Contactless credit card for rail travel

It depends on where you'll be travelling, but assuming you're staying in London, you can use contactless for all public transport

Sorry, somehow posted that before finishing. Yes, it is easy. On buses you just place your card against the reader and wait for it go beep. On most buses in London, you get on the front doors and the reader is next to the driver, but for the new Routemaster double-deckers, and the single-deckers numbered in the 500s (just a handful of routes in central London), you get on at any door and the readers are spread about the bus on pillars. Tubes and trains remember to touch in at both ends of the journey, or it will be expensive. Again, just touch your card to thepad by the gate.

Yes I'm staying in London (at a hostel near Earls Court). Thanks for the how to bus with contactless info. I will use rail to get from Gatwick as well as for a day trip to from Paddington station out to Oxford. I need tickets for those trips? I think for Oxford but not from Gatwick to Victoria. http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/ticket_types/82370.aspx Hopefully answering my own question but leads to another, do I have to register my card with TFL in order to be contactless or does that just let me see my usage and travels? Again answering my own question- by using the same contactless card throughout the week is how they will figure out I'm the same person and apply the weekly/daily cap.
I have a Capital One MC that has no foreign transaction fees so I should be good to go there.
I hope to get the hang of the bus system this trip. Super excited to go again!

Using a contactless card may not work out the cheapest way of paying your fare from Gatwick.

by using the same contactless card throughout the week is how they will figure out I'm the same person and apply the weekly/daily cap.

Same way as they do with an Oyster card, because all the trips are on the same card. You can lend you Oyster card to someone else, as long as only one person is using it at a time, and the cap still applies.

Marco,
When doing my inquiry on Natl Rail site for GTW to VIC, a little box in the corner states ...Contactless pay as you go 8 pounds 10... and the least expensive ticket is an advanced for 12 which makes me think its the best deal if you have contactless or oyster card.
There was nothing similar when I looked at ticket from Paddington to Oxford. That makes me think that if they are offering contactless in the service, its the best deal. ? Not sure but I'll try it out.

Yes In US we have the contactless Cap 1 cards. I didn't know it was a recent thing but I just started using it once I had it activated.

You need a real ticket for the Oxford trip.

Cheapest for a contactless - like with Oyster - is to confine your journeys to zones 1 and 2. If you use the card for multiple zones you will be looking at the cap for the maximum number of zones you use rather than the smaller cap for just 1 and 2. And if you use the bus exclusively it has a lower cap than if you also do some journeys by Tube.

And don't forget, if your card has a fee associated with foreign purchases, you'll pay that every time you travel!!

And don't forget, if your card has a fee associated with foreign purchases, you'll pay that every time you travel!!

Not quite true. According to the TFL website ( https://tfl.gov.uk/fares-and-payments/contactless/what-are-contactless-payment-cards ), your card is charged once per day for all the trips on that day. So you DO NOT pay a Foreign Transaction Fee every time you travel, just once per day.

Well that's better, but still should be considered. Thanks for the clarification Chris.

I have no personal experience, but didn't someone post here that an Apple Pay Iphone can be used for this purpose?

ApplePay can be used (I used it last week), as can the Samsung product.

... also Android Pay. Just make sure your phone battery doesn't die during the journey.

I just got back yesterday from the UK yesterday using a USA issued contactless card from Capitol One, no foreign transaction fees. It works flawlessly for the tube and buses, and didn't have the delay I used to get with Apple Pay.

I am way behind the times I’m afraid. I am Taking a cap 1 credit card and just opened a cap 1 checking account to access cash at ATM in London. Sounds like I should have applied for a contactless card..is it used just like a debit card? At the risk of being ridiculed how do you keep track of the amount you have used with the card?

I am way behind the times I’m afraid. I am Taking a cap 1 credit card and just opened a cap 1 checking account to access cash at ATM in London. Sounds like I should have applied for a contactless card..is it used just like a debit card? At the risk of being ridiculed how do you keep track of the amount you have used with the card?

I think any recent Capital One card may be contactless. I don't think you have to specially request one, but ask Capital One. I had to get a replacement card in the last 6 months and was surprised to discover it was contactless. I registered it with Transport for London because it looked like that was required, but I'm not sure if that conclusion was correct. It worked just like my Oyster Card worked and I got the charge at the end of the day (early in the morning of the next day).

Capital One has no foreign transaction fee (on my card, at least) and it all worked great. A big improvement. No more need to reload an Oyster Card.

The next question: Will a contactless card permit US travelers to use automated terminals that otherwise require a chip and pin card?

Oh, to the question about how do you keep track of charges: You do just as if you ran your credit card or debit card through the machine. No real difference except you don't get a receipt, but Capital One gives you the option to get text or email notices of all charges on your card, which is how I know when the Tube charge actually went through.

The next question: Will a contactless card permit US travelers to use automated terminals that otherwise require a chip and pin card?

Many but all POS - Point of sale - terminals are fitted with contactless technology so it possible to wander into your neighborhood Pret a Manger or Starbucks or Caffe Nero and just tap the card on the terminal in exchange for a cup of coffee or slice of cake or sandwich.

Or use the automated order takers in most McDonalds.

Or buy a magazine at the WH Smiths before you get on a train.

There is currently a £30 per transaction limit on Contactless so they are best for smaller purchases. You can buy entry into most attractions using the tap.