Oyster or contactless in London: what visitors should use

The short answer

If you are an adult, staying a few days and your bank card works for tap payments, use that card (or the phone wallet linked to it) and do not buy anything. If you are travelling with children aged 11 to 15, or your card is from outside the UK and you are not sure it will work, a Visitor Oyster card is the safer choice. Both options are capped, so you are not choosing between a cheap way and an expensive way to travel.

How contactless works on TfL

You tap your bank card, or a phone or watch holding it, on the yellow reader at the start of a journey. On the Tube, DLR, Overground, Elizabeth line and most National Rail services you tap again on the way out. [2] On buses and trams you only tap in. [1]

Pay as you go fares are capped in Zones 1 to 9. That means you will not pay more than the cap for a day or for a Monday to Sunday week of travel. [1] We have left the cap amounts out because they change. Look them up on the TfL fares pages before you go.

The mistakes that cost money

Use the same card or device for the whole journey. If you tap in with your phone and tap out with your watch, TfL says you may pay more than you need to. [1] Stick to one card or device for the whole trip, so that your journeys are counted together.

Keep your cards away from your phone when you tap. TfL calls this “card clash”, and it can charge the wrong one. Check your phone has battery too, or you risk a maximum fare or a penalty fare. [1]

On buses, tap in and then walk on. Do not tap out. TfL says that on buses and trams you only touch in. [1]

Cards from outside the UK

TfL says many contactless cards issued abroad work for pay as you go, but overseas charges may apply. It also warns that phone payments linked to non-UK cards may fail or carry overseas transaction fees. [1] Ask your bank before you travel.

The TfL Visitor Shop, which sells the Visitor Oyster card, says many non-UK cards charge roughly 1 to 3 per cent on each journey, and that some international cards may be declined on some services. [3] That page is written by a seller of the card, so treat the figure as a guide and check your own bank’s terms. It does say that cards without foreign transaction fees, such as Wise, Revolut or Monzo, may suit adults who prefer contactless. [3]

When a Visitor Oyster card makes sense

The Visitor Oyster card is a smartcard for pay as you go travel on the bus, Tube, tram, DLR, London Overground, Elizabeth line, River Bus, most National Rail services in London and the London Cable Car. [2] It works without a phone or battery. [3]

Reasons to choose it:

• Children aged 11 to 15 can have a Young Visitor discount, which the Visitor Shop says gives half the adult rate for 14 days. [3]
• Your bank card is foreign and you would rather not find out at the barrier that it is declined.
• You want to load a set amount of credit in advance and budget around it.

The Visitor Shop says the daily caps are the same for both options, so Oyster is not cheaper for an adult on caps alone. [3] At the time of writing, 25 Oct 2026, TfL lists the card at £10.50 plus postage, and says unused credit can be refunded but the card fee cannot. [2]

The catches with Oyster

You cannot buy a Visitor Oyster card in London. TfL says to order from the Visitor Shop or another seller before you leave home. [2] Allow time for delivery. You can top up at Tube, DLR, Overground, Elizabeth line and most National Rail stations, at Oyster Ticket Stops and at Visitor Centres. [2]

Oyster cards are not accepted at Elizabeth line stations between Reading and Iver. [1] That matters if you are heading west of London on the Elizabeth line.

Two people cannot share one Oyster card for the same journey. [1] Each traveller needs their own card or payment method.

Our recommendation

• Adult on a short trip with a UK or fee-free card: tap with that card, in one wallet, all week.
• Family with children aged 11 to 15: order Visitor Oyster cards before you travel.
• Foreign card with fees, or you are not sure it will work: ask your bank, or order the Visitor Oyster card.

Check current fares and caps on the TfL website before you travel. Fares and rules can change.

Places in this article

Photos from our guides; each links to the page that lists the place.