Pay as you go with contactless extension

Due to an ongoing cyber security incident at TfL, pay as you go with contactless will no longer launch at 47 stations on 22 September. These include the 12 SWR stations previously announced as part of the expansion. We are working with TfL to reschedule the launch, and an update will be provided in due course.

For more information please visit Pay As You Go with Contactless | National Rail

When pay as you go with a contactless launches, you will be able to pay as you go with a contactless card or device at more National Rail stations across the South East including 12 South Western Railway stations. These stations are:

Turn up, touch in, and go 

Pay as you go with contactless is a fast, flexible and simple way to pay for journeys across the South East.

• No need to queue for a ticket, buy a ticket or top up before you travel.
• All you need to travel is to touch in and out with your contactless card or device.
• Seamlessly switch between London Underground, DLR, London Bus and tram services and an increasing number of National Rail stations across the South East.
• Only pay for the journeys you make.
• Benefit from daily and Monday to Sunday capping into and within London.
• We’ll work out the cheapest adult fare for your journey on the day you travel.

Find out where you can travel using pay as you go with contactless.

Paying with contactless

All major credit and debit cards are accepted by contactless card readers as long as it shows the contactless payment symbol. You can also pay as you go with contactless devices such as phones, watches, key fobs, stickers or wristbands.

Find out more about pay as you go with contactless

Pay as you go with contactless fares are determined by the time you touch in with your contactless card or device:

• Morning peak fares apply 06:30 to 09:30, Monday to Friday, on all pay as you go with contactless journeys.
• Evening peak fares apply 16.00 to 19.00, Monday to Friday, when travelling from or via any station in London (fare Zones 1-9).
• Off-peak fares are charged at all other times.

Pay as you go with contactless may not always be the cheapest way to pay for your journey.

• If you have a Railcard or are eligible for other discounts (like a Child discount), it may be cheaper to buy a ticket for your journey. Currently discounts cannot be applied when you pay as you with contactless.
• If you make the same journey regularly, buying a Season ticket (weekly, monthly, annual or Flexi Season) may be better value.
• If you usually make a point-to-point journey (e.g. Staines to Clapham Junction) and you do not require a Travelcard, buying daily tickets or using Tap2Go may offer better value. Tap2Go also offers weekly capping on point-to-point journeys

Find out more about pay as you go with contactless fares

Find out if you save with a Season ticket.

Please note: peak and off-peak times vary when buying traditional tickets. More information can be found here.

Capping with pay as you go with contactless

Use the same contactless card or device for every journey into and within London, and you could benefit from daily and Monday to Sunday capping. Which means when your pay as you go with contactless journeys add up to a certain amount in a day or week (Monday to Sunday), you won't be charged any more. For maximum benefit, start using your contactless card or device on a Monday.

Please note:

• Your pay as you go with contactless fare is capped at either a Peak, Off Peak or Weekly (Monday to Sunday) price.
• Depending on how often you travel and where you’re travelling to, it may be better value to buy a Season ticket (weekly, monthly, annual or Flexi Season).
• Capping is not available for pay as you go with contactless on journeys that avoid London altogether.

Find out more about capping

Some things to remember when travelling with contactless:

• Always touch in and out, using the same card or device either on the yellow reader on the ticket gates or, where these are not available, using a validator, usually located at platform entrances/exits.
• Check that pay as you go with contactless is available at your destination.
• Avoid card clash - only touch one card or device on the reader.
• On a bus or tram you only need to touch in. For further information please refer to https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/how-to-pay-and-where-to-buy-tickets-and-oyster/pay-as-you-go/touching-in-and-out?intcmp=54751
• Check you have enough battery to complete your journey when paying with a contactless device.
• You may be asked to show your contactless card or device for inspection. Simply touch your card on the reader when asked by a member of staff.

It is your responsibility to touch in at the start of your journey and touch out at the end of your journey to pay the correct adult fare. If you don’t touch in and out on each journey you make, we won’t know where you have travelled, so we can’t charge the right fare. If this happens your journey will be incomplete, and you will be charged a maximum fare.

For full details please go to tfl.gov.uk/contactless.

Help with pay as you go with contactless

If you have any questions about your journey on National Rail services, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.  

If you need help with contactless payments, you need to view your journey history, or want to apply for a refund on a contactless payment, please contact Transport for London (TfL):

• https://contactless.tfl.gov.uk/
• Telephone: 0343 222 1234

General contactless questions & troubleshooting