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Pay As You Go

Travel smart with Pay As You Go through contactless and Oyster cards. Enjoy the freedom of seamless journeys without the hassle of buying tickets in advance.

A man looking at his phone on a train platform with two people in the background

Overview

Pay As You Go travel allows you to tap in and out at stations using a contactless method, with fares automatically calculated based on your journey.

When can I use this ticket type?

Pay As You Go is available contactless and Oyster across selected National Rail and Transport for London services. You can use it:

  • On eligible National Rail routes (check your payment method for coverage).
  • Across London’s transport network (for Oyster and Contactless).
  • Any time of day, including peak and off-peak travel.

Things to remember

  • PAYG may not be available on all National Rail routes.
  • Contactless and Oyster are primarily for journeys within London.
  • PAYG does not support First Class travel.
  • Railcard discounts are not available for Contactless or Oyster PAYG

Benefits of pay as you go

  • No need to buy a ticket in advance – just tap and go.
  • Skip the queues – you can board your train quickly thanks to PAYG.
  • Automatic fare calculation – only pay for the journeys you take.

How can I save further, and what discounts are available?

  • Frequent travel? PAYG automatically caps fares at the best daily or weekly rate.
  • Travelling in London? Oyster and Contactless ensure you never pay more than the daily fare cap.
  • Young travellers and students – Discounted Oyster Zip cards are available for eligible users.

Pay As You Go using contactless at the gateline

If you’re travelling in and around London, you can tap your contactless payment card or device on the move, and we’ll charge you the best pay-as-you-go fare available on the day. Click on each PAYG product below to find out more.

Contactless

If you have a contactless debit or credit card you can pay for buses, tube trains, trams, and most trains in London.

Learn more about Contactless

Oyster card

You can use an Oyster card on any of our trains in the London Travelcard area.

Learn more about Oyster cards