• When were contactless payments introduced?

Contactless payment on buses was introduced on 13 December 2012. On the first day, 2,061 people paid for their journey using a contactless payment card. From 6 July 2014, cash payments for fares on buses were no longer accepted. From 16 September 2014, customers using the Tube, tram, DLR, London Overground, and National Rail services that accept Oyster, were also able to make contactless payments.

In September 2016, the introduction of the Mayor’s ‘Hopper’ fare, which offered unlimited bus and tram travel, within an hour of first touching in, for the price of a single fare, helped further increase contactless use. The success of pay as you go with contactless in London led to other cities across the world, such as New York, Chicago and Sydney, introducing contactless payment options for public transport, based on London's system.