What is an Oyster card?
Oyster can be used on the Underground, Overground, TfL Rail, Docklands Light Railway, buses, trams, IFS Cloud Cable Car, River Bus and most National Rail services in London travel zones. An Oyster card can be topped-up with credit for pay as you go travel on London Underground, DLR, London Buses, London tram and National Rail services within the London travel zones (1-9). You will be charged the appropriate fare for your journey. Daily and weekly (Monday – Sunday) Travelcard capping is also available. You can also load various Railcard discounts to your Oyster card. Further details can be found at: https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/free-and-discounted-travel/national-railcard-discount
You can also add season Travelcards as pre-purchased tickets to cover specific London zones. Pre-purchased season products can be purchased and loaded to your Oyster card from the TfL website, the TfL App, Oyster Ticket Stops topping up at SWR self-service ticket machines (inside the London area) and TfL self-service ticket machines.
If your child is travelling within the London fare zones and has a Zip Oyster photocard, they may be eligible for free or discounted travel. The 5-10 Zip Oyster photocard gives free travel and the 11-15 Zip Oyster photocard gives 50% off most fares within the London fare zones.
How do I get an Oyster card?
You can buy an Oyster card on the TfL website, at all TfL stations and some National Rail stations. You’ll need to pay £7 to purchase an Oyster card.
Find out more about buying and using Oyster cards.
How do I use an Oyster card?
Just like with other smartcards or Contactless, make sure you tap in and out on the yellow readers at the gates or validators at stations otherwise you’ll be charged up to a full day fare.
If you have other contactless cards in your wallet, make sure you keep them apart when you tap in and out to avoid card clash.
Contactless
You can use your contactless enabled card or device for pay as you go travel as a convenient alternative to Oyster and paper tickets, and you don’t need to top up in advance.
You can use it on the Underground, Overground, TfL Rail, Docklands Light Railway, buses, trams, IFS Cloud Cable Car, River Bus and most National Rail services in London travel zones (1-9).
Please visit this page for a map showing the South Western Railway network with London travel zones highlighted. You will be charged the appropriate adult fare for your journey. Daily and weekly (Monday – Sunday) Travelcard capping is also available.
For a full map of the London travel zones please visit this website: https://tfl.gov.uk/maps/track
Make sure you tap in and out on the yellow readers at the gates or validators at stations otherwise you’ll be charged a full day ticket.
If you have other contactless cards in your wallet, make sure you keep them apart when you tap in and out to avoid card clash. Remember that if you travel with a contactless card, you must have the card available for inspection if asked by a member of staff. It is important that you use the same card or device to touch in and out to avoid two incomplete journeys.
For contactless travel on the SWR network you'll need Tap2Go. Learn more about Tap2Go.
