What happens if a TfL payment gets declined?

They'll also attempt to take payment using your card details up to 3 more times, on different days, within 30 days of the first one being declined. You can pay any unpaid fare through your TfL online account or by phoning TfL on 0343 222 1234 (call charges apply).



If a TfL (Transport for London) payment gets declined, here’s what typically happens, depending on the payment method and situation:

For Contactless (card/device) or Oyster card auto-top-up:

  1. First Decline (at a gate/validator): - The gate won’t open or the validator will show a red light. - You’ll need to use another payment method to complete your journey immediately.

  2. TfL will attempt to re-try the payment: - They usually make up to 3 further attempts over the following few days. - If payment is taken later, your journey will be charged normally.

  3. If payment ultimately fails: - You’ll receive an Unpaid Fare Notice via email or post. - You must pay the outstanding amount plus a £10 administration fee. - You have 30 days to pay before further action is taken.

For Oyster card (pay-as-you-go):

  • If you have insufficient pay-as-you-go balance, you won’t be able to touch in.
  • You must add credit at a ticket machine, online, or via the TfL Oyster app before traveling.

Important consequences:

  • Capping won’t apply until the unpaid fare is settled.
  • Payment cards may be blocked from further travel until the debt is cleared.
  • Oyster cards may be temporarily suspended if linked to unpaid fares.

What you should do:

  1. Check your payment method has sufficient funds.
  2. Settle any unpaid fares promptly to avoid the £10 fee

People Also Ask

If your contactless payments are repeatedly denied even after a Chip & PIN input, however, there's either a problem with your card or a problem with the store. Perhaps a malfunction of sorts, or it has expired, or there's an issue with your account.

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How will Transport for London (TfL) travel charges be shown on my card statements? Your monthly statements will always refer to TfL as either 'TfL.gov.uk/CP' or 'TfL Travel', followed by the type of transaction, 'Charge' or 'Refund'.

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If you still feel you've been incorrectly charged, you'll then need to contact TfL to resolve this for you. If you've been charged a maximum fare because you've touched in with one card and touched out with another, we're only able to refund the charge that applied to your Barclays debit card or Barclaycard.

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The charge will usually be applied to your account within 3 days of travel. A single charge will be made for each day travelled, as TfL calculates your fares for all your journeys across each day. Find out more about TfL's contactless card service.

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You may be able to complete your journey, but your card will then be temporarily stopped and you won't be able to use it to make any further journeys until the outstanding amount is paid to TfL. However, you should still be able to use your card with other retailers.

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For the travel and payment history of the past seven days, you may consult the records without registration: https://contactless.tfl.gov.uk/UnregisteredCustomer/Show. Otherwise, you can create a TfL account and register your card there: https://accounts.tfl.gov.uk/Register.

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In addition, it does not affect your credit rating in any way. You have the right to challenge the registration of the debt by making an application to file (dependant on the type of contravention), either a Statutory Declaration or Witness statement, Out of Time.

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Contactless cards If your bank card shows the contactless payment symbol, you can use it to pay as you go straight away. You'll pay an adult rate fare. Many contactless cards issued outside the UK can be used to pay as you go for travel (overseas transaction fees may apply): American Express (AMEX)

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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.

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If you have a credit/debit card that supports contactless payment then use it, this will be your cheapest fare, though if you are from overseas your provider may have foreign exchange charges. Oyster Cards have the same fare structure as contactless payment cards.

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Why do I have a £0.10 charge from Transport for London (TfL)? When you use your Starling card on public transport (like TfL) - they'll do a card check, which will show a small payment of £0.10. They'll update the amount once they work out your fare after a few days.

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