oyster card

[kat83]

hi, didnt know what cat to stick this Q in! i have just bought my first 'top up' oyster card with �15. however i am a bit unsure how to use it. Do i simply swipe it on the bus? it has no chip or anything in so i am just a bit dubious to how it works? do i state my destination to the driver, as i have seen people just get on and swipe. how does the card know how much to deduct?!

many thanks in anticipation!!!

[JoolsTwo]

Not sure about the buses - but on the underground you swipe in and then out again. The fare is then deducted from the card and it should t some point (as you swipe out I think) tell you the balance.

[kat83]

thank you for your answer!

does anyone know if i need to swipe out on buses?

[Buenchico]

On the Underground you have to 'touch in' and 'touch out'. The same applies to 'overground' services where the card is valid. (If you fail to 'touch out', you'll be charged the fare to the end of the line, rather than where you got off).

Buses operate on a 'flat fare' basis (i.e.it's exactly the same fare whether you go one stop or 'all the way'), so where you get off is irrelevant. So, on buses, you simply 'touch in' (and not 'out') on the pad next to the driver. Make sure that you hear a 'beep', otherwise the driver will call you back because your card didn't register. (If you've got good eyesight, you can also see the little display screen that shows how much credit you've got left on the card).

Chris

[kat83]

oh brilliant! thank you so much, i understand so much more now!

so i take it there is a memory chip built in the card, i just thought it would be visable like in a chip and pin bank card!

[jno]

if you're on a bendy bus you can also get on through the rear door; there's another card reader there. Just touch it on the circular bit with your card. You probably won't even need to take the card out of your purse, just touch the reader with your purse and it still seems to work. If you're using the Docklands Light Railway it's easy to forget the whole thing as the readers are on the platform not at the entrance. You can use it to ride around all day as I sometimes do when visiting London and it will only charge you the equivalent of a one-day travel card (or possibly a bit less, I'm not sure).

You can top it up at tube stations or you can register it online at the TfL site and give it your bank details and it will top you up automatically. (When you go below �5 it adds on �20) - useful if you travel a lot.