tmiw

The conclusion we came to in this thread is that it's mostly due to a combination of not supporting offline transactions and the US using an older contactless standard. That said, MasterCard should work in the mobile wallets for TfL travel AFAIK due to them mandating support for the stuff TfL requires.

Visa or MC?

enviroian

MasterCard

WorldLux

Should've bought an oyster card...

tmiw

I wonder if anything changed with Apple Pay recently that could have caused the issues. You aren't happening to run the iOS betas right now, are you?

trainrideder

Thanks, I guess based on enviroian's recent post, this isn't even a foregone conclusion. Kind of a letdown.

I left my personal MasterCard debit card back home. Wish I brought it along to test on the tube. My AmEx has no foreign transaction fees so I'd rather use that. Either way, London Underground is still a joy compared to the NYC Subway which is stuck in the technology stone age

enviroian

for just one trip?

BigFlyer

As far as I understand it, the cost of an Oyster card is fully refundable. While at one time you could only do do at certain ticket offices, now it can be done at Tube Ticket machines:

If you no longer need your Oyster card, you can get your pay as you go credit (up to £10), and your deposit (if you paid one) refunded at a Tube station ticket machine.

Just touch your Oyster card on the yellow card reader on the ticket machine, select 'Oyster refund' and follow the on screen instructions.

If you only have pay as you go credit on your Oyster card and get a refund you won't be able to use your Oyster card again. Make sure you no longer need it before you get a refund.

Refunds are paid in cash dispensed from the ticket machine.

I have done this. The strange thing is that it refunds the "deposit" that you paid for the card, but you keep the actual card which has been disabled.

Of course, given the ease of refunding an Oyster card, there really is no logical reason to put all of this effort into using a contactless card or phone. Of course it is fun, and I have done the same myself.

lhrsfo

I can't understand why American banks don't seem to be capable of issuing credit cards that comply with the usual standards. It would probably be worthwhile if each poster here complained vociferously to their credit card company, rather than trying to mess about with workarounds like Apple Pay or Android Pay.

Ldnn1

Well the whole point of contactless is it's much less hassle than an Oyster card. But that of course assumes you have a compatible card - in the UK everyone does.

enviroian

Although I didn't contact Citi (I have the AA Advantage Executive card) the tube website did say that their operating system (or whatever words they used) fully work with US issued cards. I made sure my card was configured correctly before use and I waved the .... out of it but looked like a moron. I suppose the oyster card is like what I used to used for CTA in Chicago...I would have a card that I could add money on to it on demand and use accordingly with each swipe for the el.

I'm there three times a year so i'll get one in November.

FWIW I used to tube to get to Kings Cross station where I walk across the street and take the express train to Ashford.

tmiw

Because honestly, most Americans don't travel overseas. And since the cards work fine in the US...

Anyway, I'll be there in late October so I'll be able to test my contactless cards/Apple Pay.

WorldLux

Yes. Oyster cards can be bought from ticket machines. Load credit on them, travel, return the card. Or keep it if it's likely that you return to London.

It saves you quite a bit of money.
A Oxford Circus - Westminster single trip is £2.40 with contactless/Oyster and £4.90 when paying cash.

LHR T5 - Piccadilly Circus is £3.10 (£5.10 during morning rush hour) with an Oyster/contactless or £6.00 cash.

The advantage of contactless being accepted on the Tube is IMO the ability of playing around with fares. Rather than using my Oyster to get from LHR into the city and travel all day around zones 1 and 2, I use the contactless card to get me to Earl's Court and from there I'll use my Oyster card.

That way I end up paying £1.50 single fare Zone 6 - Zone 2 + £6.6 Day cap Zone 1+2 instead of a £12 Day cap for zones 1 to 6.

Mizter T

You would get that using just one Oyster or contactless card anyway!

The daily capping system does not default to the cap for all the zones you have travelled through, but rather charges the appropriate daily cap plus extra fare(s) for travel outside of those zones if it works out cheaper.

Also, the cap reached can change during the day depending on what journeys have been made where.

Yes, it does really work like that.

EJetter

And if you use the same contactless card for everything it will even work out a weekly cap (fixed at Monday to Sunday currently) if you make enough journeys.

:D!

But Oysters can only be refunded at ticket machines 48 hours after purchase so if you really only need to make one trip and will be leaving London afterwards (and not returning for a long time), then it may actually be cheaper to buy a single ticket. Although, if you really only need to make one trip, then it is quite unlikely that you would know this unless you read it on FT or some other forum...

Also some ticket machines can only refund in coins, which may not be useful if you are about to leave the UK - particularly at this point in time as you may receive some old pound coins which unless you know exactly what to do, you wouldn't be able to keep for a future trip.