Orientation in London: - One-Two-Go London: The Ultimate Guide to London 2014 - page 127

Get Around in London -> Tickets and Passes
Oyster Card the Electronic Ticket Available in Two Variants
The Oyster card is a contactless electronic smartcard run by Transport for London. If you
plan to stay more than one or two days in London or if you plan to use the Tube often dur-
ing your short stay then opt for it! In general, Oyster is the more cost effective option than
paper tickets. You can buy an Oyster Card from any Tube station for a deposit of £5 and
load it with a 7 Day Travelcard. You can "charge up" an Oyster card with electronic funds.
This cash is then deducted according to where you travel. The cost of a single trip using the
Oyster card is considerably less than buying a single paper ticket with cash. Prices vary de-
pending on distance travelled, whether by bus or tube, and on the time of day.
The deposit is fully refundable if you hand it in at the end of the trip. There is no expiry
date on the Oyster Card or any pay-as-you-go credit on the card so you might also consider
keeping it for your next visit.
If you have credit left this will also be refunded once you return the card.
Oyster Card Option A - Pay as you go (Prepay)
You can charge up your Oyster card with electronic cash at any tube station ticket machine
or ticket desk with Oyster pay-as-you-go, also known as Prepay. The amount to be paid for
each ticket is then deducted from your card each time you get on a service. The fare is cal-
culated based on your start and end points. Pay-as-you-go is much cheaper than paying in
cash for each journey so we recommend using the Oyster Card. As an Example: A cash tube
ticket for one way in Zone 1 is £4, while with an Oyster Card it costs only £1.90. Convinced
of the advantages?
The amount of Prepay deducted from your Oyster card in one day is capped at the cost of
the appropriate paper day ticket (day Travelcard) for the zones you have travelled through.
On the tube, be sure to touch in and touch out again at the end of your journey.