Oyster Annual Travelcard - Requirement to Tap In and Out

Hello,

I'm confused about the requirement to tap in and out while using an Oyster annual travelcard (zone 1-2 in my case) if you are travelling entirely within covered zones. I've heard all variations of whether you do or don't need to tap on or off (from you always needing to tap on and off, to needing to tap on but not tap off, or needing to tap unless on the DLR, to not needing to tap ever).

I also have heard that you can use an Oyster travelcard with a Boundary Zones National Rail ticket as a non-stop zonal split ticket in which case you obviously either aren't tapping on or tapping off! So my hypothesis would be that there's no requirement to tap either on or off...

Additionally, in that case, I'm interested in what happens if there's a fare inspection, say on the DLR (which I use regularly). Maybe the following scenarios with Zone 1-2 travelcard:

1. No tap in at Zone 2 ungated DLR, tap out at Zone 1 gated station e.g. Bank (travelcard applies with no issue? or maximum fare?)
2. No tap in at Zone 2 ungated DLR, inspected on the way to Zone 1 DLR (does it show green on inspector's device? I'm too scared about this myself)
3. Tap in (within Z1-2), no tap out at Zone 2 DLR (charged maximum fare? or journey is counted as covered)?
4. Tap in (within Z1-2), no tap out at Zone 2 DLR, then within 90 minutes, attempt to tap "in" at Zone 2 DLR (recorded as a tap out?) to continue travelling and then inspected by RPI (within Z1-2)?
5. Same as above, but then tapping out at a barrier in Zone 1 (after the previously-recorded tap out, so the system would see two consecutive tap-outs)?
6. No tap in (within Z1-2), travel past covered zones into Zone 3 DLR where I tap out (Zone 3 single fare charged? or maximum fare?)
7. Same as above, but inspected in Zone 3
8. Tap in at Zone 3 DLR, no tap out (Zone 3 single fare charged? or maximum fare?)

My guess would be:

1. Nothing charged
2. No issue with inspection
3. Nothing charged
4. No issue (second tap counts as "out", then same as case 2)
5. No issue (second tap counts as "out", then same as case 1)
6. Zone 3 single charged
7. Failed revenue inspection? Genuinely no idea
8. Maximum fare charged

Thanks!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 3 Sep 2026 ==

To be clear I am not trying to fare evade, and I have been tapping in and out religiously every journey so far. Am just wondering if it's necessary to queue for the readers when rushing for a train. I would also like to indulge in sitting on an overground train (for example) within Z1-2 and read while possibly exceeding the maximum journey time and wondering if I would need to find somewhere to tap off and on to avoid being charged maximum or if I can just not bother with it at all.

Provided you remain within your Travelcard zones (or have other tickets covering your non-Travelcard zone journey such as BZ tickets), you do not need, as a practical matter, to tap in or out, except to open barriers or on buses where you should tap in so the driver can see you have a valid ticket.

However, strictly speaking, section 3.1.1 of the TfL Conditions of Carriage do require you to tap in and out. I do not believe the forum is aware of any case where TfL have ever attempted to enforce this where a Travelcard is held, the passenger remains within a valid zone, and there is no barrier to open.

Of course, if there is any risk you would accidentally travel past your zones due to e.g. being distracted/falling asleep, it would obviously be preferable had you tapped in.

In terms of maximum journey times, they would not apply so long as you remained within your zones.

I agree about 1-5. 7 is a failed revnue inspection. I believe you are correct about 6 and 8 but am less sure about those.

bcarmicle said:

strictly speaking, section 3.1.1 of the TfL Conditions of Carriage do require you to tap in and out

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Having a look, I presume you mean 3.3.1 ("Using a season ticket" section), which states:

3.3.1 When you use Tube, London Overground, Elizabeth line and National Rail services, you must touch your Oyster card or smartcard on the yellow card reader at both the start and the end of your journey. If the ticket gates are open, you must still touch your card on the yellow card reader.

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I guess this is why I heard people saying you don't need to tap on the DLR as it is not included in this list...

bcarmicle said:

I believe you are correct about 6 and 8 but am less sure about those.

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Yeah I'm suspicious about 6, intuitively it could be a maximum fare too but I have seen anecdotal reports that the extension fare gets charged. I do think that it is best avoided and that an inspection would fail (case 7) since the inspector would see you neither have a valid tap in nor a season ticket covering the zone you are in.

rhizomergence said:

6. No tap in (within Z1-2), travel past covered zones into Zone 3 DLR where I tap out (Zone 3 single fare charged? or maximum fare?)
7. Same as above, but inspected in Zone 3
8. Tap in at Zone 3 DLR, no tap out (Zone 3 single fare charged? or maximum fare?)

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If you travel outside of zones 1 and 2 it is imperative that you maintain a suitable PAYG balance on your Oyster card (sufficient to cober any journeys you might make), and that you tap in/out at both ends of the journey. If you have just a tap out (as in 6) or tap in (as in 8) then you would have an incomplete journey charge as the system has no way of knowing that the remainder of your journey was within the zones covered by the Travelcard. In the case of 7, I'm not sure what would be charged but I think you would be liable to a Penalty Fare if you didn't have a PAYG balance on the card.

Haywain said:

If you travel outside of zones 1 and 2 it is imperative that you maintain a suitable PAYG balance on your Oyster card (sufficient to cober any journeys you might make)

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I thought in some cases you can tap out with a negative balance covered by the cost of the Oyster card? Or have they gotten rid of this with the Oyster card refundable deposit? I have seen the entry charge be something like 7.00 leaving the balance temporarily negative

rhizomergence said:

I thought in some cases you can tap out with a negative balance covered by the cost of the Oyster card? Or have they gotten rid of this with the Oyster card refundable deposit? I have seen the entry charge be something like 7.00 leaving the balance temporarily negative

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I'm not sure how that works but I suspect a zero or negative balance would fail a ticket check anyway. You might find this page on @MikeWh's excellent site informative on the mix of Travelcard and PAYG that we have been discussing.

There isn't a failed revenue charge on Oyster. It is a Penalty Fare. The failed revenue charge is only for Contactless.

So in situation 7, my view is that it'd be a Penalty Fare (assuming you hold no other ticket covering your travel in zone 3).

If you know how the system works then you can work out which scenarios the back office 'needs' a tap and when it doesn't. But for an ordinary member of the public it is far more straightforward simply to state that they must tap in and out for each journey which is why that is the public guidance

thedbdiboy said:

If you know how the system works then you can work out which scenarios the back office 'needs' a tap and when it doesn't. But for an ordinary member of the public it is far more straightforward simply to state that they must tap in and out for each journey which is why that is the public guidance

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Is the correct and sensible answer.

rhizomergence said:

1. No tap in at Zone 2 ungated DLR, tap out at Zone 1 gated station e.g. Bank (travelcard applies with no issue? or maximum fare?) No Charge
2. No tap in at Zone 2 ungated DLR, inspected on the way to Zone 1 DLR (does it show green on inspector's device? I'm too scared about this myself) Will be fine
3. Tap in (within Z1-2), no tap out at Zone 2 DLR (charged maximum fare? or journey is counted as covered)? No charge
4. Tap in (within Z1-2), no tap out at Zone 2 DLR, then within 90 minutes, attempt to tap "in" at Zone 2 DLR (recorded as a tap out?) to continue travelling and then inspected by RPI (within Z1-2)? No charge, and fine with inspection as you are within zones
5. Same as above, but then tapping out at a barrier in Zone 1 (after the previously-recorded tap out, so the system would see two consecutive tap-outs)? No charge
6. No tap in (within Z1-2), travel past covered zones into Zone 3 DLR where I tap out (Zone 3 single fare charged? or maximum fare?) Reduced maximum fare
7. Same as above, but inspected in Zone 3 Liable to penalty fare
8. Tap in at Zone 3 DLR, no tap out (Zone 3 single fare charged? or maximum fare?) Reduced maximum fare

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rhizomergence said:

I thought in some cases you can tap out with a negative balance covered by the cost of the Oyster card? Or have they gotten rid of this with the Oyster card refundable deposit? I have seen the entry charge be something like 7.00 leaving the balance temporarily negative

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The balance can be negative while travelling as long as it is adjusted back to positive at the end of the journey. If the balance remains negative then you must top up before using the card again, even if you are only using the travelcard.

The previously refundable deposit had no bearing on whether a negative balance was allowed at the end of the journey. In any case, new Oyster cards now cost a fee which is not refundable.

Tetchytyke said:

There isn't a failed revenue charge on Oyster. It is a Penalty Fare. The failed revenue charge is only for Contactless.

So in situation 7, my view is that it'd be a Penalty Fare (assuming you hold no other ticket covering your travel in zone 3).

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This is correct.

As others said, within zones covered by your Travelcard it really doesn't make any difference.

However if you travel around the DLR a lot, I would urge caution if you subsequently need to travel outside the zones, as you must be correctly touched in and make sure the validator says "Enter". In your Scenario 4 if you then go to Zone 3 and get checked that will result in a Penalty Fare as the final touch just exited the system for you.

Further question: If I tap in and tap out to take the Southern service from London Bridge to London Victoria with my Zone 1-2 travelcard, will I be charged anything and would I be committing fare evasion as that train technically goes as far as zone 3/4. (With Ample PAYG credit on the card)

rhizomergence said:

Further question: If I tap in and tap out to take the Southern service from London Bridge to London Victoria with my Zone 1-2 travelcard, will I be charged anything and would I be committing fare evasion as that train technically goes as far as zone 3/4. (With Ample PAYG credit on the card)

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No.

What’s the limit to this? Do I need to remain on a direct train (like routeing guide rules) or can I legally take any circuitous route outside of Zones 1-2 (with changes of trains) having tapped in and with PAYG credit, and tap out in Zone 1-2? I assume returning to covered zones within the maximum journey time is the limiting factor here, and that exceeding maximum journey time outside covered zones would cause issues.

rhizomergence said:

that exceeding maximum journey time outside covered zones would cause issues.

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Exceeding maximum journey times within the zones could cause issues, as the system doesn't know where you've been.

rhizomergence said:

Further question: If I tap in and tap out to take the Southern service from London Bridge to London Victoria with my Zone 1-2 travelcard, will I be charged anything and would I be committing fare evasion as that train technically goes as far as zone 3/4. (With Ample PAYG credit on the card)

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No, you won't be charged anything because the assumed route for that journey involves travelling via Zones 1 & 2 (presumably changing at Peckham Rye). If the assumed route involved zones not covered by your Travelcard, then you would be charged for the additional zones the system deems you to have travelled through.

You can check the assumed route for any PAYG journey using @MikeWh 's Fares Finder tool.

There is no fare evasion because the system calculates the fare due (if any); it doesn't always charge for the zones you actually passed through, because it doesn't know the exact route you took. When travelling beyond the Zones covered by your Travelcard, your responsibility is simply to make sure you touch in and out.

rhizomergence said:

What’s the limit to this? Do I need to remain on a direct train (like routeing guide rules)

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The Routeing Guide doesn't really apply in a PAYG context. You are free to take any route within the PAYG area provided you touch in and out. If you exceed the maximum journey time and touch out outside of the zones covered by your Travelcard, you will be charged a maximum fare. But routeing rules don't apply.

rhizomergence said:

or can I legally take any circuitous route outside of Zones 1-2 (with changes of trains) having tapped in and with PAYG credit, and tap out in Zone 1-2?

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Yes.

rhizomergence said:

I assume returning to covered zones within the maximum journey time is the limiting factor here, and that exceeding maximum journey time outside covered zones would cause issues.

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Although exceeding the maximum journey time would ordinarily trigger a maximum fare, if you are touching in or out within the zones covered by your Travelcard then my understanding is that this maximum fare is £0, to allow non-stop splits involving non-Oyster tickets, for travel beyond the zones covered by your Travelcard.

Train companies do not like it at all if your touch out would cause you to go negative, even if that's only by 20p and even if you top up immediately following the touch out and realising that it caused you to go negative. This can easily happen if you make a journey longer than what you thought you would.

Auto top up can be an easy way to avoid this, although setting it up can sometimes require a few attempts.

Watershed said:

If you exceed the maximum journey time and touch out outside of the zones covered by your Travelcard, you will be charged a maximum fare. But routeing rules don't apply.

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Thank you for your detailed responses!

Sorry for asking so many questions! Just wondering what happens if I've surpassed the maximum journey time and hit an on-train revenue inspection outside of Zone 1-2. For example, if I take a Southern train from Zone 1/2 out to Zone 5 intending to turn around and come back on a train headed the other way and tap out at a different Zone 1/2 station, but after 3 hours I'm still outside Zone 1-2 and then a fare inspector scans my Oyster. Would I be in any trouble in this case? Can they still see my earlier tap-in in Zone 1/2 on their device? I'm sure it might be a bit difficult to explain my direction of travel.

First time with a season ticket of any type and want to make use of it to do some personal rail-related challenges haha

rhizomergence said:

Thank you for your detailed responses!

Sorry for asking so many questions! Just wondering what happens if I've surpassed the maximum journey time and hit an on-train revenue inspection outside of Zone 1-2. For example, if I take a Southern train from Zone 1/2 out to Zone 5 intending to turn around and come back on a train headed the other way and tap out at a different Zone 1/2 station, but after 3 hours I'm still outside Zone 1-2 and then a fare inspector scans my Oyster. Would I be in any trouble in this case? Can they still see my earlier tap-in in Zone 1/2 on their device? I'm sure it might be a bit difficult to explain my direction of travel.

First time with a season ticket of any type and want to make use of it to do some personal rail-related challenges haha

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Firstly, the maximum journey time (MJT) is defined based on where you touch out, relative to where you touched in. So unless you have exceeded the longest possible MJT from your origin to any destination, there is every chance you could still touch out within the MJT.

Moreover, just because you have exceeded the MJT this does not mean you are travelling without a valid ticket, provided you have touched in (or are traveling with your Travelcard's zones). The Oyster conditions do not say that your validated Oyster card ceases to be valid after a certain amount of time, rather they say you will incur up to two maximum fares at the start and/or end of your journey.

(NB Maximum fares aren't charged if touching in or out in zones that your Travelcard covers, so you are free to make journeys longer than the MJT within those zones without any kind of time limit)

For your example an RPI/conductor etc. would be able to see when and where you touched in, as well as what Travelcard you have and what your balance is. We have seen PFs etc. issued in cases where RPIs have misunderstood what the journey history screen is showing but these are almost always resolved on appeal so I wouldn't worry overly about that.