Oyster Price Capping

[whole diary]

[ChrisB]

It will allow your card to go into negative balance from a small positive balance. But you have to top it up into credit before it will allow you to enter the system again. Otherwise you get refused entry the next time you try to enter.

[JayMac]

Your Oyster^▸ (Smartcard system used by passengers on Transport for London services) card will always let you exit the system with, as ChrisB says, the possibility of going into a negative balance* but you still run the risk of a Penalty Fare if collared by Rev Pro and the fare for the journey you have made exceeds your balance.

*A negative balance is actually quite common as the system deducts a fixed amount when you touch in and then refunds it minus the correct fare when you touch out.

During the peak on Tube, DLR^▸ (Docklands Light Railway), London Overground and NR^» (Network Rail - home page) trains ^6.50 is taken off the Oyster card credit balance when you touch in. A refund is only made when you touch out. In zone one ^4.60 is then refunded to the card on exit, leaving a final charge for the journey of ^1.90. If you do not touch out you pay up to ^6.50 for each journey. Apart from in zone one, if you touch in during peak you pay more than during off-peak.

During the off-peak on Tube, DLR, London Overground and NR trains ^4.30 is taken off the Oyster card credit balance. A refund is only made when you touch out on exit. In zone one ^2.40 is then refunded to the card, leaving a charge for the journey of ^1.90. Apart from in zone one, if you touch in during off-peak you pay less.

Source: http://oystercard.110mb.com/faq.htm#payg

[Tim]

seems like a trap to me.  Isn't it stupid for the software to allow you to maker an illegal journney?

the whole appeal to Oyster^▸ (Smartcard system used by passengers on Transport for London services) for some people is that they don;t need to worry about the fare and they can let the card sort that kind of thing out.   I'v never used my card for anything otehr than tube journeys, but I;ve never checked my balance and only ever topped up when I an entrance gate doesn;t open.

[JayMac]

It's not the software that 'allows' you to make an illegal journey. It's your decision. Not knowing your balance is no defence. There are ample opportunities to check your balance before entering the system.

You may have ^2 in credit on your Oyster^▸ (Smartcard system used by passengers on Transport for London services), so the 'software' is going to let you into the system. It can't know your intended journey. If you make a journey that costs more than ^2 then you run the real risk of a Penalty Fare if stopped by Rev Pro. Ignorance of your balance is no defence.

[Tim]

Ignorance of your balance is no defence.

I agree.   But if you are expected to visit the ticket machine to check your balance before the journey, Oyster^▸ (Smartcard system used by passengers on Transport for London services) sudenly becomes less convenient and an object of its introdcution (at great expense) is defeated by stupid rules when things could be organised differently. 

[ChrisB]

Like how?

[Ollie]

Ignorance of your balance is no defence.

I agree.   But if you are expected to visit the ticket machine to check your balance before the journey, Oyster^▸ (Smartcard system used by passengers on Transport for London services) sudenly becomes less convenient and an object of its introdcution (at great expense) is defeated by stupid rules when things could be organised differently. 

Register your oystercard? You can check the balance online then. What are you expecting? A call from TfL^» (Transport for London - about) to say you need to top up?

[Mookiemoo]

or do auto top up so it tops up when the balance is less than 8 quid - you can choose how much it tops up

so mine loads 20 quid whenever the balance is 8 or less

[JayMac]

Think of your Oyster^▸ (Smartcard system used by passengers on Transport for London services) as cash. You wouldn't board at an unmanned, un-TVM^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine)'d NR^» (Network Rail - home page) station with insufficient funds on you to make your intended journey.

[Tim]

What are you expecting? A call from TfL^» (Transport for London - about) to say you need to top up?

My expectation would be that I would not be allowed through the entrance gates with insufficient credit to cover my journey.

I know to check my balance now.  But if I hadn't read this thread and had been caught out, I would be mightly agreived.

[Tim]

or do auto top up so it tops up when the balance is less than 8 quid - you can choose how much it tops up

so mine loads 20 quid whenever the balance is 8 or less

Sorry MM, that is not a complete solution.  What happens if your auto-top up fails (card blocked for example).  You should still be checking your balance.

[Tim]

Like how?

Only let you through the entrance gate when balance is at least the highest fare cap.  It was my assumption that that is what happened.  Turned out I was wrong, but I'd be annoye dto be PF^▸ (Penalty Fare)'ed for what would be a genuine mistake. 

[ChrisB]

Ignoring your card balance can't really be described as a 'mistake'

[Ollie]

The gates will let you in if you have enough balance on the card for the cheapest journey possible from that station.

I don't see how you feel it is not down to you to know your balance.

[Mookiemoo]

or do auto top up so it tops up when the balance is less than 8 quid - you can choose how much it tops up

so mine loads 20 quid whenever the balance is 8 or less

Sorry MM, that is not a complete solution.  What happens if your auto-top up fails (card blocked for example).  You should still be checking your balance.

But the fact that you have registered for auto top up means that you are not intending to not pay