London underground goes contactless

From next week, Transport for London (TfL) is to introduce contactless payments on London’s tube, tram, DLR, London Overground and National Rail services that accept Oyster. The new option, which is part of a range of improvements TfL is making for customers, means that passengers will no longer need to spend time topping up Oyster balances because fares are charged directly to payment card accounts. Contactless payments were launched on London's buses in December 2012. A successful pilot of the cont
September 9, 2014 Read time: 2 mins

From next week, 1466 Transport for London (TfL) is to introduce contactless payments on London’s tube, tram, DLR, London Overground and National Rail services that accept Oyster.

The new option, which is part of a range of improvements TfL is making for customers, means that passengers will no longer need to spend time topping up Oyster balances because fares are charged directly to payment card accounts.

Contactless payments were launched on London's buses in December 2012. A successful pilot of the contactless system on the tube and rail network paved the way for launch across transport in London.

Contactless payment cards are debit, credit, charge or pre-paid cards which can be used to make quick, easy and secure payments for everyday purchases of £20 and under. There is no need for a PIN or a signature, just touch the card on the reader. This technology is becoming increasingly common, with half of Londoners already having a contactless card.

Contactless payments work in the same way as Oyster, charging customers an adult-rate pay as you go fare when they touch in and out on readers at the start and end of every journey.

Shashi Verma, TfL’s director of Customer Experience, said: “With the launch of contactless now a week away, customers can look forward to having an easier and more convenient way to pay for their travel, freeing them of the need to top up Oyster credit and helping them to get on board without delay. I would like to remind all of our customers to only touch one card on the reader to avoid paying with a card they did not intend to pay with. Contactless payments on our buses have already been a resounding success with over one million customers using their contactless payment card to pay their bus fare around 20 million times.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • London’s cycle superhighways get the go ahead
    February 5, 2015
    London’s streets will become more accessible for cyclists now that the Transport for London (TfL) Board has approved plans for the construction of four new cycle superhighways and upgrades to the four existing cycle superhighway routes as part of the Mayor’s Cycling Vision. The schemes, which will cost around US$243 million to deliver between now and the end of 2016, will help treble the number of cycle journeys made over the next ten years and transform London’s streets and spaces to places where cyclis
    Read More
  • A more equitable approach to road charging: is the technology there yet?
    September 8, 2023
    Thinking around road user charging, distance-based payments, and even mileage rationing is ever-widening with new concepts and suggestions being aired and brought forward every other week. Yet, as Jorgen Petersen of Systra explains, there are already many solutions in place throughout the world which promote modal shift, reduce traffic and improve air quality…
    Read More
  • Dundee trial offers insight into delivering MaaS in smaller urban and rural areas
    March 27, 2018
    A MaaS trial in Scotland will evaluate the attraction of such services for young people living in small cities and rural areas. Colin Sowman reports. It is often said that Mobility as a Service (MaaS) is fine in big cities - but what about smaller towns and rural areas? Well, the city of Dundee in Scotland has only around 150,000 people but is set to provide some answers with its trial of NaviGoGo, a MaaS operation aimed at 16-25 year olds – be they students, working or unemployed. By population, Dundee
    Read More
  • TfL launches app to aid social distancing
    August 25, 2020
    App provides accessibility information for disabled users, TfL says. 
    Read More

Highlighted Content