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There are four ways to check your Oyster balance and see how much credit you have remaining: by registering your card at the TFL website, through their mobile app, or by touching it against a ticket machine, or an Oyster reader on a bus or train station gate.
1) Check your balance as you tap down on an Oyster reader
The next time you tap your card down on a yellow Oyster reader on a bus or train station gate look at the small LCD screen above it. You will see your remaining balance displayed on the screen.
2) Check your balance at a tube station ticket machine
You can also touch your card against a yellow Oyster reader on a self-service ticket machine inside a train station. Your current balance will then be displayed on the touchscreen, and it will give you the option of topping it up with some extra credit.
3) See how much money you have left online at the TFL website
If you have a blue Oyster card then you can register it on TFL’s website (it’s not possible to register Visitor Oyster cards – only the regular blue ones).
To check the balance all you have to do is log in to your account and the remaining credit will be displayed at the top.
4) Find out how much credit you have remaining on the TFL app
The most convenient way of checking your balance is probably by downloading TFL’s Oyster app onto your mobile phone from Apple’s App Store and the Google Play Store.
Once you’ve created an account and entered your Oyster number you’ll be able to see your remaining credit just by logging in.
Your comments and questions
Roby I bought an oyster card for me and one for my daughter a long time ago (2016) are still valid? Can I recharge them? Thank you
Staff Hi Roby. If they were pay-as-you-go Oyster cards then any credit left on them never runs out. So you should be able to still use it. But if you had a travelcard put onto an Oyster card then they would have expired. But either way you should still be able to top the Oyster card up with some more credit. If you had the remaining credit refunded then the card would have been voided at the same time, so you wont be able to top it up
Rhoda I bought an Oyster card last year whilst on holiday in London, and plan to come to London for a few days again. Is this card still valid?
Staff Hi Rhoda. If you mean you had some pay-as-you-go credit on it, then yes, that will still be there. But if you had the remaining credit refunded last time then the card would have been voided at the same time, so you wont be able to use that card anymore
Churchacre I haven't used my Oyster card for a year or so, and I'm coming up to London next week. Can you top it up online? Thanks.
Staff Hi Churchacre. You can do, but you need to register the card with TFL first (maybe you did that already when you bought it) - city-guide.london/transport/how-to-top-up-oyster-card.php
Natalie Is there any way to check my Oyster card balance without creating an account? Only used it once & I live in the US. Thanks.
Staff Hi Natalie. You could create an account now and link your card to it, but only if its a blue one. You cant do it with visitor oyster cards. To check it the other ways you'd have to actually be in London