Only one person can travel with an Oyster card at any time. If 2 people are travelling together they need 2 Oyster cards. However another person can use your Oyster card when you are not travelling.
People Also Ask
As flanner says, NO. You have to swipe the card to go through the turnstiles of the tube station, or when you get on a bus. You can't swipe it a second time for the second person without exiting the tube station first - and I can't actually think how it would work on a bus...
Can I pay for more than one person with my contactless Barclays card on Transport for London (TfL) services? No, you can only pay for one person per journey with a single contactless card, just like with an Oyster card. Find out more about TfL's contactless card service.
Your Visitor Oyster card offers daily capping. This means you can travel as much as you like in a single day and the amount you pay for your travel is limited (or capped). Find prices for daily capping and Day Travelcards. Use your card and save money at restaurants, shops, galleries and entertainment venues.
Children under 11 years old travel for free on Tube, DLR, London Overground and TfL Rail, when accompanied by an adult who owns an Oyster card. Children between 11 and 15 years old travel for free on tube, DLR and London overground at a reduced rate, provided they have a badge with Oyster Zip 11-15 photo.
There is no price difference between the Oyster card and contactless card. Every time you travel on London's public transport, your contactless payment card is charged the same fare as your Oyster, including cap prices (the maximum amount you'll pay daily and weekly to travel throughout London).
However, if you plan on using public transport regularly in The London area, then an Oyster Card should be the better option for you. This is because you'll be eligible to get a Railcard (which can only be connected to Oyster cards, not contactless cards) and get consistent discounts off travel in the city.
An Oyster Card will also save you money compared to using a Bus & Tram Pass to ride the buses and trams, which don't accept individual tickets or cash any longer. Oyster cards also have a capping system, which can save you even more money.
If you're visiting London for 3 days or less, the best option is to get the Oyster Card, as it's the most cost-effective system. For stays of over 4 days, we recommend getting the 7-day Travelcard, since it's cheaper than getting 7 x 24-hour travelcards.
These can be used instead of buying tickets with cash or using an Oyster card. If you have an Apple Pay or Google pay enabled smartphone, you can also use this as a contactless payment option.
Aged between five and tenAgain, children aged 6 and 10 can travel at no cost on London's Tube, DLR and London Overground, as long as they travel with a fare-paying adult. They do not need an Oyster card, and up to four children can travel at any time with one paying adult.
In addition to cheaper individual rides, when traveling with an Oyster Card, a 'cap' is automatically applied once you reach a certain amount each day. For example, the most you will ever spend in one day when traveling within zones 1 & 2 with an Oyster Card is £7.70.
The pay as you go credit on your Visitor Oyster card never expires so you can keep your card until your next visit, or lend it to family and friends. If you don't need your Visitor Oyster card, you can get the remaining credit refunded.