Should I use contactless or an Oyster card when I travel?

Are you visiting London or travelling there regularly? You might wonder if you need an Oyster card in 2025. The answer is simpler now: contactless payment – where you tap your bank card, phone or smartwatch to pay – is usually your best option for most travellers!

Daily and weekly caps apply to both

Fares and capping are exactly the same whether you use an Oyster card or a contactless payment method. That means you'll never pay more than the daily or weekly maximum when travelling across different zones – whichever method you use.

Transport for London (TfL) has fully integrated contactless payment across all services throughout its network. All payment methods receive the same fare structure, but contactless offers the convenience of automatic capping without needing to buy a separate travelcard.

Mobile payments through Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay work perfectly too - so you can just tap your phone or smartwatch! This contactless technology has become the preferred payment method for many Londoners and visitors alike.

Oyster still has some special uses

Oyster cards remain useful for:

• Applying Railcard discounts – only Oyster lets you add most Railcards (like 16-25, Senior, or Disabled Person’s Railcard) to get up to 1/3 off off-peak fares and daily caps
• Children under 16 who need special discount cards
• Visitors who don't have UK contactless cards (though tourist contactless cards are now widely available)
• People receiving certain travel discounts or concessions
• Those who prefer to budget by pre-loading specific amounts

If you already have an Oyster card with a discount attached, keep using it! But most London commuters now use contactless for convenience. Keep in mind that Oyster cards cost £7 to purchase, so make sure to factor that cost into your travel.

Is Oyster cheaper than contactless?

No – fares are the same for both. Oyster could be cheaper if you connect it to a Railcard to get the same 33% discount as you would with a National Rail ticket.

Contactless payment is now universal

In 2025, all London transport services accept contactless:

• Buses and Tubes
• London Overground
• Trams
• Docklands Light Railway
• Elizabeth Line
• Transport for London Rail
• River Bus
• Emirates Air Line
• All National Rail services in the London area (but some services outside London may still require a paper ticket or railcard)

The latest improvement in 2024 was the extension of contactless payment to all suburban rail services within the Greater London boundary.

Important tips for 2025 travellers

• Keep your phone charged if using mobile payment
• Always use the same card or device for all journeys
• Register your contactless card on the TfL website to easily track your journeys
• Foreign visitors should check with their bank about overseas transaction fees
• Remember that touching the same card both in and out is essential to pay the correct fare

London's transport payment system is now one of the most user-friendly in the world - tap and go!