Mubasher: The London Oyster contactless railcard has simplified the way customers pay for rail travel over the last ten years, in parallel with the growing number of users. However, the higher use of contactless bank cards has put Oyster at edge.

Following the launch of the Oyster smartcards in London, getting around the city became easier and quicker than before through the “pay-as-you-go” passes. 

This has “eliminated the need for cash and reduced the queues”, GlobalData’s railway technology writer, Frances Marcellin, recently disclosed in a press release.

When asked about whether or not the Oyster card will continue in circulation as contactless card and smartphone payments taking off, the head of customer payments at Transport for London (TfL), Mike Tuckett, revealed:

“TfL has no plans [to] phase the Oyster card out, this is because there will always be customers, such as children or those who need to manage their finances more carefully, who will benefit from the card.”

“However, as the system is now more than 15 years old, and it is clear that more people are switching to using pay-as-you-go with contactless bank cards or mobile devices, we are no longer extending Oyster to other stations outside London,” he concluded.