Pay your fare on cash-free London busesLondon buses are card only, so you cannot buy a ticket with cash. Use a Visitor Oyster card*, an Oyster card, a Travelcard or a contactless payment card to pay your fare. Unlike the Tube zone fare system, a single London bus journey costs £1.75 no matter how far you go.
Is it cheaper to use Oyster or contactless? As both cards use the same Pay As You Go system and are compatible with the TfL Oyster & Contactless app, the costs are comparable. As a tourist in London, it can be worth getting an Oyster Card as part of the London Pass.
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.)
You will be charged the single fare to the end of the route, so always remember to tap off in order to pay the correct fare. If you do forget to tap off and are overcharged as a result, please contact customer services.
Most UK buses do accept cash, London is one of the few cities to have gone cashless on all public transport. In London, you can either pay by using an approved contactless card or an Oyster Card.
Your card may be or is due to expire and has been replaced by your card issuer. Your card may have recently been replaced by your card issuer but not yet activated. Your card may have been reported as lost or stolen and been cancelled by your card issuer.
Pay as you goYou don't have to work out the cost of your journey in advance. You can pay as you go using contactless (card or device), an Oyster card or a Visitor Oyster card. It also offers great value as pay as you go is cheaper than buying single tickets and you get daily and weekly capping.
If you don't have a contactless credit/debit card and don't want to purchase an Oyster card, you can purchase a One Day Bus Pass. The is a paper ticket that gives you unlimited travel until 4:29 AM the following day.
Cons: A £7 cost applies when you get a standard or visitor card. You'll need to top it up in advance of travel. You can't use an Oyster card at any station between Reading and Iver.