Oyster is London's ticketing and revenue system. At its heart is the Oyster card, a 'smartcard' which makes buying and using tickets easier. An Oyster card can store up to £90 of cash which can be used to pay as you go, plus your Travelcard or Bus Pass.
It can be used on the Tube, trams, buses, DLR, London Overground and some National Rail services in London.
Pay as you go has several advantages over paper tickets:
- Oyster single fares are generally cheaper
- Credit can be used as you need it and doesn't expire
- Daily price capping automatically calculates the cheapest fare for the journeys you make in a single day
Our aim is to ensure that Oyster always charges the lowest fare. Where it doesn't, we will refund the difference.
Auto top-up
Auto top-up ensures you never run out of pay as you go credit by automatically topping up your Oyster card whenever your balance falls below £5.
How do I get an Oyster card?
You can get one:
- At the Oyster website
- At most Tube station ticket offices
- At over 2,200 Oyster Ticket Stops across London
- At London Overground station ticket offices
- At some National Rail ticket offices
- At eight London Travel Information Centres
- By phone on 0845 330 9876*
When you first get your Oyster card, you will need to pay a refundable £3 deposit if you are only adding cash to pay as you go.
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