London tube payment question

[KatpissEverdeen]

Visiting in a couple of weeks time, and I've been told that you can now just tap your debit card to the reader on the turnstile to pay for the tube. If there's 4 of us going, does everybody need their own debit card? The kids don't have one but I can't imagine that people will be very impressed if we're stood with one card passing it backwards and forwards!

Please explain to a bumpkin how it works!

Please accept my apologies in that case: you are told you must use the same device (not just the same card) to tap in and tap out because otherwise you'd be charged wrongly, so I believed that it could differentiate.

That's all really helpful - thank you everyone! x

Go Henry cards work

If you want to stand tapping at the gate whilst your kids go through one by one... You could add 4 different contactless cards to your phone wallet.

You need 4 different cards. Nothing to stop you from putting them all on 1 device.

Can I jump in? Do revolut junior cards work?

It can and does differentiate so I think you are right 😄

Is it?! I used the same card on my phone and in physical form to tap in/out after a few too many and got fined twice. Expensive night out that was haha. So I would have thought the TFL universe sees them as different cards??!

Still though for the kids OP you need an oyster + young visitor discount applied at a ticket office. No point paying full adult fare when you don’t have to.

@MrsTaytodarling I expect so. Any card that is a contactless card should work.
(Although I don't know for certain so check with Transport for London)

Is it?! I used the same card on my phone and in physical form to tap in/out after a few too many and got fined twice

You'll get charged twice, so even through you can, you don't want to do it. And it won't recognise at you touching out of tube so you'll get fined.

Several times I've woken up to £25 removed from my account, before realising this is why.

Good thing to do if you're not from London is but a £5 Oyster card from the corner shop. Top it up, use it anytime you visit again.

Quoted the wrong post, but gist should have gotten across!

@NuffSaidSam there is a way in the system that if you use your debit card to beep but then during the same day use your contactless via your phone or watch it will charge as two separate transactions even though it's the same account so you may end up paying more (ie the price cap doesn't work).
This is probably set up so people that have a joint account and both have cards can use them simultaneously.
That's why they always say use the same card/phone/watch to beep in and out.

Yes they do, but it'll still be an adult fare that is charged.