The maximum daily fare cap for Adult Oyster/Contactless travel across all London zones (1-6) is £16.30, while daily caps for specific, smaller zone combinations (e.g., Zone 1-2) are lower. For bus-only travel, the daily cap is £5.25. Fares are often referred to as "daily caps" or "pay as you go caps".
The daily cap is for all public transport in the London zones. Tubes, trains, buses, DLR, trams, Elizabeth Line. There is a special daily cap for buses. So if all you do is get a bus everywhere it's roughly half price.
After price increases on March 2, London's Tube is now the world's most expensive metro system. A single pay-as-you-go fare in Zone 1 will now cost £2.90, and a daily cap for Zones 1-2 will cost £8.90. It now costs £15.30 for a day ticket that covers all zones.
There is no fixed limit to the number of contactless payments you can make. However, additional security checks may occasionally be required. When this happens, you'll be asked to enter your PIN to confirm your identity. Simply use Chip and PIN as normal.
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).
If you spend longer than the maximum journey time for your journey, you could be charged 2 maximum fares.
Using pay as you go (paying only for the journeys you make when you travel) is the easiest and cheapest way to pay for travel in London. You don't have to work out the cost of your journey in advance or buy tickets.
If you make 1 journey £2.80 is deducted from your card, when you tap out. If you make 2 journeys, £5.60 is deducted. If you make 3 journeys, £8.40 is deducted. For your 4th journey 50p will be deducted as you have now reached the 'daily cap' (£8.90).
Buses and trams
London's buses and trams are also some of the cheapest ways to travel in London. A Hopper Fare allows you to take unlimited bus and tram journeys for £1.75 within one hour.
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.
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.
See if you've made an incomplete journey or apply for a refund in your contactless and Oyster account. If you were charged a maximum fare because you couldn't touch in or out for reasons beyond your control, you may be eligible for a refund.
There are 6 main London zones which are listed below:
For most tickets, travel through Zone 1 is more expensive than journeys of similar length not crossing this zone. The zone contains all the central London districts, most of the major tourist attractions, the major rail terminals, the City of London, and the West End.
Spot London's iconic landmarks from the ArcelorMittal Orbit 360 viewing deck, or watch the sights zoom by as you take on Helix, the world's longest tunnel slide which spans a huge 178m.
The price you're charged for travel with Oyster or a contactless card is the same - and in both cases the overall amount you can pay in a day or a week is capped. However, using Oyster or a contactless card is cheaper than buying paper tickets for your travel.
If you do not touch out, this will show as an incomplete journey, and you will be charged a maximum fare of up to £29. If you do not have a valid ticket for your whole journey, you may be liable to pay a full fare or Penalty Fare.
Heathrow is in zone 6 so the 1 to 6 daily cap is £15.60. So you will be charged £13.30. Unless you are making other journeys as well in which case the £15.60 cap would come into effect.
As a general rule a Travelcard is more expensive than an Oyster card or Contactless payment card. The exception is if you make 3 or more journeys for 6 days or more within a 7 day period. In this case a 7 day Travelcard works out cheaper than an Oyster or Contactless payment card.
Get an 18+ Student Oyster photocard
You can save 30% on Travelcards and Bus & Tram Passes with our 18+ Student Oyster photocard. You can also use this Oyster card to pay as you go but you won't receive the 30% discount.
You'll pay the right fare if you touch in and out with the same card. Always use the same contactless card or device, or Oyster card to touch in and out. For example, if you touch in with your iPhone and touch out with your Apple Watch or contactless card, you'll be charged for two incomplete journeys.
If you forget to tap off at the end of your trip, an amount for Missed Tap Off or Underpayment will be deducted from your PRESTO card, PRESTO in Mobile Wallet or charged to your credit or debit card at the start of your next trip in the GO network.
Claim a refund by phone
You will need to prove that you used an alternative method to pay for your travel on the day your are claiming for. You will need to provide your: Forgotten season ticket details. Alternative payment method details (Oyster or contactless card number, or paper ticket details)