Add money to your Oyster card instantly at Tube station machines, via the TfL Go app, or at over 4,000 local Oyster Ticket Stops. Alternatively, you can top up online through a Transport for London account, though this requires collecting the credit by tapping the card at a station.
Yes, you can top up your standard Oyster card online by creating a Contactless and Oyster account on the TfL website or via the TfL Go app, allowing you to add Pay As You Go credit or Travelcards; however, Visitor Oyster cards cannot be topped up online, only at stations or agents. After adding funds online, you need to "touch in" with your Oyster card at a station terminal or turnstile for the credit to be applied to your card before you can use it, as Reddit users explain.
At ticket machines at all Tube, London Overground and most Elizabeth line and National Rail stations. At some DLR stations. At Visitor Centres. At the Tramlink Shop in Croydon.
What if I don't have enough money on my Oyster card?
A card with a negative balance may only be reused once it is topped up. The Oyster card deposit has been there specifically to prevent customers having an incentive to discard cards with a negative balance.
No, an Oyster card is generally not cheaper than tapping with contactless (bank card or phone), as they both use the same "pay as you go" (PAYG) system and have identical fare caps and discounts, making them the same price for most journeys. Contactless is often more convenient as it avoids the £5 Oyster card cost and the hassle of topping up, but Oyster can prevent foreign transaction fees if using a foreign bank card.
Download the TfL Oyster app to check your balance, add credit to your Oyster card, and buy 7 Day, Monthly and Annual Travelcards. If you have an Oyster card and are a UK resident, you can set up an Oyster online account and top up your card online. You can't top up Visitor Oyster cards online.
How much money should I put on my Oyster card for 3 days in London?
How much credit will I need? For a single journey on either the Gatwick Express or Heathrow Express, the recommended amount is £25. A day of unlimited travel in central London within zones 1-2 is currently capped at £8.90. A £30 card will cover 3 days of travel in zones 1-2.
No, you can't put a physical Oyster card directly into your phone's digital wallet (like Apple Wallet or Google Pay), but you can use your phone to pay for travel in London the same way by linking your contactless bank card or a digital version of it (like Apple Pay/Google Pay) to your phone and tapping it at readers; you can also use the official TfL Oyster and contactless app to manage digital Oyster/contactless payments and see journey history, but it links to your physical card or contactless bank card, not a digital Oyster card itself.
London buses are all cashless, so you need an Oyster card, Travelcard or contactless payment card to ride. The bus fare in London is £1.75, and a day of bus-only travel will cost a maximum of £5.25. You can make unlimited free transfers to other buses and trams within one hour of touching in for your first journey.
No, you only tap in (touch on) when boarding a London bus or tram; you do not need to tap off (touch out) when you get off, as it has a flat fare, and tapping off could actually cost you more money. For buses, you just tap your Oyster card or contactless card/device once on the yellow reader by the driver when you board.
Using contactless (card or device) or an Oyster card to pay as you go is the easiest way to travel. You only pay for the journeys you make and it's cheaper than buying paper tickets (train companies may offer special deals on some journeys).
The pay as you go credit on your Visitor Oyster card never expires so you can keep your card until your next visit, or lend it to family and friends. If you don't need your Visitor Oyster card, you can get the remaining credit refunded. The fee you paid for your card won't be refunded.
Can I use my 60 Oyster card to travel to Gatwick Airport?
Yes, you can use your 60+ Oyster card for part of the journey to Gatwick Airport, covering travel within London zones, but you'll need to buy an extension ticket for the part of the journey from the London zone boundary (Zone 6) to Gatwick Airport, as Gatwick is outside the Oyster zone. Tap your 60+ card at the start in London and at the zone boundary, then buy an extension ticket (e.g., from Coulsdon South or Purley) to Gatwick on Southern or Thameslink services.
The credit on an Oyster card never expires and anyone who wants to claim back any unused credit and the deposit from the card can do so from selected London Underground station ticket machines (up to a value of £10 – plus any applicable deposit), Visitor Information Centres, or by contacting the customer team.
What is the minimum top-up amount for Oyster cards?
The minimum top up amount is £5, and top ups must be made in increments of £5. Topping up at Newsagents You can top up your oyster card at many independent shops around London, just like you can at a station. Look out for the Oyster Card sign in the shop window. Why register my card online?
Initial Cost—The card has an upfront cost of £5, which might not be worth it if you're not travelling much.
Limited Utility – If your month-long stay has you mostly walking to nearby destinations or your travel is limited to specific zones, an Oyster card might not offer much value.
If you travel on Tube, DLR, London Overground, Elizabeth line, IFS Cloud Cable Car or River Bus services in between Hopper journeys, you'll be charged a standard fare. The Hopper fare will still apply to any further bus and tram journeys made within one hour of first touching in.
