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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Pay as you go at adult rate on buses and trams and our Hopper fare gives you unlimited journeys for £1.75, made within one hour of touching in. Hopper fare also applies to discounted rate travel. Touch in using the same card or device on all journeys and you get our Hopper fare automatically.
London 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.
London buses are 'cashless'. You can't buy a bus ticket on the bus. To pay for travel by bus in London you need one of the following: a Pay as you go Oyster card.
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.
Load your TAP card electronically with regional and local transit passes, Stored Value (cash amount) or transfers. Then tap your card on the TAP target each time you board a bus or train and the farebox, validator or turnstile will deduct the correct fare.
You tap in and the machine immediately deducts the flat fare. The driver will see you do this and challenge you if you don't. It's a flat fare for a trip of any length and this makes tapping out unnecessary. Indeed flat fares were introduced to make this work.
If you don't have a default set on your card and you forget to tap off at the end of your trip, you'll be charged the fare to the last stop on the train line or bus route and with your fare type and any applicable loyalty discounts applied.
In most cases, paying by card is more convenient than cash, though we do recommend carrying a small amount of cash for parking, taxis, small purchases and tips. Ideally, take a Wise Mastercard and a Visa debit or credit card with you – plus a small amount of cash.
You must use an alternative method of payment if you forget your Oyster photocard. We also have the right to charge you a penalty fare if you travelled without your Oyster photocard, and didn't pay for your journey.
Typically, passengers get on through the front door and get off through the back door. This makes getting on and off easier and smoother for everyone. Be sure to head to the back door once the bus has stopped at your stop.
London buses are all cashless, so you need an Oyster card, Travelcard or contactless payment card to ride. Bus fare is £1.75, and a day of bus-only travel will cost a maximum of £5.25. You can transfer to other buses or trams for free an unlimited number of times within one hour of touching in for your first journey.