrow, or on Southeastern High speed services between St Pancras International and Stratford International.
- For any journey starting or finishing outside Zones 1-9 or beyond Watford Junction or Grays.
Where can I use Oyster pay as you go on First Capital Connect?
Please note that the First Capital Connect stations within the PAYG area are in zones 1-6. On the First Capital Connect services the boundary stations are:
In the north, the boundary of Zone 6 for the Welwyn Garden City line is Hadley Wood ; for the Hertford North line is Crews Hill ; and for the Thameslink route is Elstree & Borehamwood.
In the south, the Wimbledon-Sutton-Carshalton line is all within the PAYG area; and on the Brighton line, East Croydon (in Zone 5) is the most southerly station within the PAYG area.
Cheapest price single fares when you use Oyster pay as you go
When you use Oyster pay as you go, you get the cheapest appropriate single fare on National Rail services in London as well as on bus, Tube, tram, DLR, and London Overground services. See below on how to get an Oyster card and save money.
There are different Oyster pay as you go fares, based on the service(s) that you use and the number of zones you travel through and the time you travel:
- Transport for London (TfL) fares apply on bus, Tube, tram, DLR and London Overground.
- New National Rail fares apply to National Rail only train journeys; separate fares apply to combined Tube/DLR and National Rail journeys.
- On National Rail routes previously accepting Oyster pay as you go, you will not pay any more than the Tube, DLR or London Overground pay as you go fares.
- Peak fare applies Monday-Friday 0630-0930 and 1600-1900; Off-Peak at all other times and on Public Holidays.
- The fare charged is set at the time you touch your Oyster card on the yellow card reader at the start of your journey. For example, if you plan to catch a train that leaves the station after 1900 but touch in before 1900 you will be charged the Peak Oyster single fare.
- When using Oyster pay as you go, the daily price cap will ensure that you can travel as many times as you like in a day (from 04:30 and before 04:30 the next day), and you will pay no more than the price of an equivalent Day Travelcard.
- Special rules apply if you use a Travelcard season ticket on Oyster in conjunction with pay as you go (see below).
Other information for travel
- Annual season ticket holders and Senior, 16-25, Disabled Persons and Forces Railcard holders can get 1/3 discounts on the adult Off-Peak Oyster pay as you go fares for most journeys on National Rail, as well as 1/3 reduction on the Off-Peak daily price cap. Disabled Persons Railcard holders get these pay as you go discounts for themselves, and as a special concession one adult travelling with them for the whole journey may use the child Off-Peak Day Travelcard. You need to register your Oyster card with your season ticket or Railcard details; you can do this at all Tube and London Overground and some National Rail ticket offices. Please remember to carry your Railcard or Annual season ticket with you on your journey.
- Oyster pay as you go fares vary according to the route you take for some journeys on the Tube, DLR, London Overground and National Rail services. At certain interchange stations, Oyster route validators have been installed so that you can indicate which route you have taken to ensure you pay the appropriate pay as you go fare. Oyster route validators have pink card readers instead of the standard yellow card reader. On journeys where pink route validators are not available
and we cannot identify which way you have travelled, we will generally charge you for the cheapest combination of zones that you could use, but in some cases we will charge you the Oyster pay as you go fare for the route that most passengers would take. Please see www.tfl.gov.uk/farefinder for the pay as you go fares that apply to your journey.
- If you travel most days, it may be more convenient and cheaper to buy a Travelcard or National Rail season ticket.
See FCC example fares here (PDF)
Where can I find out how much my fare is?
For details of Oyster pay as you go fares visit www.tfl.gov.uk/farefinder or go to www.nationalrail.co.uk
for National Rail only fares.
Travelcard Season Tickets
These can be used for travel between any National Rail station within the zones on dates for which the Oyster Travelcard is valid. For travel outside of the valid Fare Zones, a separate extension ticket must be purchased. REMEMBER extension tickets using ‘Oyster pay as you go’ are only valid within the PAYG area (see above)
Please note that the First Capital Connect stations within the Travelcard area are in zones 1-6. On the First Capital Connect services the boundary stations are:
In the north, the boundary of Zone 6 for the Welwyn Garden City line is Hadley Wood ; for theHertford North line is Crews Hill ; and for the Thameslink route is Elstree & Borehamwood .
In the south, the Wimbledon-Sutton-Carshalton line is all within the Travelcard area; and on the Brighton line, East Croydon (in Zone 5) is the most southerly station within the Travelcard area.
When using a Travelcard and Oyster pay as you go together
If you are planning to use Oyster pay as you go on National Rail services in London but outside the Zones covered by your Travelcard, you may need to have an Oyster Extension Permit on your card before you travel. If you travel without an Oyster Extension Permit you may be liable to a Penalty fare or prosecution.
Please note the following important points about Oyster Extension Permits:
- An Oyster extension permit must be set on your Oystercard if you start your journey at a station where your Travelcard is valid.
- You must have a minimum pay as you go balance on your Oyster card to add one.
- Oyster Extension Permits can be set at any Tube or London Overground station ticket office or
touchscreen ticket machine; Oyster Ticket Stops; selected National Rail ticket offices or self-service ticket machines displaying the Oyster card reader logo.
- An Oyster Extension Permit remains on your card until you touch out at the end of your extension journey.
- When touching out at your destination station, the Oyster Extension Permit will be cleared from your Oyster card and the correct fare for the extension journey will be deducted from your pay as you go balance.
To find out more about Oyster Extension Permits please visit www.tfl.gov.uk/oyster or www.nationalrail.co.uk/oyster.
Freedom Pass’ holders
Subject to the appropriate time restrictions, Freedom Pass is valid for travel between all National Rail stations within the London Fare Zones area (and additionally to Dartford, Swanley and stations Rickmansworth to Amersham inclusive). To find out more visit www.freedompass.org.
How to get an Oyster card
- Oyster Ticket Stops - to find your nearest Oyster Ticket Stop visit www.tfl.gov.uk/ticketstopfinder
- At a small number of National Rail staffed station ticket offices, the FCC ticket offices are:
London Blackfriars
City Thameslink
Drayton Park
Essex Rd
Finsbury Park
St Pancras International
or see www.nationalrail.co.uk/oyster for a list of stations.
- Tube or London Overground station ticket offices and Tube station ticket vending machines.
- London Travel Information Centres.
- Online at www.tfl.gov.uk/oyster
- By phoning 0845 330 9876*.
How to top up your Oyster card
Once you have your Oyster card it can be used time and time again. You can top up the pay as you go credit on your Oyster card at:
- All self service ticket machines at FCC stations within the London PAYG area
- at some FCC ticket offices (London Blackfriars, City Thameslink, Drayton Park, Essex Rd
Finsbury Park, St Pancras International)
- Online at www.tfl.gov.uk/oyster
- Where the Oyster logo is displayed at National Rail staffed station ticket offices and self-service ticket machines.
- Oyster Tickets Stops
- Ticket offices and touchscreen ticket machines at most Tube and London Overground stations.
- London Travel Information Centres.
You can protect your Oyster card online at www.tfl.gov.uk/oyster or by calling the Oyster helpline on 0845 330 9876*, so that your pay as you go credit is protected if your card is lost or stolen.
Making the most of the convenience of Oyster
- Top up pay as you go, buy or renew Travelcard season online
You can then pick up your PAYG credit or Travelcard season ticket when you touch in or out at any station within the PAYG area as part of your journey.
- Set up Auto top-up online
Your Oyster card will be topped up automatically when you touch in or out at any station within the PAYG area as part of your journey.
Further information
For further information about Oyster and pay as you go, visit Transport for London's Oyster website or ring the Oyster Helpline on 0845 330 9876. Hearing impaired customers with a text phone service can ring 020 7027 8511.
Read Oyster conditions of use on National Rail services [PDF]
