How to Buy an Oyster Card

London Underground: Oyster Card and Contactless Payment at a Glance

Before we dive into the details of the Oyster Card and contactless payment (using a credit card or smartphone) for getting around London, here’s a quick overview of the options:

By the way: Paper tickets still exist, but they’re hardly used and won’t be updated anymore. We’ve also noticed that ticket readers sometimes struggle with them. On top of that, paper tickets don’t qualify for reduced fares – so you’ll end up paying more.

What is the Oyster Card?

The Oyster Card is a rechargeable card for the Underground, buses, trams and Thames Clippers in London. Instead of buying single tickets, you just get the card once and top it up as needed.

When you travel, you simply tap your Oyster Card on the reader and the cheapest possible fare is deducted automatically.

There are four types of Oyster Card:

1. Visitor Oyster Card: Designed for adult tourists. This is the one you’ll want!
2. Young Visitor Oyster Card: For kids and teens aged 11 to 15. Perfect for your child.
3. Standard Oyster Card: The regular rechargeable card for London residents.
4. Zip Oyster Card: For 16- to 25-year-olds living in London.

For a trip to London, only the Visitor Oyster Card and the Young Visitor Oyster Card are relevant. Let’s take a closer look at both:

Visitor Oyster Card Explained

The Visitor Oyster Card is the perfect travel pass for adults – whether you’re coming for a long weekend or staying a whole week.

As mentioned above, it’s a rechargeable ticket you can use on buses, trains and even the Thames Clippers.

Good to know:

1. The card isn’t registered to a person, so you can pass it on – but it can’t be used by more than one person at the same time!
2. You have to order it online in advance – for example through visitbritainshop.com. It’s not available to buy once you’re in London.
3. The fares are the same as with the standard Oyster Card.
4. You’ll never pay more than the daily cap for the zones you travel in.
5. You also get discounts at selected shops, restaurants and attractions – like the London Eye and the Tower of London.

Not the type who likes to order things in advance? Then you can simply buy the Standard Oyster Card once you’re in London – at tube stations or the airport, for example.

Keep in mind though: The Standard Oyster Card doesn’t include extra perks for tourists, like discounts on entry tickets. Only the Visitor Oyster Card, which has to be ordered online, comes with these benefits.

So if the discounts matter to you, you’ll need to order the Visitor Oyster Card. If not, and you prefer to stay flexible, the Standard Oyster Card is a good alternative.

Young Visitor Oyster Card: All You Need to Know

The Young Visitor Oyster Card is designed for kids and teens aged 11 to 15 visiting London.

It’s not a separate card, but a discounted fare that can be added to a Visitor Oyster Card or Standard Oyster Card at the station (for example at Heathrow, Paddington, King’s Cross, Liverpool Street or Victoria).

Each child needs their own Oyster Card and must be there in person when the discount is applied. You can’t set it up online in advance.

With the Young Visitor discount, kids get about 50% off fares for buses, trains and boats – a big money saver for families.

Good to know:

1. The card is personal and can only be used by the child it’s registered to.
2. It can only be arranged in London once you arrive – it’s not available to order online in advance.
3. You’ll never pay more than the daily cap for the zones your child travels in.
4. The Young Visitor discount is valid for 14 days from first use.
5. For longer stays, kids will need to switch to a regular Oyster Card.
6. Children under 11 travel free when accompanied by a paying adult.

How to Buy, Use and Top Up Your Oyster Card

#1 Buy a Visitor Oyster Card Online

You can only buy the Visitor Oyster Card, which comes with extra tourist discounts, online. It’s not sold in London. On site, you’ll only find the Standard Oyster Card without perks. Order the Visitor Oyster Card two to three weeks before your trip.

The card costs a few pounds more plus shipping. But if you like to plan ahead, it’s worth it.

Order your Visitor Oyster Card online here

When you order, you’ll be asked for a departure date – the day you leave for London. This tells the provider when the card should be activated and ensures delivery in time.

How much credit should you load? Plan for about £10 per day. That’s a little more than the daily cap. Any unused balance can be refunded if you request it.

#2 Buy a Standard Oyster Card in London

If you prefer to decide on the spot, you can pick up a Standard Oyster Card at a ticket machine when you arrive, for example at the airport (Stansted, Heathrow & Gatwick). Here’s how:

• Select “buy and top up” and then “get new cards”
• Choose how many cards you want and how much balance to load (£5 to £90)
• Pay the amount (many machines only accept card payments)

Important: The Oyster Card has a £7 activation fee. So if you top up £20, you’ll pay £27 in total. This fee is not refunded at the end of your trip.

Also note: the Standard Oyster Card is mainly for Londoners and doesn’t include tourist discounts. Only the Visitor Oyster Card offers those.

#3 Using Your Oyster Card

Tapping in and out is simple. Hold your card to the yellow reader both when entering and leaving the Underground. At the turnstiles, you’ll automatically be reminded.

The correct fare is deducted and the display shows what the trip cost and how much credit is left.

Important: On buses, you only need to tap once when you get on.

Tip: If you’re traveling to London with kids or luggage, use the wider gates with the wheelchair symbol. The regular ones close quickly and your bags can get stuck.

#4 Topping Up Your Oyster Card

If your balance runs low, you can easily add more credit at a machine. Here’s how:

• Select “top up and buy”
• Hold your card to the reader to see the remaining balance, then remove it
• Choose how much credit to add and pay
• Hold the card to the reader again to load the balance

You can also top up at one of the many Oyster Ticket Stops across London.

The Daily Cap in London

The daily cap means that no matter how many journeys you take on the Underground, bus, tram or Thames Clippers, you’ll never pay more than the maximum set price for that day.

The cap depends on which zones you travel in.

As soon as you start using an Oyster Card or contactless payment (credit card, smartphone, smartwatch), all trips are counted automatically. Once you reach the daily limit, the rest of your journeys that day are free.

Just make sure you always use the same card (either your Oyster or your bank card).

These are the daily caps in London:

• Zone 1-2 (Central London): £8.50
• Zone 1-3 (Inner London): £10.10
• Zone 1-4 (Outer areas like Wimbledon): £12.00
• Zone 1-5 (Suburbs such as Harrow): £14.30
• Zone 1-6 (Heathrow and the outermost areas): £15.60

(as of June 2025)

Oyster Card Alternative: Contactless with Your Credit Card

Another option for getting around London is the “tap system” – in other words, contactless payment with your credit card.

You don’t need an Oyster Card for this. Just hold your credit card or smartphone/smartwatch with a saved card to the reader, and the correct fare for your journey will be charged automatically.

No registration needed, no setup required.

The daily cap also applies here, so you’ll never pay more than the maximum amount for your zones in a day. (We explain the Daily Cap in more detail below.)

These cards and payment methods work:

• Visa, Mastercard, American Express
• Visa Debit, Mastercard Debit
• Maestro (depending on your bank)
• Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay

German EC cards (like Volksbank Girocard) don’t work with the tap system, even if they have contactless. In that case, you can either buy an Oyster Card or get a travel credit card – which will come in handy for future trips too.

How to Use the Tap System with a Credit Card

The tap system really couldn’t be easier.

When entering or leaving the Underground, just hold your card, phone or watch (with a stored card, Apple Pay or Google Pay) against the reader. The gates open, and off you go.

You’ll always be charged the lowest fare. The daily cap applies here too, so you’ll never pay more than the set daily limit.

Important: On buses, you only need to tap once when boarding. Don’t tap out again – we once did by mistake and got charged twice. Lesson learned!

Oyster Card or Tap System: Which Should You Choose?

In terms of cost, both options – Oyster Card and the tap system – are identical, since they use the same fares.

That means you’ll always pay the cheapest rate for your route and time of travel.

Advantages of the Oyster Card:

• Easier to track your spending
• Daily cap ensures you never pay more than the set maximum (also true for the tap system)
• No credit card required
• Great savings for families

Disadvantages of the Oyster Card:

• You have to buy the card first
• It can get lost
• You need to top up credit regularly

Advantages of the Tap system:

• No extra card needed
• Perfect for occasional trips (if you’re walking a lot)
• Daily cap ensures you never pay more than the set maximum (also true for Oyster Card)

Disadvantages of the Tap system:

• Relies on tech (though we’ve never had any issues)

Oyster Card or Tap System? Two Typical Scenarios

To make the choice even easier, here are two common travel situations with our tips on which option works best.

Traveling as a Couple or with Friends

Recommendation: Tap system (credit card/smartphone/smartwatch)

If you’re visiting London with a partner or friends, the tap system is the easiest and most flexible solution. Everyone simply uses their own credit card or phone/watch with contactless payment.

Advantages:

• No advance purchase needed
• Daily cap is calculated automatically
• No extra card to carry
• No deposit or issuing fee
• No topping up required
• Same fares as the Oyster Card

Note: If you don’t have a credit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay, you can’t use the tap system. In that case, the Oyster Card is a good alternative – even if it comes with a small fee and needs to be topped up.

Traveling as a Family with Two Children

Recommendation: Young Visitor Oyster Card for the kids, Visitor Oyster Card for the parents

For children under 16, the Young Visitor Oyster Card is a great deal. It gives around 50% off all journeys and is valid for 14 days from the first tap.

For parents, we recommend the Visitor Oyster Card. The fares are the same as with the tap system, but it also comes with discounts at certain attractions, shops and restaurants – perfect for saving a bit extra when traveling with kids.

Advantages:

• Kids travel at half price with the Young Oyster Card
• Parents get discounts with the Visitor Oyster Card, e.g. for sightseeing
• Daily cap keeps travel costs under control
• Easier to keep track of your budget
• Cheaper than buying single tickets (there’s no reduced fare for those)

Buy a Visitor Oyster Card

Note: The Young Visitor discount is added to a regular Visitor Oyster Card once you’re in London. We explained how above.

Our Tips for the Oyster Card and Tap System

Do you have questions about using the Oyster Card or public transport in London? Or have you already tried it yourself? Tell us which option you chose in the comments – we’d love to hear about your experience!