If you’ve traveled a lot, there are certain things you don’t even think about anymore. One of those is how to pay for rides on London’s Underground, Elizabeth Line, and buses. Both my wife, Sharon, and I have a card that earns at least 3x points set up in Apple Pay with Express Transit. I prefer to use my phone, while Sharon uses her Apple Watch. Either way, it’s just tap and go.
I’ve even written before about why you should use contactless payments instead of an Oyster card (or, gasp, a paper ticket). Most importantly, contactless payments automatically apply the daily fare cap, eliminating the need for you to consider how many rides you’ll take that day.
Why We Don’t Think Twice Anymore
When you’re a repeat visitor, it feels effortless. But first-time travelers need to know a few quirks about paying for transit in London.
One Card, One Person
If you’re planning to tap your credit card, you can only use a card for one person’s fare. Families or groups will each need their own card, phone, or watch to tap in and out.
When Your Card Doesn’t Work
Not all cards are equal. Our travel friends use Discover as their main card. While Discover is advertised as having “high merchant acceptance” in the UK, one place it doesn’t work is on the Underground.
They eventually got through the turnstiles by switching to their backup cards. In practice, most Visa, Mastercard, and American Express cards should work without issue. The real outliers are Discover and Diners Club, which may technically be accepted in the UK but not by Transport for London’s system.
Fraud Alerts Can Trip You Up
Even if you’ve informed your bank that you’re traveling, don’t be surprised if your card is denied overseas. In our friends’ case, they paid for a data plan so they could receive emails with fraud alerts and quickly unlock their cards. Still, it’s frustrating when you’ve just tapped into the Underground only to get denied later while buying snacks at M&S.
What TfL Actually Says About Contactless
The London Underground site doesn’t provide detailed information about which cards they accept. Here’s what they do say:
- If your bank card has the contactless symbol, you can use it to pay as you go.
- Always use the same device to touch in and out. If you touch in with your iPhone and out with your Watch (or with a different card), you’ll pay more.
- Many overseas contactless cards work, but overseas charges may apply.
- Prepaid contactless cards may be accepted, but you’ll need to check with your issuer.
- Mobile payments tied to non-UK cards sometimes fail, and you may be charged foreign transaction fees.
Our Go-To Cards That Worked Fine
For what it’s worth, my World of Hyatt Chase Visa and Sharon’s Amex Green both worked for transit without issue — and I didn’t even bother to notify our banks before traveling.
Final Thought
Paying for transit in London is easier than ever with contactless, but not every card works the same way. If you rely on a Discover or Diners Club card, you’ll want to bring a backup Visa, Mastercard, or American Express card. And even if your card should work, there’s always the chance of a denial. Having a mobile payment option, a second card, and a working data plan makes things much smoother.
Have you had any experiences where your card was denied overseas or while paying for public transit? Let us know in the comments — your story might help someone else avoid the same headache.
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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
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