Our Ref:          FOI-2740-1819

Thank you for your request received on 17 January 2019 asking for information about Oyster card balances.
 
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy. I can confirm we do hold the information you require. You asked:
 
•       The total current negative balance on Oyster cards
 
As of 8 January 2019, the total value of cards with negative credit was -£13,502,340.87. There were a total of 8.8m cards with a negative balance.
 
•       Whether this debt is written off, and after how long
•       How much has been written off each year since Oyster cards were introduced
 
All Oyster card balances, both positive and negative, stay forever until the customer cancels the card. This is unlike most other cities in the world where balances expire after a set period. A card with a negative balance may only be reused once it is topped up. The Oyster card deposit has been there specifically to prevent customers having an incentive to discard cards with a negative balance.
 
For accounting purposes we recognise balances on unused cards into revenue after two years of the card remaining continuously unused. This does not affect balances on the card and we will honour any balance if the card returns into use.
 
•       The total amount of credit held on Oyster cards as of January 1st 2019
 
As of 8 January 2019, the total value of cards with positive credit was £288,169,690.87. There were a total of 61.4m cards with a zero/positive balance.
 
This information is also routinely published on our website:
 
https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/oyster-card#on-this-page-1
 
If this is not the information you are looking for please feel free to contact me.
 
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal.

Yours sincerely

Gemma Jacob
Senior FOI Case Officer
FOI Case Management Team
General Counsel
Transport for London

[email protected]