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What to do if your Oyster card is lost or stolen in London

You can transfer your existing balance over to a new card if you already have an account – here’s how

Annie McNamee
Written by
Annie McNamee
Contributor, Time Out London and UK
Oyster card on a London tube map
Photograph: charnsitr / Shutterstock.com
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London transport is usually pretty reliable. When there aren’t strikes or planned works, it’s pretty easy to get from here to there, and all you have to do to pay is tap – whether that’s an Oyster card, payment card or digital wallet. 

It’s been 22 years since Oyster cards debuted, and pretty quickly they were ubiquitous. They’ve fallen out of favour slightly since contactless payments hit the network, but many remain dedicated to the Oyster – and for good reason. You can get only get railcard discounts on an Oyster, and Zip Photocards are used daily by countless Londoners. 

If you rely on the little blue card to get around, losing it can be quite a stressful experience. Don’t worry though, you wouldn’t be the first, or even the millionth, to misplace it, so there are procedures to follow in this situation.

How do I get a new Oyster card?

The easiest way to get a new Oyster is online, but you can also buy one at an Oyster Ticket Stop inside a newsagent.

If you had pay-as-you-go credit, or at least five days left on a travelcard or a bus and tram pass left over on your old card, you can request this to be transferred over once you’ve got a new card.

You can also request a replacement directly from TfL for £7.

How to get money back if you lose your Oyster card

If your Oyster card is registered to a Transport for London (TfL) account, the recovery process is a bit easier. If you don’t have one, any money you’ve already loaded onto the card will sadly be lost to the Underground gods.

If you are registered with TfL, you won’t get a refund, but you can transfer your balance over. You can also report a card missing online. If you find your card/s once you’ve reported them, cut them in half and dispose of them as they won’t function anymore.

If you order a replacement from TfL, you won’t need to manually transfer any credit.

Is there anything I need to do once I get a new Oyster card?

Aside from reporting your previous card stolen, the only thing you’ll need to do with a new Oyster is add any discounts you’re eligible for. And load credit onto it, obviously.

To add a discount, take your Oyster and discount card (such as a railcard) to a tube station or a tube station and ask a member of staff to apply the discount. 

You can look on the TfL website for exact details on how to order your new Oyster.

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