New contactless payment methods for use on the London Underground, Overground and DLR across the capital are now in use.
While the move could potentially mean the end of the Oyster Card for travelling around London, they will remain in use for the foreseeable future.
The new payments, possible via credit, debit or prepaid cards work in the same way as the Oyster option and are designed to increase the ease of travel across London.
Cards must be touched against card readers to register journeys at ticket barriers and payment will then be taken.
Preventing overspending
Commuters have been urged to avoid paying twice using the new method though, as double payment could occur if more than one card touches the reader.
Daily capping is in place to ensure that anyone making multiple journeys does not pat more than the cost of a Day Travelcard.
A new Monday-to-Sunday cap is also being introduced to ensure customers get the best value when using contactless cards in the capital over the course of a week.
Contactless payments were first introduced on London’s bus network back in December 2012 and used for 17 million journeys by around 825,000 customers by July.
Successful trials
A trial of contactless services on trains began back in April involving around 5,000 customers and led to Transport for London (TfL) introducing it across the city.
So far, around 65,000 journeys have taken place as part of the pilot scheme showing the ease at which it can be adopted.
London Mayor Boris Johnson included contactless payments in his 2012 Transport manifesto with the introduction of the service originally planned for a year ago.
TfL said the delay was due to the various stages of implementation, while suitable technology needed to be created following close links with the card payment industry.
Prepaid options
Prepaid cards can be used with the new technology alongside credit and debit cards, providing more options for those looking to pay for travel.
As only the funds on a prepaid card can be spent, it is an especially useful way of ensuring that journey costs to not become excessive.
The cards can also be used for both online and in-store shopping and for withdrawing cash while it’s possible to top them up easily if funds run low.
The lack of a credit facility also means it’s impossible to rack up debts, ensuring a good level of financial management among using the card.