Request ID: FOI-2667-2122 Date published: 17 March 2022
You asked
How much credit in total is still sitting on old ZIP cards which have been replaced i.e. When I request a replacement ZIP card, it says it will automatically transfer the balance to the new card, but the balance only transfers if the new card is tapped within 4 days. If the new card is not tapped within 4 days then the balance is not transferred. So how much Customer Credit from replacement ZIP cards is TFL currently holding on to.
We answered
TfL Ref: FOI-2667-2122 Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 18 February 2022, asking for information about Zip Oyster photocards. 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: How much credit in total is still sitting on old ZIP cards which have been replaced i.e. When I request a replacement ZIP card, it says it will automatically transfer the balance to the new card, but the balance only transfers if the new card is tapped within 4 days. If the new card is not tapped within 4 days then the balance is not transferred. So how much Customer Credit from replacement ZIP cards is TFL currently holding on to. When Zip replacement cards are issued, any remaining Pay as You Go (PAYG) balance is transferred to the new card and sent to the customer. No further action is required by the customer. The only times when the balance isn’t transferred is when the card is close to expiry. In those cases customers can contact us for a refund.
A total of 29 Zip cards, which were replaced by another card and which had a positive balance at the time of replacement, transferred no Pay as You Go credit to the new card. This results in a credit value of £212.05 remaining on those cards. With regard to your specific comment that the balance only transfers if the new card is tapped within 4 days, if a customer has been refunded PAYG to their card by a Customer Service agent, then they have to collect the PAYG at a gate reader within 4 days. This is different from balance transfers, which happens automatically. 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
