Loading Page...

Why is London Transport card called Oyster?

because of the metaphorical implications of security and value in the hard bivalve shell and the concealed pearl. Its associations with London through Thames estuary oyster beds and the major relevance of the popular idiom the world is your oyster were also significant factors in its selection.



People Also Ask

About a quarter of contactless payments are now made using either Apple or Google Pay, a figure that is ticking up all the time. In contrast, only 5.7m of the tens of millions of Oyster cards in circulation are still active. And as for paper tickets, in the past month just 1.7% of passengers bought them.

MORE DETAILS

How much does an Oyster card cost? The Oyster card costs £7. You then add money to the card to pay for your travel. The £7 fee is not a deposit.

MORE DETAILS

It's more than 50% cheaper than buying a paper Travelcard or single tickets with cash. Oyster cards have a daily price cap – once you reach this limit, you won't pay for any additional journeys (excluding Thames Clippers River Bus where there is no capping).

MORE DETAILS

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.

MORE DETAILS

Never expires: You can stash your Oyster card for your next trip and, even if it is many years later, it will still work. All you need to do is top up when you're there and you're ready to go!

MORE DETAILS

Pay as you go You 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.

MORE DETAILS

Oyster cards You can pay as you go to travel on bus, Tube, tram, DLR, London Overground, most Elizabeth line, IFS Cloud Cable Car and Thames Clippers River Bus services. You can also travel on most National Rail services in London and some outside London.

MORE DETAILS

The most convenient places to buy an Oyster card are Underground stations across London, including Heathrow airport. You can buy one using either cash or your credit/debit card. Although there are a few manned ticket offices in London, the likelihood is that you will buy an Oyster card from a ticket machine.

MORE DETAILS

Pay as you go fares are cheaper than buying a paper single ticket or Day Travelcard. 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).

MORE DETAILS

You can use a contactless card or mobile device, such as a phone or watch, to pay as you go on all our services. Overseas transaction fees or charges may apply for non-UK cards.

MORE DETAILS

You can use Oyster Pay As You Go in London on all suburban trains stopping in Zones 1 – 9 and journeys to: Broxbourne, Rye House, St. Margarets, Ware and Hertford East. Gatwick Airport.

MORE DETAILS

Heathrow Airport is in Zone 6 of London's zoned transport system. To understand the zone system which is the basis for all fares on the London Underground, read our using the London Underground page. London's tube system is called the London Underground and not Metro London, as is common in some other Major cities.

MORE DETAILS

All orders of Travelcards and Visitor Oyster cards are dispatched within 24 hours of being placed, Monday to Friday. Our fulfillment warehouse is closed at the weekends. Any order placed after 08:30 (GMT) on a Friday will be dispatched the following Monday (excluding public holidays).

MORE DETAILS

In conclusion, the main difference between Standard and Visitor Oyster cards is that Standard Oyster cards are reusable, while Visitor Oyster cards are disposable. In addition, standard Oyster cards do not come with a daily price cap, while Visitor Oyster cards do.

MORE DETAILS