Pay as you go

Pay as you go with contactless will soon be available at 47 more National Rail stations

From 22 September 2024, you can pay as you go with contactless at 47 more National Rail stations across the South East. The Southeastern stations where you can now use a contactless card or device are:

• Bat & Ball
• Eynsford
• Otford
• Sevenoaks
• Shoreham (Kent)
• Dunton Green

Turn up, touch in, and go

Pay as you go with contactless is a fast and flexible way to pay for journeys across the South East.

You can pay as you go with contactless on National Rail, London Underground, DLR, London Buses and London tram services within London and at an increasing number of rail stations across the South East.

Simply touch your contactless card or device on a contactless reader at the start of your journey and touch out with the same card or device at the end of your journey. There’s no need to spend time queuing for a ticket or topping up before you travel.

Pay as you go with contactless pricing

When you pay with a contactless card or device, you will be charged the cheapest adult fare for your journey on the day you travel. For most people, this fare will be the same as a ticket bought on the day.
Please note that pay as you go with contactless may not always be the cheapest way to pay for your journey.

• If you have a Railcard or are eligible for other discounts (like a Child discount), it may be cheaper to buy a ticket for your journey. Currently discounts cannot be applied to pay as you go with contactless.
• If you make the same journey regularly, buying a Season ticket (weekly, monthly, annual or Flexi Season) may be better value.
• In some cases, you may find a cheaper fare if you book your ticket in advance of your journey.

Increase to One Day Travelcards

On 3 March 2024, most Southeastern fares increased by 4.9%, apart from Peak and Off-peak One Day Travelcards, which increased by 7.9%.

This additional 3% increase to One Day Travelcards was agreed between the Department for Transport, train operating companies and the Mayor of London to ensure that Travelcards were not withdrawn.

However, it was not applied at Bat & Ball, Dunton Green, Eynsford, Otford, Sevenoaks and Shoreham.

From 15 September 2024, One Day Travelcards from these stations will increase by 3% to bring them into line with other Southeastern stations.

Contactless cards and devices

All major credit and debit cards are accepted by contactless card readers.

If your bank card shows the contactless payment symbol, you can use it to pay as you go at an adult rate. You can pay as you go with contactless devices such as phones, watches, key fobs, stickers or wristbands too.

Many contactless cards issued outside of the UK can also be used to pay as you go (overseas transaction fees may apply).

Capping with contactless

Use the same contactless card or device for every journey, and you could benefit from daily and Monday to Sunday capping.

Capping limits how much you pay for all your journeys. When your contactless journeys into and within London add up to a certain amount in a day or week (Monday to Sunday), you won't be charged anymore.

A pay as you go with contactless daily cap is calculated over 24 hours, starting at 04:30 and ending at 04:29 the next day.

If you use the same contactless card or device to pay for all your journeys throughout the week, you will also be eligible for a Monday to Sunday cap. For maximum benefit, we advise you start using your contactless card or device on a Monday.

Your contactless fare is capped at either a peak rate (same price as the Anytime Day Travelcard), off-peak rate (same price as Off-Peak Day Travelcard) or a Monday to Sunday rate (same price as the 7 Day Travelcard). Please remember to continue to touch in and out for every journey you make.

Depending on how often you travel and where you’re travelling to, it may be better value to buy a Season ticket (weekly, monthly, annual or Flexi Season).

Please note, capping is not available for pay as you go with contactless journeys that avoid London altogether.

Travelling with contactless

Always check contactless is available at your destination

Before you touch in at the start of your journey, make sure that pay as you go with contactless is available at your arrival station. If you do not touch out at the end of your journey, you will be charged the maximum fare.

Check your journey on our Smart Map.

Always touch in and out

Touch in at the start of your journey and touch out at the end of your journey to pay the correct adult fare, even if the ticket gates are open.

If you don’t touch in and out on each journey you make, we won’t know where you have travelled, so we can’t charge the right fare. If this happens your journey will be incomplete, and you could be charged a maximum fare.

On a bus or tram you only need to touch in.

Use the same card to touch in and out

Remember to touch out with the same card or device as you touched in with. If you use a different contactless card or device, we won't be able to calculate the best fare for you. 

Only touch one card or device on the reader

Make sure you keep your contactless cards and devices away from each other when touching a card reader so that you only touch in or out with the one you wish to pay with.

If you touch more than one card or device on the card reader at a time, the reader won't know which card or device to charge. This is called ‘card clash’ and will show as 2 incomplete journeys, meaning you’ll be charged the maximum fare for each journey.

Check you have enough battery

If you are paying with a contactless mobile device, make sure you have enough battery to complete your journey. If you do not touch out because your device has run out of battery, this will show as an incomplete journey and you will be charged the maximum fare.

Ticket inspection

You will need to show your contactless card or device for inspection when asked to do so by a member of staff. Simply touch your card on the reader when asked.

Help with contactless

If you need help when paying contactless, you can speak to a member of staff at the station in the first instance.

If you have any questions about your journey on National Rail services, please contact the train company whose services you are travelling via nationalrail.co.uk/traincompanies.

If you need help with pay as you go with contactless payments, need to view your journey history, or want to apply for a refund on a contactless payment, please contact Transport for London (TfL):

• https://contactless.tfl.gov.uk/
• Telephone: 0343 222 1234