Buying tickets and Oyster

You can buy tickets and Oyster cards online and from places across London.

Many Tube and DLR stations don't accept cash and only accept card payments at ticket machines to top up or buy tickets. Find out which stations are still accepting cash.

Oyster

You can get an Oyster card:

You need to pay £5 for an Oyster card.

If you got your Oyster card before 23 February 2020, you can get your £5 refunded when you don't need your card anymore. If you got your Oyster card on or after this date, your £5 will be refunded automatically as pay as you go credit after one year, when you make a journey with your card. You must collect your refund within six months or you won't be eligible to receive it.

Oyster cards aren't accepted at stations between Reading and Iver.

Buying multiple Oyster cards

If you're buying more than ten Oyster cards, call 0343 222 1234 (call charges may apply).

You'll receive an invoice for payment and once made, all cards are delivered to one address.

Topping up pay as you go credit

Top up your Oyster card:

Bus & Tram Pass

You can buy a Bus & Tram Pass:

  • Online with a contactless and Oyster account, if you have a UK bank account (7 Day, Monthly and Annual Passes)
  • Using the free TfL Oyster and contactless app (7 Day, Monthly and Annual Passes)
  • At Oyster ticket stops in many newsagents in London (One Day, 7 Day and Monthly Passes)
  • London Overground and most TfL Rail ticket offices (One Day paper ticket)
  • From ticket machines at Tube, London Overground and most TfL Rail stations (One Day paper ticket, 7 Day and Monthly)
  • At Visitor Centres (One Day paper ticket, 7 Day, Monthly and Annual Passes)

Single and return tickets

You can buy paper tickets for single and return journeys on Tube, DLR, London Overground, TfL Rail and National Rail services:

  • From ticket machines at Tube, DLR, London Overground, TfL Rail and National Rail stations
  • From ticket offices at London Overground, TfL Rail and National Rail stations

Travelcards

You can buy Day Travelcards (paper ticket):

  • From ticket machines at Tube, DLR, London Overground, TfL Rail and National Rail stations
  • From ticket offices at London Overground, TfL Rail and National Rail stations
  • At Visitor Centres
  • At the Tramlink Shop in Croydon

You can buy Travelcards on Oyster:

  • Online with a contactless and Oyster account, if you have a UK bank account (7 Day, Monthly, 3 month, 6 month or odd period and Annual Travelcard)
  • Using the free TfL Oyster and contactless app (7 Day, Monthly and 3 or 6 month and Annual Travelcard)
  • At Oyster ticket stops in many newsagents in London (7 Day and Monthly Travelcards)
  • At ticket offices at London Overground, most TfL Rail and National Rail stations (7 Day, Monthly, 3 month, 6 month or odd period and Annual Travelcard)
  • At ticket machines at Tube, London Overground, most TfL Rail and National Rail stations (7 Day or Monthly Travelcard)
  • At Visitor Centres (All Visitor Centres sell 7 Day and Monthly Travelcards. Heathrow, King's Cross, Liverpool Street, Piccadilly Circus and Victoria Visitor Centres sell 3 month, 6 month and odd period Travelcards)

Register your card

Create a contactless and Oyster account and add your card to it. If you don't and you lose your card or it gets stolen, you can't get a refund or replacement.

Tickets for visitors

You buy a Visitor Oyster card to pay as you go or a Travelcard (paper ticket) in advance, from:

  • Visitor Shop
  • Buying tickets from abroad
  • VisitBritain
  • Gatwick Airport - Information Centre, Gatwick Express ticket office, terminal desks and the Southern Railways ticket office
  • Stansted Airport - Information Centre, Stansted Express ticket office and the National Express coaches ticket office
  • On board Eurostar trains to London
  • The London Pass