New push to convert Oyster users to Contactless and mobile payments?

[jon0844]

I know Google has a large presence at King's Cross, but I am not sure that's the reason for the change in emphasis on smartcard acceptance - putting G Pay up top.

My first thought is TfL want to actively promote other forms of payment over Oyster which is now relegated to the bottom of the list.

Makes sense I guess, but I would hope they're working to allow railcards to be associated with CPCs and mobiles.

Oh, and no Apple Pay logo? Very odd.


Photo shows a Cubic gateline with G Pay, credit/debit cards and Oyster logo on the smartcard reader/pad.

 

[Mojo]

They’ve had various logos at different stations almost since CPC payments launched.

Liverpool St has been fully decked out in Apple Pay advertising express transit mode, including the Smartcard readers.

 

[jon0844]

They’ve had various logos at different stations almost since CPC payments launched.

Liverpool St has been fully decked out in Apple Pay advertising express transit mode, including the Smartcard readers.

I hadn't noticed! I suppose I don't often look when tapping in and out and what stood out here was the big Google logo. Still odd to omit the Apple logo, as I'm sure Apple users (including Apple Watch owners) were very early adopters.

 

[A Challenge]

I hadn't noticed! I suppose I don't often look when tapping in and out and what stood out here was the big Google logo. Still odd to omit the Apple logo, as I'm sure Apple users (including Apple Watch owners) were very early adopters.

I guess they didn't pay!

 

[rebmcr]

It appears simply to be a Google sponsorship, so unsurprising to omit their competitor.

 

[Mojo]

I guess they didn't pay!

It appears simply to be a Google sponsorship, so unsurprising to omit their competitor.

Here’s a photo of the readers branded for Apple Pay, at Liverpool St LUL main ticket hall.

 

[jon0844]

It appears simply to be a Google sponsorship, so unsurprising to omit their competitor.

If that's the case then no, but is it a good idea for these pads to be sponsored and have valid methods of payment/travel omitted? Who thought/thinks that this is a good idea?

I don't even want to imagine what would happen if we saw this on National Rail services where contactless is usable and staff begun to say 'Apple Pay isn't valid on this gate', or whatever, and proceeded to penalty fare someone.

 

[jon0844]

Here’s a photo of the readers branded for Apple Pay, at Liverpool St LUL main ticket hall.

Thanks.

I'll pay more attention in the future.

 

[transmanche]

If that's the case then no, but is it a good idea for these pads to be sponsored and have valid methods of payment/travel omitted? Who thought/thinks that this is a good idea?

I don't even want to imagine what would happen if we saw this on National Rail services where contactless is usable and staff begun to say 'Apple Pay isn't valid on this gate', or whatever, and proceeded to penalty fare someone.

I would have thought that the contactless symbol (shown on the G-Pay sponsored example) would provide sufficient assurance to passengers.

Being as the standard Oyster pad doesn't mention any payment methods and (by your own admission) passengers don't study the pad before tapping in/out, I suspect it's a complete non-issue.

Image shows an Oyster reader/pad with the standard logo.

 

[BRX]

If that's the case then no, but is it a good idea for these pads to be sponsored and have valid methods of payment/travel omitted? Who thought/thinks that this is a good idea?
.

Not me! I greatly resent the creep of sponsorship and advertising into the workings of a publicly funded service with a longstanding, strong visual identity. See also 'emirates airline' intruding on the tube map, and the fiddling around with hire bike colours to suit the latest bank sponsoring it.

 

[transmanche]

I greatly resent the creep of sponsorship and advertising into the workings of a publicly funded service with a longstanding, strong visual identity.

I know. They'll start putting adverts on the side of buses next...

 

[bluegoblin7]

Not me! I greatly resent the creep of sponsorship and advertising into the workings of a publicly funded service with a longstanding, strong visual identity. See also 'emirates airline' intruding on the tube map, and the fiddling around with hire bike colours to suit the latest bank sponsoring it.

you mean the advertising that’s been present on the Tube since pretty much day one?

 

[jon0844]

I have no issues with advertising on public transport, but I am surprised that it would be put on a card reader at a gateline. Cubic gates have numerous places where vinyls can and are attached for some very innovative advertising campaigns, but I'd have expected there to be specific areas that cannot be touched - whether that's the smartcard pad, paper ticket reader or the display/arrows.

But I guess if someone offers enough money...

I was sad enough to once read through the VERY detailed style guide for London Underground and the strict rules on signage. It's what perhaps makes getting around the tube in London so much better than many other cities around the world - and what makes a lot of places look to us for advice/inspiration.

It does now make me wonder if and when we'll see advertising on them too.

If TfL has no money, why not?

 

[BRX]

I'm not talking about ads on buses or in tube carriages. To me there's a significant difference between that kind of advertising and advertising that starts to interfere with the legibility of information.

The tube map is well known as a design classic and of course has been copied widely since its first iterations. Its function is to communicate the layout of the system as clearly as possible. Each line has a name and colour. This is consistently carried through to the signage in stations and so on. The introduction of the Emirates airline was the first ever interference of commercial interests with the tube map. The word 'emirates' is not there to help users - it's to sell advertising. What happens when sponsorship of that line goes to a different company, whose corporate colour is not red? The name and colour changes and consistency and clarity is lost. It's already happened with the hire bikes. What next - should crossrail be named the google line, and then renamed in 10 years as the apple line, or the facebook line?

Aside from these incursions, the visual identity and legibility of london's transport system remains fairly strong. Compare with national rail, where consistency has been shot to pieces. No standard signage, and a hotchpotch of different standards in most stations where franchises have gone through multiple operators. Useful conventions like the yellow band for first class abandoned. And so on.

Advertising on the side of buses is different. As long as the majority of the bus is red, the bus is easily identifiable, including when it approaches from a distance. For this reason I'm not too keen on the fact that a proportion of london buses have all-over advertising which means they are not necessarily easily identifiable from a distance.

Corporate logos on ticket gates, I would say falls into the category of something that interferes with usability and clarity.

 

[Clip]

Lets face it - TfL need the money so expect to see more and more of it

 

[Taunton]

The tube map is well known as a design classic and of course has been copied widely since its first iterations. Its function is to communicate the layout of the system as clearly as possible. Each line has a name and colour. This is consistently carried through to the signage in stations and so on. The introduction of the Emirates airline was the first ever interference of commercial interests with the tube map.

Arsenal station is named after a commercial sports entertainment business. It's in Holloway. Used to be called Gillespie Road until the business concerned got the Underground to change the name. That was in the 1920s.

 

[jon0844]

Arsenal station is named after a commercial sports entertainment business. It's in Holloway. Used to be called Gillespie Road until the business concerned got the Underground to change the name. That was in the 1920s.

Changing the name of a station may well happen again. Didn't Boris say he wasn't against this idea when Mayor? I think there was quite a backlash over the idea, along with many spoof names as jokes.

 

[Chris M]

Canada Water station became Buxton Water for the day of a London Marathon (I think 2018).

 

[dcs34]

Changing the name of a station may well happen again. Didn't Boris say he wasn't against this idea when Mayor? I think there was quite a backlash over the idea, along with many spoof names as jokes.

Doubt it, with the cost it'd take to update all maps, signage, apps and internal infrastructure...well it'd certainly need 3rd party sponsorship for it to happen!

See: local politicians campaign for Archway station to be renamed for Dick Whittington - never gonna happen!

 

[gottago]

The tube map is well known as a design classic and of course has been copied widely since its first iterations. Its function is to communicate the layout of the system as clearly as possible. Each line has a name and colour. This is consistently carried through to the signage in stations and so on. The introduction of the Emirates airline was the first ever interference of commercial interests with the tube map. The word 'emirates' is not there to help users - it's to sell advertising.

Yeah, but it certainly doesn't cause any disruption or confusion to people using the map. That's the name of the line. It's as simple as that. The sponsorship has a significant financial impact on the running of the service that would otherwise come out of the public purse. That's far more important than a slight niggle on a map. It really is a non-issue.

 

[BRX]

Yeah, but it certainly doesn't cause any disruption or confusion to people using the map. That's the name of the line. It's as simple as that. The sponsorship has a significant financial impact on the running of the service that would otherwise come out of the public purse. That's far more important than a slight niggle on a map. It really is a non-issue.

Would you be happy with crossrail being named Google line instead of Elizabeth line, if Google paid enough?

 

[rebmcr]

Would you be happy with crossrail being named Google line instead of Elizabeth line, if Google paid enough?

I think the Valve Line would be more apt, considering the delays...

 

[BRX]

Arsenal station is named after a commercial sports entertainment business. It's in Holloway. Used to be called Gillespie Road until the business concerned got the Underground to change the name. That was in the 1920s.

Fair enough. And there's probably other station names that have been subject to commercial interest. But it does have some relevance and usefulness to a large portion of people using it.

 

[transmanche]

Would you be happy with crossrail being named Google line instead of Elizabeth line, if Google paid enough?

Personally, I'm not happy that it's being called the Elizabeth line. Not that I have anything against Her Maj, simply because Crossrail is a mode, not a line.

Geoff Marshall concurs:

 

[transmanche]

Arsenal station is named after a commercial sports entertainment business. It's in Holloway. Used to be called Gillespie Road until the business concerned got the Underground to change the name. That was in the 1920s.

In fact, there are loads of stations in London which are named (or have been renamed) after commercial businesses. Just a few that spring to mind are:

• Angel, Royal Oak, Manor House, Swiss Cottage (pubs)
• Surrey Quays, Brent Cross, Edmonton Green (shopping centres)
• East India, Royal Victoria, Royal Albert, King George V (commercial docks)
• Cutty Sark (museum ship)
• Oval, Wembley Stadium (sports grounds)
• Alexandra Palace, Kensington Olympia, Custom House for ExCel (exhibition and events centres)

 

[Mikey C]

Would you be happy with crossrail being named Google line instead of Elizabeth line, if Google paid enough?

Maybe the Queen paid to have Crossrail named after her