To ask if you still use an Oyster Card?

[ZippyTurtle]

Both me and my boyfriend live in London, both lived in London since we were born. I have an oyster card and always use it and never use my debit card for the tube. My boyfriend doesn't use an oyster card and just uses his debit card. My boyfriend always complains that he thinks I am "outdated" and that he thinks I should just use my debit card instead of my oyster card. Is he right? Am I outdated? Does anyone who lives in London still use an oyster card these days or is it just me?

YANBU - I live in London and use an oyster card.

YABU - I live in London and just use my debit card

I use oyster. I have to pay for carers travel while with me. So I have a preloaded card to give them. I use my debit card

My DC have Zip Oyster cards so they get the child rate, as does pretty much every school age child in London. Contact less is only capable of charging the standard adult rate.

I too use my Oyster card because I prefer to keep my debit card and phone zipped away safely in my bag, and have the Oyster easily accessible during travel.

I don’t live in London and work there often. I think I have an old Oyster card in my purse. But I use my company credit card for the tube. It’s just easier for me.

But I don’t see the major issue either. Doesn’t really matter does it?

Yes. All of this. The readers at my home station seem not to be able to cope with people's phones and watches, so people using them hold everyone up.

I'll be getting my over 60 pass soon, so my home commute will be free, covered by a different card 😁

I use my debit card loaded onto my phone but I recently had a trip where my battery was almost dead and it was annoying to know I had to rely on it surviving in order to tap out.
I think I will switch back to oyster!

In rush hour, it’s noticeably quicker for the gates to read Oyster cards than phones / watches. You can do the ‘gate never shuts’ trick as people tap and go, tap and go. Doesn’t work with watches and phones, they all take half a second or so longer.

I’m far too much of a London commuter to accept a half second delay (and I’m not up for my credit card being pickpocketed), so I stick to my Oyster.

This was why I used an oyster. Now the railcard expired, I use debit card, it costs the same

I use my debit card. Stopped using my oyster card about 5/6 years ago.

I find it much more convenient not needing to top up, especially if I'm travelling by bus for which there's not always a nearby top up machine.

I use my oyster as I have a travelcard on it. Your bf sounds like a pain.

I top up my oyster online, the only time o go near a machine is when I need to get my railcard updated if it's been renewed.

I'm not sure what you think you are tapping by using your phone?

You tap in and out the same as you do with an oyster, you can't forget to do it otherwise you won't get through the barriers

The vast majority of teens in London will be using oyster though. They are hardly likely to consider it an 'ick' - it's their normal.

I have auto top on mine, it tops up to £20, but you can set it to more if you want.

Of course you can use it if you want to.
I was on the team who developed it all those years ago, so use it!

Yes, I know we've moved on technologically but it is still a solid valid option, so use it!

M Oyster card in my se is so old it has a picture of William and Kate's engagement photo!

(£40 auto top up set up)

I'm one of those annoying people whose phone always takes a while to work, sorry!
I don't travel on the tube very often so just use my phone when I do. We have Oyster cards in the house for the occasions that my DS loses his Zip card. But being able to use my phone means it's one less thing for me to have to remember!

I would only use my Oyster card if there’s a benefit eg season ticket, railcard discount. If none of that is relevant on my Oyster card, I’ll use my phone to pay for travel via contactless. it’s one less card/thing to carry around and risk losing. I think tfl are missing a trick by not implementing virtual Oyster cards

Still use an Oyster as I can hook it up to my disabled persons railcard and get 1/3rd off. Keep on using it!

Also to add I’m in my 20s and don’t carry around any physical cards

Maybe it is a little retro but I still think of the oyster as something to associate with London and cool.

I wish more people would use it on buses, I fed up with people faffing about trying to get signal to use phones.
Hurrah for us Luddites!

I am an older Londoner, so I have a freedom card but it can't use it before 9.00 am, so I use an Oyster if I am travelling early. Like others, I prefer not to get my bank card out in a crowd on public transport, as pickpockets are often about. To reiterate what others have, you DO get the weekly cap with an Oyster, so there is no disadvantage in using it.

I use Oyster because I have my railcard linked to it, so a third off fares.

I didn't know that. So really my reply should have said "I'm too freaked out by all the technology, and too lazy to work out how to use my phone properly, so I'll stick to a card".

But I will see if I can figure that out on my phone. Maybe it would be better. I'm too scared of being the person holding up the rush hour queue on the bus because my phone won't work though.

DH recently dug out an ancient Oyster when he found out about linking his senior railcard to it for discounts.

How anyone could be concerned about 'fashionable' ways to pay, I cannot fathom.