Oyster Travel Card > Reviews > Oyster.......... your flexible friend!

Author's product rating:   

Value for Money

Fantastic

Advantages:	Put as much or as little money on it as you like
Disadvantages:	Can sometimes play up and the ticket barriers can get congested

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

I was one of the first people to have an Oyster card with a season ticket on it when they first came out.

**WHAT IS AN OYSTER CARD?**

Oyster is basically a "smartcard". You can put your Travelcard or Bus Pass season ticket on it, add money to pay as you go or have a combination of both, so if you need to pay for an extra long journey, no problem. They are also resuable, so basically you can have the same card for ever! When your cash/season ticket runs out, just put some more money on it.

When you go through a ticket barrier (especially the new ones), it will register and tell you how much (if you are using it as a "pay as you go") you have left on it. If you have a season ticket on it and it is coming up to expiry it will let you know that "ticket 1 is near to expiry". You can top up at any time and a season ticket will just run on from when the old one ends.

**WHO CAN HAVE THEM?**

Adults and holders of 16-17 paper photocards,

The under-16s, i.e. 16-17s and 18+ studends in full time education can apply for an Oyster card which gives them access to discounts on some attractions and other train travel.

**HOW DO YOU USE AN OYSTER CARD?**

When using public transport i.e. train, bus or tube you must touch in on the special card reader at the gates or on the bus so that it registers, this is also the same for train and tube, when you exit a station you must, again, touch out to register your card so that it takes off the right amount of money. From the 19th November if you don't "touch in and touch out" properly the full fare is deducted next time you use your card.

**TICKETS AND FARE TYPES**

Any travelcard or bus pass season ticket can be put on the card along with any cash equivalent to "pay as you go", or you can have a combination of the both if you need to go extra journeys and your current season ticket will not get you there.

**WHERE IS OYSTER ACCEPTED?**

It is accepted on all tube, National Rail, bus, Docklands Light Railway and tram services across London within your chosen zones. A map showing exactly where on the National Rail system it can be used can be found at www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/fares-tickets/2006/downloads/06-10-19-Oyster-PAYG-Diagram.pdf

**WHERE CAN YOU PURCHASE AN OYSTER CARD?**

These days apart from the main option of a station you can purchase your Oyster card from newsagents. The other way is at stations or online. At the moment only Adults can order, renew and top up online or call or call the 24-hour Oyster salesline on 0870 849 9999. There is also a helpline on 0845 330 9876 and Customer Service Representatives are there between 8am and 8pm.

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There are a few drawbacks with Oyster. Don't put the card near other credit or debit cards and not near any keys or mobile phones, this tends to "wipe" the information strip in the card. Its a very easy and flexible way to get across London and would hate to go back to paper tickets! Well worth getting one. For more information go to www.tfl.gov.uk and click on the "Oyster" section.