UK Oyster Card or Touch Credit Card

Transportation, Travel and Trips
1
It seems that when travel back to blighty, paying for public transport by Oyster Card or Touch Credit Card is the only way to pay, which is not a bad thing as I don't like carrying cash.

The question is, if anyone knows if it costs more to pay with Touch Credit Card or Oyster Card? I couldn't get this information from the TFL, I assume it would cost the same but wondering if there are any differences? if not, then this will save me having to carry 2 cards and avoid the extra process for loading the Oyster Card with funds.

I know Oyster Cards will keep records of where I have travelled and this is easily downloadable, but I'm not fussed with that functionality.

I also use the "Train" app to buy tickets for my travel from Gatwick and this could get very fiddly as you need to queue up to print the tickets, but I've seen that it's possible to use the Touch Credit Card on the overground train as well and was wondering if there's a benefit in using the app as sometimes you can get discounted fares?

2
Do you mean public transport just in London? In my experience it's utterly easy to load and use. Can't help with the other thing. It seems like you're worrying a bit over not much.

Edit: ah. Contactless payment. Get an oyster card. Minimal faff to start with. Easy thereafter. Not heavy. Won't weigh you down.

Follow TFL advice .

3
For LU, including buses and the DLR, i found using my normal bank card easier (a UK card). Less cards in your wallet, no need to fiddle with the ticket machine or talk to a cashier, if you find one.

Imagine you get a prepaid Oyster: you put in 25 pounds, use up about 18 pounds. Then you take it with you and will swear not to forget to take it with you next time you go to London, and 50/50 chance you will. Then the card may get lost in the bowels of household items and bye bye to 7 quid. Of course, you can ask for the balance back, but good luck finding an operating cashier's window these days. I took a few of those Oysters (a few accumulated over the year) to london one time, found a cashier and asked to return money left on them. Each of them was on a different card, some on my OH's who wasn't with me at the time, so it ended up being a complete waste of time: cashier's and mine.

Generally, it's just to much stuff to think about, another card in the wallet to think of. Save yourself time.

Sorry for the long story, I hope the 2 minutes of you reading this will save you hours.

4
Exactly, I have tonnes of Oyster cards with a quid or two on them. Better to use a contactless debit card these days. But if you don't trust it or want your movements recorded, use an Oyster, and should you forget to top it up, then use the contactless until you get to a top up station. Its easy.

5
The question is if you have a UK debit card or not. If not UK, then would suggest oyster, as believe one would likely incur bank charges for foreign, non UK Cards, like in any transaction.

We prefer to use oyster, have them registered and can check on line usuage, handy as sometimes have been overcharged, so then apply for refund on line. We do not check often, but if suddenly see usuage is more than expected then check.

re Overground usuage - there is a daily maximum charge for oyster* within greater London area, charge varies depending which zones you use & if you have been in peak time or not Monday to Friday. Believe the same * applies for all contactless card payments. Many if not all London Overground (BR) trains are included in this Oyster daily charge.

Gatwick - Not sure if Gatwick express is different, but other Gatwick trains to London, if for example you knew you would be using a daily charge ticket, then you would I think be charged from edge of whatever zone you reached the daily charge for, a usual example would be zone 6, though I presume would be the same if you reached target for zones 1 & 2. Probably for many travelling, they do one way journey on arrival so would not be in that category. Though possible more complicated one might have to buy the daily charged ticket before buying the Gatwick ticket, I am guessing that bit.

Ticket offices, London Underground (Tube) no longer have ticket offices, not sure if perhaps Heathrow does, as an exception.

If you have a problem with using the oyster machine in a London Underground station, there should be a member of staff somewhere around who you can ask for assistance.

Many Overground stations still have ticket offices with limited hours.

Oyster machines are in London Underground stations as well as Overground stations. I believe one can buy an oyster through the machine as well as get a refund and return the card that way - it may be that you have to register all your cards online, then apply for return of them as well any money on them, before you can return the cards into the machines - I am not sure.

There are also some shops that you can top up your oyster card, you look for the oyster card on their shop windows, a bit like if they sell lotto/euromillions tickets.

We do have several spare oyster cards, find them very handy for friends visiting London from Outside UK.

BTW, believe there is also a phone appliance you can use to pay, but have never used that system, presume it works the same way.

Finally when using the contactless, whether oyster or another, make sure there is only one in your wallet or whatever when touching the Oyster thingie in and exit, as can either cause double charge or affect the daily Top charge, example if it took payment from one card for one transaction /journey, but took the payments for the other journies from another

ps: Tourist note, there are some London attractions that offer discounts with an oyster card usuage, not sure if that would be the same for other contactless payments

6
As you said, Oyster is good when you live in London. Otherwise it's way too much to deal with for people who travel to the city not very often. There are already too many cards, online registrations, login details, pins and other codes to remember to add yet another thing to these.

OK, using foreign contactless may incur additional charges (per day normally), so if the OP is using a swiss CC in London anyway, it wouldn't hurt the OP's wallet.

Pay as you go Oysters (the only type a tourist can get) will get no discounts at any attractions.

7
I used a swiss credit card and just got normal conversion rate fees from my bank (negligible). Oyster card would have cost a lot more considering there would have been leftovers.

8
Just an FYI: You can buy and return Oystercards at most machines now (no ticket office needed) so you can get your deposit and any remaining cash back at the end of your journey. Super easy, did it last weekend with no problems.

And on another note, contactless only does a Monday to Sunday cap for weekly tickets. Nothing longer. So if you're in London for more than a few days and don't arrive on a Monday, Oyster can start a weekly travelcard any day of the week and allows for monthly passes.

I've also had my visa card blocked several times using contactless and this was very annoying, especially when trying to catch a bus and being denied a ride. Apparently Amex and MC don't have this issue.

There are pros and cons for both!

9
Use your Revolut card. There was a bunch of free ones on offer here ,,,

10
Maybe it may not so much related with your question but as an extra info;

last week I was in london with my girlfriend. We landed Luthon airport and to go to city center we used a private bus company. but in the center we bought Oyster Card for 7 days. I think it costs 72 pounds for 2 people and for the zone 1-2. 7 days later you can bring your card and get back your deposit because the card costs also 5 pounds but we've returned earlier than this so we still have the cards and we can use the cards in our next trip.

I found the card very practical if someone uses metro/bus often and its not so expensive. There were several options for the card. 1 day, 1 week and ... (I dont remember). You can buy it from the machines and a staff helps people..