Contactless issue with TfL

[MTN]

I had a strange issue with using contactless in London the other day.
Used card to tap in at Raynes Park, out at Waterloo, and then on bus, no problems.
On the return journey the contactless did not work on the bus, nor at Waterloo. Fortunately I had another card I could use for the return journey.
I am not sure whether the journeys would be capped, so I ended up spending more (would not be significant anyway, I think).
But I was wondering:
a) If I did not have another contactless card, how would I have been able to travel? I guess I would have had to buy an Oyster?
b) If my original card tapped in successfully at Raynes Park on entry, but then failed trying to tap in at Waterloo, what would have happened?
I have subsequently used the same card for contactless transactions, so assume the card is OK, and no, I don't have any google pay or anything on my phone...

 

[kacper]

Was your return journey on the same day? TfL takes the payment overnight and blocks the card from being used if it doesn’t go through

b) If my original card tapped in successfully at Raynes Park on entry, but then failed trying to tap in at Waterloo, what would have happened?

Tap in or out?

 

[MTN]

Yes, it was the same day.
Sorry, I meant tap IN successfully, but was not able to tap OUT (typo!)

 

[kacper]

Yes, it was the same day.
Sorry, I meant tap IN successfully, but was not able to tap OUT (typo!)

I believe that TfL takes a small validation payment when you first tap in (10p or so) If this payment goes through you can use the card as usual and the rest of the money will be taken later. If this validation payment doesn’t go through the card will be blocked instantly until you correct the issue online, and when the card gets blocked it will allow you to finish your journey and tap out like normal.

I can only imagine that the small validation charge didn’t go through for whatever reason and the card got blocked

 

[MTN]

Thanks for your replies.
The validation payment of 10p did go though, and the original card has been debited with £5.35 for the outbound journey, so I would assume that the card would not have been blocked - I rarely go to London and have no reason why it would have been blocked; Think must have been a temporary glitch with the card.