Adult Oyster card

Lost and stolen Oyster card

If your registered or protected Oyster card is lost or stolen, we may be able to replace it by:

• Sending you a replacement Oyster card by post, or
• Transferring any previous Travelcard/pay as you go credit (from the lost or stolen Oyster card), to a new card

 Find out more about registering and protecting your Oyster card

Postal replacement

If you report your Oyster card as lost or stolen online, we will:  

• Stop the lost or stolen Oyster card so no one else can use it
• Post you a replacement Oyster card. Your new Oyster card will still have any Travelcard, Bus & Tram Pass, and pay as you go credit that was on your lost or stolen Oyster card

If you don't have an online Oyster account, you can call us on 0343 222 1234 to get a postal replacement..

If you don't have any pay as you go credit, or less than five days travel remaining on the season ticket on the lost or stolen Oyster card, we can't post you a replacement Oyster card.

Transferring your Travelcards and/or pay as you go credit to another Oyster card

If you had any Travelcards and/or pay as you go credit on your lost or stolen Oyster card, we can arrange for this to be transferred to another Oyster card registered with your details.

To do this you'll need to:

• Get an Oyster card
• Register the Oyster card by completing an Oyster registration form. You can register your Oyster card at a Tube station ticket office, Travel Information Centre, some National Rail stations or at an Oyster Ticket Stop
• Call us on 0343 222 1234 to arrange for your Travelcard(s)/ pay as you go credit to be transferred to your replacement Oyster card. You'll need to be able to provide details from your lost or stolen Oyster card and your replacement Oyster card when you call

The Travelcard(s) and/or pay as you go credit from your lost or stolen Oyster card will be transferred to the replacement Oyster card. This happens when you touch in on the yellow card reader on the gates at the start of your journey at a Tube, Docklands Light Railway (DLR), London Overground or National Rail station (within the London network) of your choice. 

When we can't transfer

If you lose a Bus & Tram Pass, or an Oyster card with a discount entitlement on it, or it's stolen, we may only be able to send you a postal replacement.  

In some cases, you may be able to claim a refund when your Oyster card is lost or stolen. Go to the refunds section on this page for more information.

Faulty Oyster card

If your Oyster card doesn't work when you touch it on a yellow card reader, it may be faulty.

Take your Oyster card to a ticket office at any Tube station, along with identification showing your name and address. Any tickets and/or pay as you go credit you have on the card will then be transferred to a new one for free.

You may have to complete a failed Oyster card form.

Sometimes it's possible to claim a refund for or against a season ticket and/or pay as you go credit on your Oyster card:

Can I claim for a refund if I don't need my season ticket anymore?

We'll normally refund the remaining value of a Travelcard or Bus & Tram Pass season ticket you don't need any more, but as soon as you've stopped using it, you should either:

• Cancel your ticket or surrender your Oyster card at a Tube station ticket office
• Post us your Oyster card 
• Call our Customer Services team

If you want to carry on using your Oyster card, you will need to get your season ticket cancelled at a Tube station ticket office. Your Oyster card will be cancelled if you post it into our customer services team or call us to get a refund.

Go to the 'how to claim a refund' section for details on how to contact us.

Can I claim for a refund if my Oyster card has been lost?

This may be possible but we will not refund any fares you pay while waiting for your replacement Oyster card to be posted to you, or while you are waiting for your Travelcard/pay as you go credit to be transferred to a new Oyster card.

If it takes us longer than five working days to send you a replacement Oyster card (from the day you reported it as lost and confirmed you are the card owner), a refund may be considered from the sixth day. You will need to provide receipts or tickets as proof of travel

We charge a £5 admin fee to process this type of refund. In some cases this may mean that no refund is payable

Can I claim for a refund if my Oyster card has been stolen or destroyed by fire?

We may refund any fares you pay while you're waiting for a replacement Oyster card in the post or for your Travelcard/pay as you go credit to be transferred to a new Oyster card, if you're able to provide either:

• A copy of the crime reference report
• A letter from the fire service/your insurance company, proving that it was been destroyed in the fire

The refund will be calculated from the day you reported the Oyster card stolen or destroyed and we confirm you as the card owner.

Can I claim a refund if I left my Oyster card, with a valid season ticket, at home or temporarily mislaid it?

If you have a valid Travelcard or Bus & Tram Pass on your Oyster card and leave it at home or temporarily mislay it, we will consider giving you refund.

You must provide original tickets or receipts for the fares you paid on the day you were without your Oyster card. Once provided, we will refund you the pro rata day value of your Travelcard or Bus & Tram Pass.

You can't get a refund if your Oyster card:

• Was used on the day
• Only has pay as you go credit on it

You can only claim this refund up to twice in 12 months.

Can I claim for a refund when I can't use my season ticket on my Oyster card due to illness?

If your Oyster card has a valid Travelcard or Bus & Tram Pass on it and illness prevents you from using it, we will consider a refund if you either:

• Cancel your ticket or hand back your Oyster card at a Tube station ticket office immediately
• Post us your Oyster card
• Call our Customer Services team

If you want to carry on using your Oyster card, you will need to get your season ticket cancelled at a Tube station ticket office. Your Oyster card will be cancelled if you post it into our customer services team or call us to get a refund.

Go to the 'how to claim a refund' section for details on how to contact us.

If you are unable to do this, you'll need write to us and confirm the start date of your illness, and provide a medical certificate. If you're unable to provide a medical certificate we may accept other proof, such as a letter from your employer on their headed paper.

If your ticket is cancelled, or your Oyster card is returned to us or it is stopped within six weeks after the start of your illness, we'll calculate the refund from the start date of your illness. However, if it's more than six weeks, we'll calculate your refund on the basis of your season ticket having last been used six weeks prior to the surrender/cancellation date.

You can't apply for a refund due to illness if you only have pay as you go credit on your Oyster card. 

We charge a £5 admin fee to process this type of refund

Can I claim for a refund on my season ticket if my Oyster card is faulty?

If you have a valid Travelcard or Bus & Tram Pass season ticket on your Oyster card and it stops working, we will consider giving you refund. If we do, we will refund any tickets you had to buy to travel while waiting to get a replacement.

You must provide original tickets or receipts for fares as proof of travel.

Can I change the Travelcard I have on my Oyster card?

If your Travelcard is valid for longer than a month, you can change it for one with either more or fewer travel zones.

Can I claim a refund if my journey was delayed?

You may be able to claim a refund if your Tube, Docklands Light Railway (DLR), London Overground or Emirates Airline journey was delayed. Find out more.

Changing zones on your Travelcard

Reducing the number of zones on your Travelcard

To do this you'll need to:

• Download and complete an Season Ticket Altered Availability form
• Take it and your Oyster card to your nearest Tube station ticket office

The current Travelcard on your Oyster card will be cancelled and a new Travelcard for the required zones will be added. Our customer services team will calculate if any refund is due and contact you. We charge a £5 admin fee to process this.

Adding more zones on your Travelcard

To do this you need to:

• Download and complete an Season Ticket Altered Availability form
• Take the form and your Oyster card to your nearest Tube station ticket office where they 
  will contact our Customer Services team to calculate the cost of adding the additional zone(s). Our Customer Services team will call and tell you when and where the new Travelcard can be added to your Oyster card. There will be a £5 admin fee

If your Travelcard has one month or less validity remaining on it, you will not be able to change it. If you have already changed your Travelcard, we can't change it again.

You can claim a refund or contact us in the following ways:

Call our customer services team

You can call us on 0343 222 1234 between 08:00 - 20:00, Monday to Sunday (including public holidays)

When you call, you will need to confirm that you are the owner of the Oyster card you are calling about by providing the following details:  

• Your Oyster card number
• The answer to the security question you selected when you registered your Oyster card or protected it online

If you don't know, or have this information, a member of our customer services team will ask you some other questions to find your card and identify you as the owner.

Send it in the post

If you are claiming a refund by post you need to download and complete an Application for Refund form. Send your completed form, along with any tickets, supporting evidence or your Oyster card to: TfL Customer Services, 14 Pier Walk, 4th Floor, London, SE10 0ES.

At a Tube station ticket office

The following type of refunds can be processed, while you wait, at a Tube station ticket office:

 Refunds of pay as you go credit
 Refunds of a Travelcard or a Bus & Tram Pass season ticket issued on your Oyster card or a printed season ticket. (You will be charged an admin fee)

You can't get a refund at a Tube station ticket office if you paid for tickets or pay as you go credit on your Oyster card with different debit or credit cards and cash. The maximum cash refund value at a Tube station ticket office is £250.

Download and complete an Application for Refund form, attach any tickets or supporting evidence and take it to your nearest Tube station ticket office.
You will be asked to provide proof of your name and address.

Tube station ticket offices accept the following as proof of your identity:

• A valid passport or an ID card from an European Economic Association country
• NHS medical card
• Birth certificate
• Driving licence
  

Acceptable proof of your address is:

• Current council tax bill
• Current council or housing association rent book or statement
• Residential utility bill (dated within the last 3 months)
• Residential bank or building society statement (dated within the last 3 months)
• Credit card statement (dated within the last 3 months)

Mobile phone bills are not accepted as proof of name and address.