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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You also need to tap out if you are travelling on the national railway network if you are travelling on your Oystercard. You do not need to tap out on London buses or trams, as it is a fixed fare. If you try, the system will either just ignore it (The correct response) or charge you another fare.
Should you press the stop button on a bus? If the bus has a stop button, use it. Sometimes you have to pull a cord (usually around and above the windows) or press on a rubbery strip to do the same thing. Watch the other passengers and look around the bus.
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.
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. Unlike the Tube zone fare system, a single London bus journey costs £1.75 no matter how far you go.
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 touch in and out, we can't tell where you've travelled from or to, so your journey will be incomplete. Maximum fares don't count towards capping. If you don't touch in, you may be charged a penalty fare.
If you do not tap out your Oyster card, you will be charged the maximum fare for that journey. This this because most fares are based on zone, distance and time of travel. For you to pay the correct fare, the TfL charging system needs to know your destination station. Tapping out tells TfL the entirety of your journey.
There is no price difference between the Oyster card and contactless card. What is this? 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).
If you don't have time to buy your card online, you can also buy a Visitor Oyster card before arriving in London from different locations in the UK and overseas.
Supports cash: If you want to pay for your transport in London using cash, you can buy and top up an Oyster card with cash. This is normally a lot more cost effective than paying for a cash ticket, with the rare exception of a one-off single journey as you have to consider the cost of the Oyster card.
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 can get an Oyster card at all London airports except London Southend Airport. Heathrow London Airport – exit the airport and follow the signs for the Underground. You can buy an Oyster card at the airport Tube station cashier window.
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.
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.
Buses are also cheaper than trains, with a flat fare of £1.65 per single journey. You can take two bus journeys for the price of one if you touch in using the same card on the second journey within an hour, thanks to the “Hopper Fare”.