How to use the Oyster Card in London: Guide for Malaysians

If you’re headed to London soon and wondering how you’re going to get around, the Oyster card is a must-have for commutes on the Tube, London Overground, buses, trams and more.

This guide is all about the card, where to get it, how much it costs and more in this article. Aside from that, we’ll also introduce the Wise card, a must-have to conveniently save money while travelling.

What is the Oyster card in London?

Unlike other transport cards, the Oyster card¹ is purely meant for paying transportation fees in London. First introduced in 2003, this contactless smart card is the main way of paying for transportation fees in London.

Aside from holding credit for fare payments, the Oyster card can also contain Bus and Tram Passes and Travelcards for people who are staying for longer periods.

Visitor Oyster card vs Oyster card

Wondering if there’s a special Oyster card for tourists? There is the Visitor Oyster Card², which works essentially like a normal Oyster card, but it can be sent to you in your home country before your trip so you can hit the ground running once you reach London.

The Visitor Oyster card is also slightly cheaper to purchase than the normal Oyster card, at £5 (including postage) versus £7, and can be purchased with pre-loaded credit. The Oyster card daily cap also applies here, but instead of a flat fare cap like with regular Oyster cards, any fares after the first three journeys of the day will not be charged.

With the Visitor Oyster card, tourists can also enjoy special offers and discounts at selected restaurants, shops and event venues. Here’s a handy table with the differences.

Oyster card London price

The base price of an Oyster card starts with a non-refundable £7 card fee. There are, however, Travelcards that can be purchased if you’re looking to travel frequently and you’re staying in London for longer periods.

Depending on the zones you’re planning to travel from and to, the Oyster card monthly price for Travelcards can range anywhere from £164.00 for just Zones 1 and 2 to £427.40 for coverage between Zones 1 and 9. It’s certainly pricey, but you might not need all the zones if you’re not travelling to the outskirts of London.

If you’re just in London for a few days and want to pay as you go, then fares will be cheaper, and we’ve indicated what you can expect to pay as you’re travelling between zones below³.

💳 With the Wise card you can save even more when you spend in GBP. Check out our guide on travelling to the UK from Malaysia

Get started with Wise

How to buy an Oyster card in London?

An Oyster card can be easily purchased in London, whether it’s from an Oyster Ticket Stop at newsagents, at all Tube, most London Overground and most Elizabeth line stations, at Visitor Centres, at the London Airport DLR station, or at the Tramlink Shop in Croydon.

If you’re looking to purchase a Visitor Oyster Card, you’ll need to purchase it from the Visitor Shop Website with a minimum credit top up of £10 in addition to the non-refundable £5 card fee. It will then be delivered to your overseas address. Alternatively, the Visitor Oyster card can be purchased at places like Gatwick Airport, Stansted Airport and on-board Eurostar trains to London.

How to use the Oyster card in London?

Oyster cards can only be used for transportation fares in London, but it can be a bit tricky knowing when you have to tap in and out⁴.

First of all, you have to use the same card when tapping in and out. For journeys on the Tube, DLR, London Overground, Elizabeth line, National Rail, River Bus and IFS Cloud Cable Car, you have to tap the card on a yellow reader at the start of your journey and tap out on a yellow card reader at the end.

For buses and trams, you only have to tap in at the start of the journey. Make sure you don’t tap out, or you might be charged extra.

Lastly, make sure you plan your route before tapping in to any station! Same station exits are charged either the minimum pay-as-you-go fare or the maximum fare. Although refunds can be applied for, it’s just a hassle to have to deal with.

If you’re running low on credit, you can top up your card at Tube, DLR, London Overground, Elizabeth line and most National Rail stations, as well as at Oyster Ticket Stops and Visitor Centres.

Oyster card daily cap

Aside from the Travelcards, the Oyster card also has a daily cap for pay-as-you-go fares⁵. The Oyster card daily cap can range from £8.50 to a maximum of £22.30, depending on whether it’s during peak or off-peak hours and the zones travelled.

Oyster card validity

The Oyster card has no expiry date, and all credit on the card will be retained for the next trip. If you’re using a normal Oyster card and would like to refund the credit, it can be done at a Tube station ticket machine only if your credit is £10 and under.

For Visitor Oyster cards, any remaining credit can be refunded⁶.

Pay for public transport, food and more in London with the Wise card

London can be a pricey place, but you’ll be able to save money with the help of Wise. With the ability to hold over 40+ currencies and spend them in over 150+ countries worldwide, the Wise account provides a hassle-free, convenient way to convert currencies at desired rates through the app.

You’ll be able to convert your home currency easily to British Pounds at the mid-market rate to top up your Oyster card, with low, transparent fees⁷. But for even more convenience, why not use the Wise card to pay for transport directly by simply tapping in with your card?

You can use either the physical card or add the digital card to Apple Pay or Google Pay, and just tap as you go. You can also make some free ATM withdrawals of up to 1,000 MYR each month.

If you’re not planning to purchase the Bus and Tram Pass or Travelcards, the Wise card is a great, convenient alternative to pay for your transportation fees around London.

🚀 Get started with Wise

Sources:

1. Oyster card
2. Visitor Oyster card
3. Single Fare Finder
4. Transport for London (Touching in and out)
5. Pay-as-you-go caps
6. Visitor Oyster card refund
7. Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up-to-date pricing and fee information.