Kids fares and Oyster cards on London Transport
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By Time Out editors
Posted: Wed Jul 30 2008 -
There is a range of concessions available to young people travelling around London. With different arrangements for different ages and methods of travel, they can be difficult to get your head around, so – with the help of Transport for London – we’ve set out to clarify exactly what’s on offer and what you need to do to get it
Under 11s
Under 11s can travel free on buses and trams at all times. They can also travel free on the Tube, DLR and London Overground, if accompanied by an adult with a valid ticket, pass or Oyster card.
Under 16s
Young people who are under 16 can get an 11-15 Zip Oyster photocard that will allow them to travel free on buses and trams, pay half the adult rate on the Tube, DLR and London Overground and buy half-price Travelcard season tickets. The Oyster daily price cap means that they can travel all day on services where ‘pay as you go’ is available for a maximum cost of £1. Their 11-15 Oyster photocard will expire on Sept 30 following the end of the academic year in which they turn 16.
For further information on this scheme visit www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/faresandtickets/1020.aspx
For general information on Oyster visit www.tfl.gov.uk/oyster. If you are unable to find the information you require, you can contact the Oyster Helpdesk on 0845 330 9876.
Travel Without a Zip card
Under 16s can buy an Off-Peak Day Travelcard for £2 without the need for a photocard (no form of identification is required and they can be purchased from a ticket machine); for Under 16s travelling with a valid adult-rate Travelcard holder, the Off-Peak Day Travelcard costs just £1. This allows travel on bus, Tube, tram, DLR, London Overground and National Rail services within Zones 1-6, from 9.30am Monday to Friday and all day at weekends and on public holidays.
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16-17 year olds
All 16-17 year olds (whether London residents or not) can get a 16+ Oyster photocard that will allow them to travel at half the adult rate on buses, trams, Tube, DLR and London Overground. In addition, 16-18 year olds in qualifying full-time education, who live in a London borough, are eligible for free bus and tram travel with a 16+ Oyster photocard. (Qualifying full-time education means a minimum of 12 hours of guided learning per week, for a minimum of ten weeks, on further education courses such as A-levels (AS/A2), NVQ level 3 and the International Baccalaureate. Your school or college will be able to tell you whether your course qualifies.)
Further details are available at www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/faresandtickets/1018.aspx
How apply for free travel
If you live in London
If you live in London, you should apply for an 11-15 or 16+ Oyster photocard at your local Post Office. If it is your first Under 16s or 16+ Oyster photocard, or you are a 16+ applicant renewing your free travel concession, there is no fee. The card will be sent to the address given in your application within two weeks. If the card is lost, stolen or damaged, a replacement will cost £10 and can be obtained online at www.tfl.gov.uk/photocard or by contacting the Oyster helpline (0845 0170 330).
Young people wishing to benefit from free bus and tram travel need to re-apply at the Post Office at the start of each academic year. Applications for 16+ travel concession can be made at Post Offices from Sept 1 to June 30. Applications can be processed outside this time by contacting the Oyster helpline: 0845 330 9876.
Visitors to London
If you are planning a visit to London, you can apply for your Oyster photocard online at www.tfl.gov.uk/photocard, and collect it at a Travel Information Centre (www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/wheretobuytickets/travelinformationcentres/1086.aspx) when you arrive. You need to apply at least three weeks prior to your visit. Further options are available for groups (see www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/faresandtickets/oneand3daytickets/2906.aspx).
18+
If you are older and coming to London to study, you may be eligible for the 18+ Oyster photocard scheme for students in full-time education. This scheme gives a 30 per cent discount on Travelcards and Bus Pass season tickets. Further information is available at: www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/faresandtickets/1014.aspx
5-10 Oyster photocards
Parents may choose to obtain a 5-10 Oyster photocard for their child for various reasons: so that their child can travel free with an older sibling; to avoid having to ask a member of staff to let them through the gate; to purchase and use Travelcard season tickets on Oyster for use on National Rail services in London; because their child looks older (ie over 11).
5-10 Oyster photocard application forms are available at the Post Office. You can apply once your child is five. Once they are 10 years 11 months, they should apply instead for the 11-15 Oyster photocard. Applications are submitted at the Post Office in exactly the same way as for a 11-15 Oyster photocard.
Visitors from outside London can apply online at www.tfl.gov.uk/photocard to order a card for collection at a Travel Information Centre. They must apply a minimum of three weeks in advance. Replacements for lost or stolen cards are obtained at www.tfl.gov.uk/photocard or by calling 0845 0170 330 (a £10 fee is payable for duplicates).
What you need to take when you apply for a photocard
1. A completed application form.
2. A full-face passport photo.
3. Proof of age (valid passport/ID card from a European Economic Area/birth certificate).
4. Applicants for a 16+ Oyster photocard who are applying for free bus and tram travel also need a document that proves their address (it must bear the applicant’s name and address or the name of the applicant’s parent or guardian and the applicant’s address – eg, a recent utility bill, a council tax bill or a driving licence; mobile phone bills are not accepted).
Who needs a signature from their school?
For a 16+ Oyster photocard, the form requires the signature and official stamp of the applicant’s school or college.
For an 11-15 Oyster photocard, a school signature is only required if the applicant does not have a birth certificate or passport to prove their age.
Who needs to go to the Post Office?
Anyone can submit the application, whether for a 5-10, 11-15 or 16+ Oyster photocard.- Add your comment to this feature
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77 comments
i've lost the envelope for my application form, is there an adress i can put on a normal envelop and send it to?
dear Janette Bowes
i dont have a credit card what should i do ? one of my cusin told me to go to post office to get a new one for £10 and i came to england only 3 years my english is no so good
from Tuyen.
Tuyen,
Although it’s quicker to apply for a duplicate card online, if you don't know your Oyster photocard number or application reference number you will need to get the duplicate card through our helpline. Call 0845 331 9872 and select the 'lost/stolen' option. The lines are open every day between 08:00 and 20:00 and calls currently cost 3.5p per minute from a BT landline. You'll need a debit or credit card to pay a £10 fee.
Yours sincerely
Janette Bowes
Ticketing Programme Manager
Transport for London
i lost my oyster and i lost my reference aswell what should i do ? pls i need help ive lost it for like 2-3 week ago
Georgee,
We don't take the location of your place of study into account, but to be eligible for the 16+ free bus and tram travel concession you do have to be a permanent resident of a London Borough. If you are now living outside the London boundary, you won't qualify. If you are still under 18 you can carry on using your current 16+ Oyster photocard to travel at half the adult rate, until the date on the back of the card.
Yours sincerely
Janette Bowes
Ticketing Programme Manager
Transport for London
hi, ive moved into surrey but my parents still live in london.
i still study in london so will i be able to get a free 16+ oyster card? as i did last year.
Sindhu,
You will only be able to get free bus and tram travel, and discounts on the Tube, with a valid 16+ Oyster photocard. You should apply as soon as possible - forms are available at the Post Office or your school may have some. Please make sure you complete your application form carefully so that there's no delay in getting your card issued. Your school will need to stamp and sign it if you are applying for free bus and tram travel.
Yours sincerely
Janette Bowes
Ticketing Programme Manager
Transport for London
I am new to london but my parents have stayed for years...I hv got admission in school and i am applying for 16+ oyster card ... While it ll take few days for it to come , i am using my parents oyster card(adult fares),.,, can i travel for free till the oyster card comes??
Hi,
You'll need to request a duplicate photocard from TfL. If you know your old card number (the 12 digit number on the back of the card) or you kept a note of your last application reference number, the quickest way to do this is by going online at tfl.gov.uk/photocard.
If you don't have either of these numbers call our helpline on 0845 331 9872. It's open until 8pm every day.
You'll need a credit or debit card to pay the £10 fee for the duplicate card.
Although duplicate cards are despatched very quickly, you will need to pay adult fares until the new one arrives. The adult cash fare on trams is £2, but if you have a standard Oyster card you can use that to Pay As You Go, which brings the fare down to 90p. If you are under 16 you can also buy child rate Day and 3 Day Travelcards without any sort of photocard. A Zone 1-4 Day Travelcard will cost £4.70 if you need to travel in the peak.
Yours sincerely
Janette Bowes
Ticketing Programme Manager
Transport for London
I have lost my oyster card but still need to use the trams to get to and from school. How do i apply for a new one and can i still travel while i wait for the new one to arrive?
Hi Beth
That's probably the best idea. You can use your parent's standard Oyster card to travel using Pay As You Go, but fares will be charged at adult rate. We send out replacements for lost Oyster photocards by the end of the next working day after they are ordered, so I hope yours has now reached you.
Yours sincerely
Janette Bowes
Ticketing Programme Manager
Transport for London
I lost my 11-15 oyster card today. I ordered a new one but have school tommorow so it won't arrive in time. Can I use my parent's oyster cards until it has arrived?
Janette,
Thank you for the quick reply. I will apply for the Oyster card to save from future problems over my son's age.
Sonyer
Sonyer,
Children aged under 11 do not need an Oyster photocard to travel free on buses and trams. However, if your son looks older than his age you might like to get him a 5-10 Oyster photocard, so that he isn't challenged by drivers. Applications can be made free of charge at any Post Office branch in London.
Yours sincerely
Janette Bowes
Ticketing Programme Manager
Transport for London
Childrens Oyster cards are confussing me. I have a son aged 9. We were stopped getting on a bus by the driver saying my son needed an oyster card for 11-15 year olds. When I told the driver my son is 9, he said I needed an oyster card for 5-10 year olds. Fair enough, so I picked up the forms today. The forms say I do NOT need an Oyster photo card for children 5-10 for londons buses and trams. Should I apply anyway?