Can I use my Oyster card on the river boats?

You can use contactless (card or device) or an Oyster card on the River Bus service operated by Uber Boat by Thames Clippers. Touch in at the start of your journey and touch out at the end on the yellow card readers, and when changing boats, to pay the right fare. Find out more about touching in and out.



Yes, you can use your Oyster card (or contactless payment) to pay for journeys on the Uber Boat by Thames Clippers in London. Unlike the Tube or buses, the river bus service is not part of the standard TfL fare capping system, meaning the cost of a boat trip won't count toward your daily or weekly maximum spend. You must "touch in" on the yellow reader at the pier before boarding and "touch out" when you disembark to ensure the correct fare is calculated based on the zones you travel through. In 2026, if you have a Travelcard loaded onto your Oyster, you automatically receive a 1/3 discount on the river fare. It is important to note that you cannot use "Bus & Tram" passes on the river boats. For 2026 commuters and tourists, the Oyster card remains the fastest way to hop on a boat, though buying tickets via the Uber app is sometimes 10-20% cheaper than the "pay-as-you-go" Oyster rate.

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You can use Oyster Pay As You Go in London on all suburban trains stopping in Zones 1 – 9 and journeys to: Broxbourne, Rye House, St. Margarets, Ware and Hertford East. Gatwick Airport.

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Here is a rail and tube map for Oyster use. No. Oyster cards are only useable within the TFL zones and down to Gatwick. No Oyster Card is a London specific product and can only be used on National Rail services in the Greater London area plus a few specific routes outside.

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An Oyster card covers the majority of public transport options in London, including buses, trams, Underground Tube, Docklands Light Railway (DLR), TfL Rail services and London Overground services in Zones 1-9, all suburban national rail services in zones 1-9, Thames Clipper River Bus services, and the Cable Car service ...

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It's more than 50% cheaper than buying a paper Travelcard or single tickets with cash. Oyster cards have a daily price cap – once you reach this limit, you won't pay for any additional journeys (excluding Thames Clippers River Bus where there is no capping).

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The pass allows free travel on buses, Tube, tram, DLR, London Overground and most National Rail services in London. Pass holders also get a discounted fare on River services and the Emirates Air Line. 60+ Oyster pass holders are not entitled to free travel on services outside of London.

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Never expires: You can stash your Oyster card for your next trip and, even if it is many years later, it will still work. All you need to do is top up when you're there and you're ready to go!

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60+ London Oyster photocard This allows you to travel for free on most public transport in London. You can apply from two weeks before your 60th birthday.

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Unlike Standard Oyster cards, Visitor Oyster cards are disposable and cannot be topped up. Another difference between the two cards is that Visitor Oyster cards come with a daily price cap, which means that you will only pay a certain amount per day, regardless of how many journeys you make.

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Yes, you can sometimes use an Oyster card outside London, but not very far from London. You can't use it in Leeds, nor in other distant cities like Birmingham or Southampton or Glasgow. But some places near London, like Amersham, Watford, Hertford, Shenfield or Redhill do allow Oyster to be used on some services.

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Always touch in on a yellow card reader at the start of your journey and touch out at the end to pay the right fare. (On a bus or tram you only need to touch in.)

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