Yes, you can and must tap in and out of the London Underground (Tube) using a contactless card, mobile device (Apple/Google Pay), or Oyster card on the yellow card readers. Fares are calculated based on the zones traveled, and you must use the same device for both actions to avoid maximum charges.
To pay the right fare, always touch in on a yellow card reader at the start of your journey and touch out at the end. On a bus or tram you only need to touch in. Because where you touch in and out tells us where you've travelled from and to, so we can charge you the right fare for your journey.
All you need to do is touch in and out using contactless (card or device) or an Oyster card to pay the right fare. Pay as you go is cheaper than buying a paper single or return ticket (train companies may offer special deals on some journeys).
Same station exits
If you touch in when you enter a station and then touch out to exit it within a short period of time, you'll be charged a same station exit charge. These are: Between 0 - 2 minutes: a maximum fare. If you re-enter the same or a different station within 45 minutes, you'll be refunded.
Pay as you go with contactless and pay as you go with Oyster usually cost the same. However, pay as you go with Oyster is not valid for travel to and from all the new pay as you go with contactless stations.
2.4 Only one person at a time can use the same contactless card or device for travel. You may pay another person's contactless pay as you go fare only if they are travelling with you and you have paid your fare by another means.
A Visitor Oyster card is one of the cheapest ways to pay for single journeys on the bus, Tube, Elizabeth line, DLR, tram, Uber Boat by Thames Clippers river bus service, London Overground, TfL Rail and most National Rail services in London.
The London bus 1-hour rule refers to the Hopper fare, allowing unlimited journeys on London buses and trams within one hour of the first tap-in, for a single £1.75 charge (as of early 2025). You must use the same Oyster or contactless card/device for all taps, and it works automatically, enabling free transfers between bus and tram services within that hour.
You can use a contactless card as many times as you like within a day so long as each purchase is under £100. Just bear in mind that you may be asked to use chip and PIN after using contactless a few times in a row. Don't worry, it's just an extra security measure to check it's you making any payments.
You are probably better using cards. The UK is not the US and Dollars are not legal tender there. Some places MAY take them but probably most will not.
If you don't touch in and out, we can't tell where you've travelled from or to. This means your journey will be incomplete and you will be charged the maximum fare.
Change of mind. You may tap on at a train station, and then change your mind. If you tap off within 15 minutes at the same train station, you won't be charged. You can't change your mind if you tap on a tram or bus.
What happens if I touch in with one contactless card, and touch out with another on the same journey? It's important that you try to avoid doing this, as you'll be charged a maximum fare on both of your cards. The two separate journeys won't be linked and each one will be recognised as incomplete.
A Visitor Oyster card is a smartcard. It's a quick and easy way to pay for journeys on bus, Tube, tram, DLR, London Overground, Elizabeth line, River Bus and most National Rail services in London. Put money on your Visitor Oyster card and use it to pay as you go.
You can pay as you go using contactless (card or device), an Oyster card or a Visitor Oyster card.
Once TfL announce the official launch, simply use your debit card as a ticket by touching your card in and out at the ticket gate when you get on and off the train, DLR or touch once when boarding a bus or tram and TfL will work out your journeys at the end of the day, where you will be charged an adult pay as you go ...
The 2/3/4 rule is a guideline, primarily used by Bank of America, that limits how many new credit cards you can get: no more than 2 in 30 days, 3 in 12 months, and 4 in 24 months, helping to prevent over-application and manage hard inquiries on your credit report. While not universal, it's a useful benchmark for responsible card application, though other banks have different rules (like Chase's 5/24 rule).
You can get a refund if you have been charged for touching in and out at the same station without making a journey. This should happen automatically within 48 hours. If you haven't received a refund after 48 hours, you can apply for a same station exit refund.
Travel free on bus, tram, Tube, DLR, London Overground and Elizabeth line. You can travel free on TfL services with your Older Person's Freedom Pass anytime Monday to Friday, except between 04:30-09:00. You can travel free anytime at weekends and on bank holidays.
“There are clear and distinctive categories – 50% for needs, 30% for wants and 20% to put aside as savings.” If £1,500 comes into your account each month, this means £750 would go towards your 'needs' – rent, council tax, energy bill, food and transport to and from work.
Life in London is more expensive than life in most U.S. towns and cities. However, New York City and Los Angeles are more expensive to live in than London. If you want to live in a world-class city, you'll save a bit in London versus New York or Los Angeles. What's less expensive in London than in New York?