Is checking in and out with your contactless debit or credit card cheaper than buying a ticket from the bus driver? (2024)

FAQs

Is checking in and out with your contactless debit or credit card cheaper than buying a ticket from the bus driver? ›

Yes, checking in and out with your contactless debit or credit card is cheaper than buying a regular ticket from the bus driver.

As a general rule a Travelcard is more expensive than an Oyster card or Contactless payment card. The exception is if you make 3 or more journeys for 6 days or more within a 7 day period. In this case a 7 day Travelcard works out cheaper than an Oyster or Contactless payment card.

Safer transactions

Tap-to-pay technology is more reliable and secure than other forms of payment. The chip technology protects you against any fraudulent purchases through encryption and dynamic data technologies.

A contactless card is a debit or credit card with contactless technology. While usually that means you'll never have to physically touch a card reader, sometimes you might be asked to enter your PIN periodically. This might happen for security reasons, or to confirm transactions over a certain amount.

Because contactless payments require neither PIN nor signature authorisation, lost or stolen contactless cards can be used to make fraudulent transactions.

London buses are all cashless, so you need an Oyster card, Travelcard or contactless payment card to ride. Bus fare is £1.75, and a day of bus-only travel will cost a maximum of £5.25. You can transfer to other buses or trams for free an unlimited number of times within one hour of touching in for your first journey.

Consumers tend to spend about 10% more when they adopt mobile contactless payment methods, a researcher says. These days, you don't even have to take your credit card out of your wallet in order to buy something.

What are the dangers of contactless cards? Contactless cards carry potential risks, including unauthorized payments, card skimming, data interception, and a lack of spending monitoring. Understanding these dangers is important to protect your financial well-being.

Answer: Apple Pay

Apple Pay 77% of mobile wallet transactions. Samsung Pay 17% Google Pay 6%

How many times a day can you use contactless debit card? ›

You can use a contactless card as many times as you like within a day so long as each purchase is under £100. Just bear in mind that you may be asked to use chip and PIN after using contactless a few times in a row. Don't worry, it's just an extra security measure to check it's you making any payments.

Contactless debit card limit

A Contactless Card is a faster way to pay with your Credit or Debit Card for purchases up to Rs. 5000/- at participating stores.

It follows on from the successful increase in the limit from £30 to £45 in April 2020. From 15 October 2021, consumers will start to see retailers accepting contactless payments up to the new £100 limit, which will give customers more flexibility when shopping in store.

One of the main concerns is the risk of fraud. While contactless payment is very secure, there is always a risk that a fraudster could intercept the payment data and use it to make fraudulent transactions.

Solution: Try cleaning your card with a soft cloth or tissue and try again. If that doesn't work, try inserting the card into the terminal and entering your PIN number. If the problem persists, contact your card issuer for assistance. Another common issue with contactless payments is a declined transaction.

Contactless credit cards are currently among the safest forms of payment. It's incredibly difficult for a hacker to recreate the one-time code that contactless credit cards create for each transaction. Compared to magnetic strips that are more easily duplicated, contactless credit cards are much more secure.

Oyster v Contactless cards - Summary of the differences

The fare structure of using a Contactless card is almost identical to using an Oyster card. However, the contactless card has a 7-day cap running Monday to Sunday not available with Oyster as well as the daily cap.

Network Railcard

Get 1/3 discount on off-peak rail travel in London and the South East. You can buy discounted Off-Peak Day Travelcards to travel anytime on weekends and public holidays for yourself, and: Up to three adults aged 16 or over. Up to four children aged between 5 and 15.