Request ID: FOI-2417-2122 Date published: 08 February 2022
You asked
I’d like to request documents that show fees that Transport for London pays to its acquirer to accept open-loop credit and debit cards. In particular, I’m looking for the individual fee rates TfL pays to accept cards branded Visa, Mastercard and American Express. That includes interchange or “merchant” discount rates for each card brand.
I’d also like the total monthly fees that TfL pays to its acquirer and the total open-loop payments revenue TfL received for the same months for the past two years. Also please provide me with total fare revenue for TfL for each of these months, as well.
Finally, I’d like to request records that detail any promotional or sponsorship payments received by TfL from any payments scheme, including Visa, Mastercard and American Express, as part of its rollout or operation of contactless open-loop payments.
We answered
TfL Ref: FOI-2417-2122
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 21 January 2022.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy. I can confirm that we hold the information you require. You asked:
I’d like to request documents that show fees that Transport for London pays to its acquirer to accept open-loop credit and debit cards. In particular, I’m looking for the individual fee rates TfL pays to accept cards branded Visa, Mastercard and American Express. That includes interchange or “merchant” discount rates for each card brand. Commercial confidentiality precludes the provision of details of fees paid to our acquirers for card acceptance, and we are therefore not obliged to provide you with this information as it is subject to a statutory exemption to the right of access to information under section 43(2). In this instance the section 43(2) exemption has been applied as disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice our commercial interests.
The use of this exemption is subject to an assessment of the public interest in relation to the disclosure of the information concerned. We recognise the need for openness and transparency by public authorities, particularly where the expenditure of public money is concerned, but in this instance the public interest in ensuring that we are able to obtain the best value for public money outweighs the general public interest in increasing transparency of our processes.
I’d also like the total monthly fees that TfL pays to its acquirer and the total open-loop payments revenue TfL received for the same months for the past two years.
Total open loop payments revenue data as requested for each of our acquirers:
Year
Period
£ Amex
£ Barclaycard
2019
1
14,885,785.80
146,767,687.24
2019
2
16,562,576.70
157,513,062.23
2019
3
16,566,862.09
162,237,731.73
2019
4
16,799,542.24
161,744,958.52
2019
5
15,872,609.43
153,946,767.42
2019
6
15,670,862.13
157,936,536.37
2019
7
17,803,742.96
177,554,773.56
2019
8
17,928,826.61
179,842,483.43
2019
9
19,118,857.78
188,893,596.46
2019
10
14,064,220.63
151,243,219.98
2019
11
19,543,858.10
181,482,687.25
2019
12
19,384,868.91
183,415,842.04
2019
13
10,077,160.84
109,153,261.13
TOTAL 2019
214,279,774.22
2,111,732,607.36
2020
1
289,943.70
11,019,611.17
2020
2
354,644.60
10,435,213.75
2020
3
1,161,167.73
32,887,330.50
2020
4
2,593,476.40
56,421,220.75
2020
5
3,912,191.95
72,216,550.40
2020
6
5,460,176.15
89,504,727.14
2020
7
6,142,766.95
95,287,700.12
2020
8
4,757,840.64
80,655,752.90
2020
9
4,450,081.20
76,804,681.01
2020
10
2,343,063.25
48,093,364.99
2020
11
1,692,849.15
42,206,004.95
2020
12
2,237,076.60
50,492,837.80
2020
13
2,814,890.40
57,866,288.61
TOTAL 2020
38,210,168.72
723,891,284.09
2021
1
6,115,978.90
98,768,984.04
2021
2
7,709,046.80
110,491,332.89
2021
3
8,862,209.25
126,468,367.85
2021
4
9,085,439.40
129,778,575.97
2021
5
9,302,112.49
132,927,095.03
2021
6
11,224,371.35
150,500,052.21
2021
7
14,651,791.85
178,700,093.62
2021
8
15,306,296.55
183,328,157.86
2021
9
16,139,562.85
189,305,052.62
2021
10
7,081,464.50
115,459,219.82
TOTAL 2021
105,478,273.94
1,415,726,931.91
Also please provide me with total fare revenue for TfL for each of these months, as well. Total fare revenue data as requested:
Units are £000s. Figures include fare payers and Freedom Pass revenue.
Year
Period
LU
Bus
London Rail
TfL Rail
TfL Total
2019/20
1
206,478
107,074
30,793
7,934
352,278
2
216,458
113,341
33,549
8,254
371,602
3
218,226
112,387
33,100
8,130
371,843
4
225,321
115,084
33,119
8,500
382,025
5
209,966
108,483
31,490
7,947
357,887
6
202,190
108,492
30,767
7,961
349,409
7
228,323
116,367
34,361
8,968
388,019
8
230,374
115,188
34,654
8,992
389,208
9
237,340
116,352
36,270
9,106
399,068
10
188,516
102,644
27,696
8,543
327,400
11
217,018
112,682
33,228
12,058
374,985
12
218,277
112,979
33,401
11,590
376,246
13
137,994
88,524
22,325
7,136
255,979
2020/21
1
15,478
27,700
3,380
1,728
48,287
2
22,868
20,056
4,556
1,869
49,349
3
32,047
42,087
7,521
2,022
83,677
4
51,194
58,860
9,115
3,140
122,308
5
66,370
64,890
11,065
3,340
145,665
6
77,237
71,689
13,104
4,248
166,278
7
65,965
71,492
19,687
4,615
161,759
8
69,554
67,553
14,161
4,121
155,389
9
66,545
66,159
13,730
3,915
150,349
10
41,116
52,897
8,716
2,416
105,145
11
38,271
50,151
8,251
2,688
99,361
12
43,412
53,405
9,596
2,945
109,358
13
50,613
57,299
11,898
3,992
123,802
2021/22
1
76,367
70,937
16,590
4,252
168,146
2
87,098
73,872
17,608
4,734
183,312
3
98,490
78,301
19,330
5,946
202,068
4
101,084
79,414
19,034
6,434
205,966
5
104,160
78,214
19,354
6,392
208,119
6
117,660
84,416
21,812
7,119
231,007
7
151,280
92,606
25,257
9,326
278,470
8
150,020
93,759
24,974
8,400
277,153
9
153,749
95,269
25,243
7,700
281,961
10
92,724
75,860
15,763
5,300
189,647
Finally, I’d like to request records that detail any promotional or sponsorship payments received by TfL from any payments scheme, including Visa, Mastercard and American Express, as part of its rollout or operation of contactless open-loop payments. TfL has not received any payments from Payment Schemes including Visa, Mastercard and American Express, as part of its rollout or operation of contactless open-loop payments.
If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed.
Yours sincerely
Eva Hextall FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
