Hi. I am returning to London with my family in June and plan to purchase oyster cards for transport for the day & 1/2 that we will be there. I still have some of these oyster cards left from my last visit in 2022 that should have some travel points or whatever it's called on them. I can't find out how to check to see what I have available on these cards. The information that I did get is unclear. Something about having to download an tfL oyster app, then get an UPN on my mobile phone, and also having to register the cards if they are not already registered - which I have no idea about. Does anyone have a simpler way to check this out? I do have the series of numbers on the back of each card that I thought would be simple to put in to whatever form is available to check the balance. However, it seems to be more complicated than it's worth. Or am I just not understanding the procedure? Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.
Posted by
Halifax, NS
382 posts
When you arrive at the tube station, you can just tap the card on the reader and it will tell you how much is on it and you can top it up at the same time if you need to.
Posted by
Virginia, USA
6067 posts
To add to KB’s post…
Before you take your first tube trip, go to the ticket machines and tap your oyster card. It will show you the balance. You can then add funds to the card (select the amount of money to add and pay with credit card), if needed.
Posted by
Freedonia
17176 posts
I still have some of these oyster cards left from my last visit in 2022 that should have some travel points or whatever it's called on them
It's called money.
Tapping your cards at the ticket machines at Heathrow is the easiest. Trying to register a card outside the UK is difficult as they block IP addresses outside the country. You would need to use a VPN and have a UK address.
The good news is....the Oyster cards never expire so if there are any funds on the cards, you can use them.
Posted by
Arctophilia, Northamptonshire, England
34921 posts
no reason to buy more of them. They last forever - or at least the money (that's what its called) never expires.
If they are empty fill 'em up. If they have money on them, use it.
If they are all empty just use tap and pay on your card/watch/ring/phone and same again on exiting.
Your Oysters are too recent to have a refundable purchase deposit which used to be how they were sold - the £7 you paid for them is gone. They work as bookmarks if you don't want to refill. Oh, wait, what's a book?
Posted by
Los Angeles by way of Providence and Rome
658 posts
I tried to add money to my six-year-old Oyster card when I was in London recently and the machine informed me my card was not registered and therefore the transaction was refused. I decided to just use tap and pay with a credit card rather than download an app to register my old Oyster card. No problems with that.