London transport brings contactless payment and the spectre of card clash

London transport brings contactless payment and the spectre of card clash
TfL - it's going to be an interesting time

Transport for London (TfL) has rolled out contactless payments across the UK capital's transport network, making it more convenient for anyone that wants to pay with a card and considerably less convenient for thousands of commuters.

The arrival of contactless payments allows those with credit and debit cards with NFC / PayWave to get through the ticket gates on London Underground, trams, DLR and some overground services.

It will cap payments over a week, but not over longer periods and is likely to court huge controversy because of 'card clash'.

Clash of the tight ones

The current Oyster system uses an NFC card for entry and thousands of commuters have monthly or annual travelcards. If they keep that card in the same place as a credit or debit card then they could find that they are debited from their card rather than using their pass.

Another major issue could be that the two cards in close contact can cause the NFC to fail.

Of course, TfL have been at pains to point out that this is not their problem but their customers' and that they should not keep their cards together.

Shashi Verma, TfL's Director of Customer Experience, said: "Accepting contactless payments on transport in London is a fantastic achievement for our city – it provides our customers with the most convenient way to pay for their travel and highlights the capital's position as a world leader in transport ticketing, technology and customer service.

"Oyster will continue to be available, with contactless payments being another option that lets our customers travel without the need to top up Oyster credit.

"I would like to remind all of our customers to only touch one card on the reader to avoid paying with a card they did not intend to pay with."

We're at the launch of the new system, and will be asking about these potential problems.

Patrick Goss

Patrick Goss is the ex-Editor in Chief of TechRadar. Patrick was a passionate and experienced journalist, and he has been lucky enough to work on some of the finest online properties on the planet, building audiences everywhere and establishing himself at the forefront of digital content.  After a long stint as the boss at TechRadar, Patrick has now moved on to a role with Apple, where he is the Managing Editor for the App Store in the UK.

Latest in Payment Services
PayPal Rewards on smartphone
New PayPal program will help you find discounts thanks to Honey
Apple Spring Forward 2021
Apple expands its credit card with Apple Card Family
apple card
The Apple Card is here in the US, and you can get one in minutes
PayPal debit cards, check deposits, and more on the way
PayPal introduces Siri support
Apple Pay
Apple Pay has landed on the web just in time for macOS Sierra
Latest in News
EA Sports F1 25 promotional image featuring drivers Oscar Piastri, Carlos Sainz and Oliver Bearman.
F1 25 has been officially announced, with this year's entry marking a return for Braking Point and a 'significant overhaul' for My Team mode
Garmin clippd integration
Garmin's golf watches just got a big software integration upgrade to help you improve your game
Robert Downey Jr reveals himself as Doctor Doom to a delighted crowd at San Diego Comic-Con 2024
Marvel is currently making a major announcement about Avengers: Doomsday's cast on YouTube, and I think it's going to be a long-winded reveal
Samsung QN90F on yellow background
Samsung announces US prices for its 2025 mini-LED TV lineup, and it’s good and bad news
Nintendo Switch Lite
Forget the Nintendo Switch 2, the original Switch is getting one last hurrah in a surprise Nintendo Direct tomorrow
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge on display the January 22, 2025 Galaxy Unpacked event.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge colors seemingly revealed in new video, and there’s another sign of an imminent launch