OYSTER CARDS - TRANSPORT PRE-PAY FARE OPTION

 

OYSTER PRE PAY
Oyster is a system of pre-paid electronic ticketing that has been used in London since early 2003. This is basically a card that you load with credit and can be used at stations and on buses just with a wave (the range of the system is around 10cm) at the card reader to pay for travel. The system is called RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) and is very much the future. Each time you wave the oyster pre pay card along a reader the correct amount for that fare is debited instantly from the card. It can be loaded with travelcard options and other ticketing options. Oyster pre pay is for use on the tube, bus, dlr, tram and national rail services within the London fare zone areas of 1-6. You can obtain oyster cards at tube station tickets offices, oyster ticket shops and London information centres.
Once you obtain your Oyster card you keep that card for life. When its loaded fares run out you simply top up the card again.
You can reload it at:

tube stations (using the touchscreen machines)

shops displaying the Oyster logo

online >>>here

by phone 24 hours 0870 849 9999

Main Benefits to Transport for London:
Cheaper than paper ticketing
allows for more efficient flows of passengers

Oyster cards have capped fares which means there's a limit on how much will debited from the card on any one days travel. Currently this is 50 pence below the one day Travelcard option. So each time you use the card the single fare is debited until the point its 50 pence below the 1 day Travelcard rate and then you will not be charged for any more travel on that day. For the bus or tram only journeys the cap is 50p less than the price of a One Day Bus Pass. For the capping to apply make sure you touch in and touch out at the start and end of any journey you make. On buses and trams, you must touch in at the start of each journey.

Its not just for loading a set amount of money. You can also load your travelcards (7 days or more) and bus pass options onto it. In fact you can have 4 different season tickets on the Oyster card at the same time.

Some fares can only be obtained using an Oyster card if your are:

14 or 15 year and want to travel free on buses and trams.

11 to 15 years old to travel free when using the tram at Wimbledon, to buy any child rate Travelcard season tickets or to pay as you go at child rates on the Tube and DLR.

5-10 years old you must get an Oyster photocard to buy any child rate Travelcard season ticket or to pay as you go at child rates on the Tube and DLR during peak hours or when travelling at anytime without an adult.

*note: There is a deposit of £3 payable when you obtain your first Oyster Card if you are not using it with a season ticket longer than 7 days. This is refunded if you return your card. To get the refund and any money left on it you will be required to fill in a form with your name and address.

Benefits of registering your Oyster card

Registered cards can still be shared by more than one adult no matter whose name its registered to.

If you report lost a stolen or misused registered card you maybe be able to obtain a refund of the value left on the card at the time.

Registration is compulsory if you have a monthly or longer season ticket on the card or its a photocard. However you can still register your card voluntarily to obtain the above benefits.

*note: using your Oyster card is termed 'PAY AND GO', however you cannot pay and go as National rail staions.

Big Brother is watching:
One concern some have with the oyster card is it keeps a record of your every move on the transport system. This may or may not be a concern to you.

How do you know how much is left on your Oyster card?
Each time you use the electronic reader it will give you a display of how much you have left bon it.


Price comparison
Tube and DLR:
Cash single fare is the normal rate when paying
WITHOUT an Oyster Card.


When Paying by an Oyster Card you will never
pay more in one day that the cap rate.
 

BUS FARES AND TRAM FARES WITH OYSTER ALTERNATIVE