Transport for LondonWhat is Oyster?
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.
Why should I switch to Oyster? (PDF 953KB)
Large Print version - Why should I switch to Oyster? (PDF 171KB)
Get the most out of your Oyster card (PDF 936KB)
Large Print version - Get the most out of your Oyster card (PDF 308KB)
Oyster photocards enable students and under-18s to travel free or at reduced rates. Discounted travel is also available to London residents on Income Support and customers who hold a New Deal photocard.
* For BT residential customers, calls to the Oyster helpline will cost no more than 3.5p per minute, (current at May 2007). The price on non-BT phone lines may be different
Why should I Switch to Oyster? (translated versions)
This guide is avaliable to download in the following languages:
- Arabic (PDF 699KB)
- Bengali ( PDF 155KB)
- Chinese (PDF 224KB)
- French (PDF 119KB)
- German (PDF 176KB)
- Greek (PDF 639KB)
- Gujurati (PDF 261KB)
- Hindi (PDF 165KB)
- Italian (PDF 173KB)
- Polish (PDF 123KB)
- Punjabi (PDF 154KB)
- Spanish (PDF 174KB)
- Tamil (PDF 621KB)
- Turkish (PDF 224KB)
- Urdu (PDF 292KB)
Get the most out of your Oyster (translated versions)
The Oyster card guide is avaliable to download in the following languages:
