Please provide the cost per transaction - including any commission - to TfL of an Oyster card Pay As You Go top-up made through each of the following means: London Underground self-service machines London Overground outlets London Underground ticket offices / Visitor Centres Oyster ticket stops TfL Oyster app Where the costs vary by payment method (i.e cash v debit / credit card) please provide a cost per payment method.

---

Our ref: FOI-2849-1819

Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 25 January 2019 asking for information about the cost of Oyster card Pay As You Go top-ups.

Your request has been considered under the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and our information access policy. I can confirm that we do hold some of the information you require.

However, we do not hold data to identify the individual costs of making Pay As You Go top-ups at each type of station, as any such costs are part of the overall ‘business as usual’ services offered by the outlets you have listed.

We did an exercise in 2015 to assess the overall cost of accepting cash at London Underground stations.  This estimated that the average specific cost of accepting cash for all ticket types was around 2.7% of the value taken.

We pay Oyster Ticket Stops a commission of 2% for each Pay As You Go top-up.

We are not obliged to provide you with the cost of accepting bank card payments as this information 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. These costs form part of a contract which is due to be re-let later this year and therefore is the subject of competitive tender and subsequent negotiations. Disclosure of the current cost of accepting card payments could hinder our ability to negotiate the best value for money in the future.

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 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.

  

If you are not satisfied with this response please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal.

Yours sincerely

Graham Hurt

FOI Case Officer

FOI Case Management Team

General Counsel

Transport for London

Back to top

---