How to pay for the Tube
Short version: tap the same contactless card or phone on the yellow reader when you go in and when you come out. TfL caps what you pay in a day.
Ways to pay
- Contactless bank card, phone or watch. TfL calls this pay as you go. Overseas cards may carry charges from your bank.
- Oyster card. TfL's own smartcard, which you top up.
- Visitor Oyster card. Pre-loaded with credit, and only sold before you arrive in London.
- Paper tickets. Still sold, but TfL says pay as you go is usually cheaper.
Touch in and out, with the same card
On the Tube, DLR, Overground and Elizabeth line, touch in on a yellow reader at the start and touch out at the end, even if the gates are open. Use the same card or device both times: TfL gives the example of not touching in with an iPhone and out with an Apple Watch. If you don't touch in and out, you can be charged a maximum fare, and maximum fares don't count towards the cap. On buses and trams you only touch in.
Pink readers are for some changes where your journey avoids Zone 1.
What it costs
| When | Fare |
|---|---|
| Peak: Monday to Friday 06:30–09:30 and 16:00–19:00 | £3.10 |
| Off-peak: all other times, including public holidays | £3.00 |
| Paper single (cash single), any time | £7.00 |
| Zones | Daily cap | Monday to Sunday cap |
|---|---|---|
| Zones 1–2 | £8.90 | £44.70 |
| Zones 1–3 | £10.50 | £52.50 |
| Zones 1–4 | £12.80 | £64.20 |
| Zones 1–5 | £15.30 | £76.40 |
| Zones 1–6 (includes Heathrow) | £16.30 | £81.60 |
| Bus and tram only | £5.25 (single fare £1.75) | £24.70 |
A daily cap runs from 04:30 to 04:29 the next morning. The weekly cap runs Monday to Sunday, so a week that starts on a Thursday won't reach it; TfL notes a 7 Day Travelcard may be better value then. Caps only work if every journey uses the same card or device.
Heathrow Express and Southeastern high-speed trains are not included in caps or Travelcards.
Children
Children under 11 travel free on buses and trams at any time, and on the Tube, DLR, Overground and Elizabeth line when travelling with an adult. One adult can take up to four children under 11 free. Older children can get discounts with a Zip Oyster photocard.
Sources: TfL fares data (single fares, valid from 5 July 2026), TfL's adult fares 2026, and TfL's pages on capping, touching in and out and choosing a ticket. Last checked 24 October 2026. Find the fare for your own journey with TfL's single fare finder.