Can you top up Oyster outside London

MidlandsChap · 19 May 2019

Just wondering if its possible to top up an oyster at main stations outside of London?

RailUK Forums

ForTheLoveOf · 19 May 2019

MidlandsChap said:
Just wondering if its possible to top up an oyster at main stations outside of London?

Generally speaking no. However you can top up an Oyster card online if you have registered it - the top-up will be undertaken when you next tap in for a journey.

MidlandsChap · 19 May 2019

Thats a shame they dont have that facility.
Just borrowing the card from a colleague who has not registered it. So online not an option.
Heading into Kings X on a Sunday. Can I top it up at a ticket machine on arrival in that case?
Never actually used one before.

ForTheLoveOf · 19 May 2019

MidlandsChap said:
Thats a shame they dont have that facility.
Just borrowing the card from a colleague who has not registered it. So online not an option.
Heading into Kings X on a Sunday. Can I top it up at a ticket machine on arrival in that case?
Never actually used one before.

Do you have a contactless credit or debit card? If so, you can use that in lieu of an Oyster card. The fare is the same (with a very minor number of exceptions).

yorkie · 19 May 2019

ForTheLoveOf said:
Do you have a contactless credit or debit card? If so, you can use that in lieu of an Oyster card. The fare is the same (with a very minor number of exceptions).

The main one being if you have a Railcard (or other discount, such as PRIV etc)

If no discount or Season is held, then I can't think of any reason to use Oyster over Contactless.

ForTheLoveOf · 19 May 2019

yorkie said:
The main one being if you have a Railcard (or other discount, such as PRIV etc)

If no discount or Season is held, then I can't think of any reason to use Oyster over Contactless.

I discounted :lol:

that, seeing as a Railcard discounted Oyster is not transferable (and, I am 99% sure, neither is a Priv Oyster).

Surreytraveller · 19 May 2019

ForTheLoveOf said:
I discounted that, seeing as a Railcard discounted Oyster is not transferable (and, I am 99% sure, neither is a Priv Oyster).

I wonder if an Oystercard with a railcard or PRIV discount loaded onto it is transferable to someone else who has exactly the same railcard or PRIV entitlement? I suppose the technical answer is 'no', but as long as the person is carrying their supporting documents, it would not be picked up? I don't think I've ever been asked to show my PRIV when using my Oystercard - the only time I show it is when I'm renewing my discount every year.

ForTheLoveOf · 19 May 2019

Surreytraveller said:
I wonder if an Oystercard with a railcard or PRIV discount loaded onto it is transferable to someone else who has exactly the same railcard or PRIV entitlement? I suppose the technical answer is 'no', but as long as the person is carrying their supporting documents, it would not be picked up? I don't think I've ever been asked to show my PRIV when using my Oystercard - the only time I show it is when I'm renewing my discount every year.

I'm pretty sure the answer is that they aren't transferable, as otherwise why else do they enter the first couple of digits of your Railcard when you have the discount added?

island · 19 May 2019

I think the rule is they are non-transferable but in practice I have never once been asked for my Railcard when my Oyster was inspected, and I don’t know what number they have on there anyway as my Railcard is a Gold Record Card. Make of that what you will.

Skimpot flyer · 19 May 2019

island said:
I think the rule is they are non-transferable but in practice I have never once been asked for my Railcard when my Oyster was inspected, and I don’t know what number they have on there anyway as my Railcard is a Gold Record Card. Make of that what you will.

On-train inspectors on London Overground have always asked to see my Gold Card when verifying my Oyster has been tapped-in. On many National Rail trains, I frequently fail to be asked to produce the Gold Card !!

MidlandsChap · 19 May 2019

Just to clarify, and aside from the contactless debit card vs Oyster debate.
Can I use cash at ticket machines to top up?

ForTheLoveOf · 19 May 2019

MidlandsChap said:
Just to clarify, and aside from the contactless debit card vs Oyster debate.
Can I use cash at ticket machines to top up?

Yes, all Underground stations will have at least one ticket machine that takes cash. Large stations like King's Cross St Pancras will have a whole row of them!

If it's more convenient, you can also top up an Oyster card at numerous newsagents and corner shops in London.

Joe Paxton · 19 May 2019

ForTheLoveOf said:
If it's more convenient, you can also top up an Oyster card at numerous newsagents and corner shops in London.

TfL call these "Oyster Ticket Stops" - they're everywhere in Greater London, and you can find one here:
tfl.gov.uk/maps/oyster-ticket-stops

island · 19 May 2019

It’s also possible to top up the card online on the TfL website; the credit will be delivered to the card the next time it’s used to commence a journey.

A small number of places outside London also sell Oyster top ups, including Gatwick Airport and Amersham station.

Surreytraveller · 20 May 2019

island said:
It’s also possible to top up the card online on the TfL website; the credit will be delivered to the card the next time it’s used to commence a journey.

A small number of places outside London also sell Oyster top ups, including Gatwick Airport and Amersham station.

You can only top it up online if its registered. There are other ticket stops outside London where the bus network extends outside Greater London

si404 · 20 May 2019

island said:
A small number of places outside London also sell Oyster top ups, including Gatwick Airport and Amersham station.

And every other station that
1) is outside Greater London
2) is inside the Oyster PAYG area
3) has a ticket machine

You might not be able to buy an Oyster card at all of these, but you can very much top up.

Joe Paxton · 20 May 2019

si404 said:
And every other station that
1) is outside Greater London
2) is inside the Oyster PAYG area
3) has a ticket machine

You might not be able to buy an Oyster card at all of these, but you can very much top up.

Indeed, though I'd suggest not necessarily with cash at every single such station (thinking of some of the smaller and obscurer ones here).

Mojo · 21 May 2019

Surreytraveller said:
I wonder if an Oystercard with a railcard or PRIV discount loaded onto it is transferable to someone else who has exactly the same railcard or PRIV entitlement? I suppose the technical answer is 'no', but as long as the person is carrying their supporting documents, it would not be picked up? I don't think I've ever been asked to show my PRIV when using my Oystercard - the only time I show it is when I'm renewing my discount every year.

ForTheLoveOf said:
I'm pretty sure the answer is that they aren't transferable, as otherwise why else do they enter the first couple of digits of your Railcard when you have the discount added?

It is not the railcard number, but the name of the customer who the card is registered to that staff can check. Given however that this is a manual process which involves calling an automated helpline, any Inspector would have to have cause for suspicion and would not be doing this as a routine matter.

greyman42 · 24 May 2019

si404 said:
And every other station that
1) is outside Greater London
2) is inside the Oyster PAYG area
3) has a ticket machine

You might not be able to buy an Oyster card at all of these, but you can very much top up.

So I would be able to top up my Oyster at Newcastle station using a ticket machine?

Surreytraveller · 24 May 2019

greyman42 said:
So I would be able to top up my Oyster at Newcastle station using a ticket machine?

No, because Newcastle isn't inside the Oyster PAYG area, so doesn't fulfill the second criteria on the list you quoted

greyman42 · 25 May 2019

Surreytraveller said:
No, because Newcastle isn't inside the Oyster PAYG area, so doesn't fulfill the second criteria on the list you quoted

I did not realise all three criteria had to be met. I thought it was just one so that explains my query.

Can you top up Oyster outside London

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