Southern introduce Oyster pay as you go
From 2nd January 2010 you can use Oyster pay as you go on all Southern services in the London Fare Zones (zones 1-6). You can buy your Oyster card from East Croydon and Balham and (in limited numbers) from any Southern station within the London Fare Zones. Oyster cards are also available from any London Underground station, any one of 3800 Oyster ticket shops, London Overground ticket offices or online at tfl.gov.uk/oyster.
You can also top up your Oyster card at any Southern self-service ticket machine in the London Fare Zones.
Using your Oyster pay as you go card is very easy, simply remember to touch in on the yellow reader at the start of your journey and touch out at the end of your journey. The cost of your journey is automatically deducted from the balance on your card.
Just make sure you have topped up your card to cover the journey before you start.
For more information read our faqs. 
Oyster pay as you go FAQs (65kb)
Where can I travel?
Your Oyster card can be used throughout the London Fare Zones. As well as Southern services you can use the same card on buses, London Underground, DLR, London Overground and National Rail services within the London Zones.
Oyster Extension Permit
If you already have a Travelcard but want to use your Oyster card outside the zones covered by the Travelcard you will need load an Oyster Extension Permit onto your Oyster card before you travel. If you travel without an Oyster Extension Permit you may be liable to a penalty fare or even prosecution.
Getting an Oyster Extension Permit only takes a minute and is available from all Southern self-service ticket machines, London Underground or London Overground stations, Oyster ticket stops and certain Network Rail ticket offices, including East Croydon and Balham.
For more information on Oyster Extension Permits please visit tfl.gov.uk/oyster
Change of ticket types
The introduction of Oyster pay as you go also means that Rail Off-Peak Day Return tickets were withdrawn on 2nd January 2010.
So instead of buying an Off-Peak Day Return you can use an Oyster card which is available for a £3.00 returnable deposit from many locations. And then top up the value of the card to cover the cost of your journey.
The £1.00 Child Off-Peak Travelcard (for children travelling with an adult Travelcard holder) will not be available from 2nd January as Off-Peak child fares on Oyster pay as you go are ‘capped’ at £1.00 So as long as children travel during the Off-Peak, they will not pay more than £1.00 for all their journeys
Fares
If you travel Off-Peak only, fares using Oyster will either be cheaper or the same as before. However if you purchase an Off-Peak day return ticket but return during Peak hours, there may be a slight increase in costs.
Daily fare caps
An extra benefit of Oyster pay as you go is the daily fare cap. In simple terms, if you begin your journey Off-Peak but decide to later in the day during the evening Peak, your fare will remain capped at the Off-Peak level. And children using Oyster have a daily cap of only £1.00.
Fare examples
Adult single fares (standard**):
| Zones | Rail ticket | pay as you go Peak | pay as you go Off-Peak |
| 2-1 | 2.40 | 2.10 | 1.70 |
| 3-1 | 3.10 | 2.60 | 2.00 |
| 4-1 | 3.70 | 3.10 | 2.30 |
| 5-1 | 4.40 | 3.90 | 2.60 |
| 6-1 | 5.00 | 4.90 | 3.20 |
Child single fares (* capped at £1.00):
| Zones | Rail ticket | pay as you go Peak | pay as you go Off-Peak |
| 2-1 | 1.20 | 1.05 | 0.85 |
| 3-1 | 1.55 | 1.30 | 1.00* |
| 4-1 | 1.85 | 1.55 | 1.00* |
| 5-1 | 2.20 | 1.95 | 1.00* |
| 6-1 | 2.50 | 2.45 | 1.00* |
Child Oyster fares on National Rail
| Age | Oyster pay as you go |
| under 5 | Free |
| 5-10 |
50% of the adult fare with a 5-10 Oyster photocard. There is also an Off-Peak price cap of £1 for children. |
| 11-15 |
50% of the adult fare with a 11-15 Oyster photocard |
| 16+ | 50% of the adult fare with 16+ photocard (including 18 year olds in full time education) |
If you currently use a Railcard, several discounts are also available on the Oyster pay as you go single fare and the daily cap. Disabled, Senior, 16-25 year olds and HM Forces Railcard discounts can be loaded onto your Oyster card at any London Underground or London Overground ticket office.
These Railcards provide a 1/3rd discount on the Off-Peak Oyster pay as you go fare for most journeys on Southern services within the London fare zone and a 1/3rd discount on the Off-Peak daily price cap (Disabled Railcard discounts are also available during Peak times).Your Oyster card will then be ‘flagged/loaded' with the Railcard discount. Including the card's expiry date.
Due to limitations of the pay as you go system, railcard discounts for Friends and Family Railcards, Network Cards, Gold Cards or Partner Cards are not available on Oyster pay as you go.
Oyster Conditions of Use
The Oyster Conditions of Use set out your rights and obligations when using an Oyster card to travel on Southern as well as other Train operating Companies on National Rail services. They apply in addition to the conditions set out in the National Rail Conditions of Carriage, which you can view and download from the following link:
National Rail Conditions of Carriage (284 KB)
Where these Conditions of Use differ from the National Rail Conditions of Carriage, they take precedence when you are using your Oyster card. Please click on the following link to download a PDF version of the Oyster conditions of use:
Oyster Conditions of Use (178 KB)
