Overcharged on Underground system because I swiped wrong - anything I can do?

[Simon Hans]

Yesterday I took a SWR train in to Waterloo and then entered the underground system to take the tube (Bakerloo and then Victoria line) to Kings Cross to catch a LNER train toward Edinburgh.

I had advanced tickets for the SWR and LNER trains but used contactless for the tube journeys between Waterloo and Kings Cross.

I think the tube journeys should have only cost a few quid (correct me if that’s wrong) but I’ve been charged a max fare of £9.80

I think this is because I tapped my contactless card at the first barrier I came to when heading toward the Bakerloo tube line having got off the train platform at Waterloo. I thought that first barrier was me entering the tube network so thought I was doing the right thing but then there was another barrier after that before I got in to the tube area which makes me wonder if the first one was just to exit the rail area and therefore I should have scanned my rail ticket?

I’m assuming a few things there though so if anyone who knows can visualise my explanation and advise that would be appreciated

And then, if I have been overcharged, I’m assuming there’s nothing I can do to get the difference back as it was all paid for using contactless swipes and was my error?

 

[Sonic1234]

Contact TfL customer services - there's a contact form on their website and a phone number. Explain what you did and the tube journey you made. I've found them to be very good at resolving issues, but if contacting by email can be slow to reply.

 

[Hadders]

It’s worth downloading the journey history from TfL’s website to understand what happened at contactless.tfl.gov.uk

You don’t need an account to do this - 7-days worth of history is stored but if you do register 12 months worth of history is available.

Based on what you’ve said you touched out exiting Waterloo National Rail station which means you’ve been charged an incomplete journey charge because the system doesn’t know where you started.

If you call TfL they will sort it out for you.

 

[Benjwri]

The easiest way to start is to register your card on the contactless portal here: https://contactless.tfl.gov.uk/

From there you will able to see what taps it has recorded, and then what taps are missing. If it is just a missing tap in you will be able to correct this yourself through the portal.

If there is something more complicated, such as a journey ending at Waterloo with a missing tap in, when you look at the journey there will be a button which says 'Contact us about this journey', and you can select reason for contact, in your case likely 'I accidentally used my contactless card to travel'. I would advise using this portal rather than the form mentioned by @Sonic1234, as there are circumstances even when you use the contact us button where it will allow a refund instantly and remove the journey.

Regardless you very likely will be able to get this sorted easily, TfL are very good at giving refunds for things like this when it's obvious there isn't a pattern of abusing it.

 

[Simon Hans]

It’s worth downloading the journey history from TfL’s website to understand what happened at contactless.tfl.gov.uk

You don’t need an account to do this - 7-days worth of history is stored but if you do register 12 months worth of history is available.

Based on what you’ve said you touched out exiting Waterloo National Rail station which means you’ve been charged an incomplete journey charge because the system doesn’t know where you started.

Yes that is what I think too

If I set up an account how does it know who I am to show my journey history?

Also if it proves to be the case above, is there a way to get the difference refunded?

Thanks Hadders

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 1 Mar 2026 ==

The easiest way to start is to register your card on the contactless portal here: https://contactless.tfl.gov.uk/

From there you will able to see what taps it has recorded, and then what taps are missing. If it is just a missing tap in you will be able to correct this yourself through the portal.

If there is something more complicated, such as a journey ending at Waterloo with a missing tap in, when you look at the journey there will be a button which says 'Contact us about this journey', and you can select reason for contact, in your case likely 'I accidentally used my contactless card to travel'. I would advise using this portal rather than the form mentioned by @Sonic1234, as there are circumstances even when you use the contact us button where it will allow a refund instantly and remove the journey.

Regardless you very likely will be able to get this sorted easily, TfL are very good at giving refunds for things like this when it's obvious there isn't a pattern of abusing it.

Thanks Benjwri

I have my rail ticket Bournemouth-Waterloo if they need to see that to show I wasn’t abusing!

 

[Hadders]

If I set up an account how does it know who I am to show my journey history?

You enter you card number when you set up an account.

Also if it proves to be the case above, is there a way to get the difference refunded?

Call TfL and explain what happened and they should sort it for you.

You journey history should show something like:

[Missing touch] to [Waterloo NR]
[Waterloo LU] to [Kings Cross St Pancras LU]

 

[Simon Hans]

Excellent thank you

 

[londonbridge]

Yes that is what I think too

If I set up an account how does it know who I am to show my journey history?

Also if it proves to be the case above, is there a way to get the difference refunded?

Thanks Hadders

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 1 Mar 2026 ==


Thanks Benjwri

I have my rail ticket Bournemouth-Waterloo if they need to see that to show I wasn’t abusing!

I did similar once, was coming back from football, arrived at Euston and absent mindedly tapped my card on the exit gate instead of using my paper ticket from Birmingham. Contacted TfL and explained what I’d done, they said they’d refund me as it was the first time, but added that they would require evidence of a paper ticket if it happened again.

 

[Buzby]

Was it TFL that charged you? If you tapped out in error at Waterloo first, then would It be TFL? I didn’t know they controlled NR Barrers?

 

[Edvid]

Was it TFL that charged you? If you tapped out in error at Waterloo first, then would It be TFL? I didn’t know they controlled NR Barrers?

TfL process all payments made through their contactless fare collection system, regardless of who you travelled with.

 

[Simon Hans]

Yes it was TFL. I contacted them and it’s sorted

Thank you all. The most helpful community on the web

 

[Failed Unit]

If the card is registered you can often sort it online. Just select starting point on the “missing” station. You will be amazed how often it happens at London Terminals.

The other very common on is when you tap in / out and that doesn’t register. However because the barrier is open and you hear a beep you think it has.

I think tapped in error is on the list but I certainly have resolved tapping in with card an and tapping out with card b without needing to phone them.

 

[Benjwri]

I think tapped in error is on the list but I certainly have resolved tapping in with card an and tapping out with card b without needing to phone them

It isn’t as obvious as the complete journey, but if you click ‘Contact us about this journey’ it is one of the options, and depending on various factors it’ll either refund the journey automatically or send it to be reviews for a refund.

 

[Simon Hans]

It isn’t as obvious as the complete journey, but if you click ‘Contact us about this journey’ it is one of the options, and depending on various factors it’ll either refund the journey automatically or send it to be reviews for a refund.

That’s what I did

 

[Hadders]

If the card is registered you can often sort it online. Just select starting point on the “missing” station. You will be amazed how often it happens at London Terminals.

The other very common on is when you tap in / out and that doesn’t register. However because the barrier is open and you hear a beep you think it has.

I think tapped in error is on the list but I certainly have resolved tapping in with card an and tapping out with card b without needing to phone them.

There was no 'missing station' in this incident. The touch out at Waterloo happened in error as the OP had a separate ticket for the journey to Waterloo.

You can usually correct a genuine 'missing touch' online but there's no option to delete an erroneous touch.

 

[Benjwri]

there's no option to delete an erroneous touch.

While it is very locked down, and will often redirect to contacting support for review to prevent the obvious quite large potential for fraud, there actually is the option. If you open the journey, then use the 'Contact us about this journey' button it will bring up 3 options, the first of which is 'I accidentally used my contactless card to travel'. If you meet the requirements it will allow a goodwill refund from there without having to contact support.

 

[Hadders]

While it is very locked down, and will often redirect to contacting support for review to prevent the obvious quite large potential for fraud, there actually is the option. If you open the journey, then use the 'Contact us about this journey' button it will bring up 3 options, the first of which is 'I accidentally used my contactless card to travel'. If you meet the requirements it will allow a goodwill refund from there without having to contact support.

That’s good to know.

 

[Haywain]

While it is very locked down, and will often redirect to contacting support for review to prevent the obvious quite large potential for fraud, there actually is the option. If you open the journey, then use the 'Contact us about this journey' button it will bring up 3 options, the first of which is 'I accidentally used my contactless card to travel'. If you meet the requirements it will allow a goodwill refund from there without having to contact support.

Sadly, it doesn't appear to be as simple when you hold a railcard discounted Oyster card.

 

[Taunton]

It gets more difficult with "open" card readers, those without barriers as on the DLR, Croydon tram, and various lesser stations. You touch your card but if it's not working you need to notice this - it may beep with a message, or not work at all - and then when you touch out at a comparable point it thinks you are touching in, and does an incomplete journey.

Defective card readers are more common than might be supposed. The one at Custom House, at the principal DLR entrance with one on each side, has had the left hand one defective for about a week now, and each time I try it to see if it's been fixed (not by last night) I can see the person ahead of me has just touched and gone on, with the rather obscure error message on it. Crossharbour DLR at the bottom of the steps is another regular failure.