TAP2GO and Pink readers

[mrg9999]

Imagine I’ve travelled from Woking to Clapham junction using a TAP2GO card.

Can I exit SWR on the pink reader, enter on a contactless take an overground, return touch out on the pink reader and touch back in using the TAP2GO and go back to say platform 9 and back to Woking?

What I've been doing is exit station at the barrier with TAP2GO, enter on contactless and then in reverse when I return.

The pink reader said Exit and Entry with the TAP2GO, but hard to read and photo

 

[drueberflug]

As far as I am aware, you technically can't "tap out" on a pink reader.

 

[Surreytraveller]

As far as I am aware, you technically can't "tap out" on a pink reader.

I don't know, but a TOC smartcard may treat them differently. There seems to be very little information about how these things work in the public domain

 

[mrg9999]

As far as I am aware, you technically can't "tap out" on a pink reader.

OK - change lines

 

[MrJeeves]

OK - change lines

There should be no need to use a pink reader when using ITSO ticketing, including Tap2Go/keyGo/whatever else.

The pink readers when changing trains, as far as I know, only have an effect on Oyster and contactless PAYG.

 

[Joshua_Harman]

As far as I am aware, you technically can't "tap out" on a pink reader.

With a TOC Smartcard you can, it will end your current journey, or begin a new one if you have not touched in / have already touched out. I don’t know about Tap2Pay/ Keygo Etc, but with a travel card or a point point NR ticket it will end your journey.

 

[Kite159]

Probably safer exiting the station if using Tap2Go and re-entering it using contactless/oyster if changing between the two systems

 

[Joe Paxton]

There are standalone (non-pink) Oyster/contactless readers at Clapham Junction on platform 17 - three of them, two near the steps up to the overbridge and one at the other end near the steps down to the subway.

I can't comment on how these might work with SWR's Tap2Go and GTR's keyGo, though I'd hope they'd work the same as if they were a gateline reader at Clapham Jn.

 

[Kite159]

There are standalone (non-pink) Oyster/contactless readers at Clapham Junction on platform 17 - three of them, two near the steps up to the overbridge and one at the other end near the steps down to the subway.

I can't comment on how these might work with SWR's Tap2Go and GTR's keyGo, though I'd hope they'd work the same as if they were a gateline reader at Clapham Jn.

However if the OP is arriving on the Windsor line side of the station (platform 3-6) wishing to continue on LO from P1 or 2, then it will likely be quicker to exit the gateline that end of the station & re-enter using the different card. Compared to fighting through the crowds in the subway towards P17 to change over before heading back towards P1/2

 

[Haywain]

The pink reader said Exit and Entry with the TAP2GO, but hard to read and photo

I'd be tempted to just give it a try in one direction, and see what happens. It might auto-correct a missing tap but you should be able to look up your journey history to see what's happened.

 

[mrg9999]

However if the OP is arriving on the Windsor line side of the station (platform 3-6) wishing to continue on LO from P1 or 2, then it will likely be quicker to exit the gateline that end of the station & re-enter using the different card. Compared to fighting through the crowds in the subway towards P17 to change over before heading back towards P1/2

This is what I have done previously. I'm hoping the system might become a bit more joined up. My dream of having a single smartcard or even just a contactless bank card that could be linker to a railcard, maybe a retained privilege (gold status pass) that I could use on any transport in the country rail, tube, tram, bus, river-bus, cable-car will probably never come about.
Sometimes (depending how much time I have), I might exit at an Oyster zone station like Surbiton and touch back in on contactless but I've found it is usually cheaper and easier if travelling off peak to purchase a Travel card from say Woking and use that.
I'm hoping Project Oval for the SE region may fix a lot of that

https://oysterfares.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/paygmap3-scaled.png

 

[ns274]

I've done a series of experiments, and as far as I can tell, for ToC smart cards, pink readers function exactly like a yellow reader. The no exit restriction only applies to TfL Oyster and Contactless PAYG.
ToC smartcard taps are always directional (they depend on the state of the transient ticket). If a pink reader displays "exit" it will be treated by the back office as such.

 

[mrg9999]

I've done a series of experiments, and as far as I can tell, for ToC smart cards, pink readers function exactly like a yellow reader. The no exit restriction only applies to TfL Oyster and Contactless PAYG.
ToC smartcard taps are always directional (they depend on the state of the transient ticket). If a pink reader displays "exit" it will be treated by the back office as such.

So can I travel say Woking to Clapham junction on SWR TAP2Go exit on pink reader and start journey on Overground using a contactless and the reverse on the way back?

 

[Surreytraveller]

So can I travel say Woking to Clapham junction on SWR TAP2Go exit on pink reader and start journey on Overground using a contactless and the reverse on the way back?

You won't be able to end your journey on contactless on the way back using the pink reader. You'll need to tap out at a barrier or stand-alone yellow reader

 

[ns274]

So can I travel say Woking to Clapham junction on SWR TAP2Go exit on pink reader and start journey on Overground using a contactless and the reverse on the way back?

You can do this in the Woking -> London direction. The pink reader will be able to able to exit on Tap2Go and enter on contactless. You cannot use a pink reader to end a contactless journey though, so for the reverse you will need to use the barriers or yellow readers.

 

[mrg9999]

You can do this in the Woking -> London direction. The pink reader will be able to able to exit on Tap2Go and enter on contactless. You cannot use a pink reader to end a contactless journey though, so for the reverse you will need to use the barriers or yellow readers.

Thanks. I will continue getting a Travelcard that is usually cheaper unless I only make a single TFL return journey.

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

hopefully the "authoritative" answer.
Dear G,

Thank you for getting in touch with us. Unfortunately, the Pink Readers are for Oyster Products to determine the Zones travelled in. To end a journey on Tap2Go you will need to exit the station via the gate line and then re-enter using Contactless.
Please let me know if you need further assistance.
Best wishes,
Dana
Video Contact Centre Advisor
South Western Railway

 

[ns274]

Thanks. I will continue getting a Travelcard that is usually cheaper unless I only make a single TFL return journey.

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

hopefully the "authoritative" answer.
Dear G,

Thank you for getting in touch with us. Unfortunately, the Pink Readers are for Oyster Products to determine the Zones travelled in. To end a journey on Tap2Go you will need to exit the station via the gate line and then re-enter using Contactless.
Please let me know if you need further assistance.
Best wishes,
Dana
Video Contact Centre Advisor
South Western Railway

Seems like the ability to exit on a pink reader is something even customer service agents wouldn't know