TfL Refunds: How to Get Money Back for Tube Delays, Maximum Fares, and Card Clash
When TfL owes you money, when it doesn't, and exactly how to claim. With a free interactive checker that gives you the answer in 30 seconds.
- Tube or DLR delayed by 15 minutes or more because of something TfL controls? Claim within 28 days.
- London Overground or Elizabeth line delayed by 30 minutes or more? Claim within 28 days.
- Charged a maximum fare? Wait 48 hours, then submit an incomplete journey refund.
- Tapped in or out with the wrong card or device? Claim on both cards.
- Got standard Oyster pay-as-you-go credit you can't use? Refund online, or at any Tube ticket machine if it's £10 or less. The card is cancelled when the refund is paid.
Refund checker
Answer four short questions and we'll tell you which TfL refund applies, the deadline, what evidence to gather, and give you a paste-ready claim note. Nothing is sent anywhere - this all runs in your browser.
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Prefer to read the full detail? Pick the closest match below - each links to the right section.
Service delay refunds
If your journey was delayed by enough, and the cause was something within TfL's control, you can claim a service delay refund worth up to a single pay-as-you-go fare for that trip. Crucially, the threshold is not the same across all TfL services.
| What you need to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tube and DLR threshold | 15 minutes or more later than expected |
| Overground and Elizabeth line threshold | 30 minutes or more later than expected |
| Deadline to claim | 28 days from the date of the delayed journey |
| What you get back | Up to one single pay-as-you-go fare for the affected journey, paid as Oyster credit, contactless refund or bank transfer |
| Excluded causes | Strikes, severe weather, security incidents, customer incidents, planned engineering works |
| Buses | No published delay-refund scheme - no claims for late buses |
How to claim: sign in to your TfL contactless and Oyster account or your TfL online account, find the journey in your travel history, and select "Get a refund". For online contactless and Oyster claims, TfL cross-checks against its own service records. Paper ticket and National Rail smartcard claims may need an image of the ticket or smartcard. TfL says claims may take up to 10 working days to review.
One thing worth knowing: TfL can sometimes be more lenient than the published thresholds suggest. If you missed a connection or your overall journey took much longer than expected, it's worth submitting the claim and explaining what happened in the notes - the worst case is they decline.
Incomplete journey refunds (card clash, missed taps, gates left open)
An incomplete journey is when TfL's system can't see both ends of a trip, usually because of a missed tap, a card clash, or a gate left open. The default charge is a maximum fare - which can be £8 or more. Where the journey could not be completed and one or two maximum fares were charged, you can often claim the difference back. Wait at least 48 hours before applying - many incomplete journeys are processed automatically.
| Common cause | What to do |
|---|---|
| Card clash (different card or device at each end) | Submit incomplete journey claims on both cards. Explain that you accidentally tapped with different payment methods. |
| You forgot to tap out | Wait 48 hours, then submit a refund and tell TfL the destination station. They can usually verify and adjust. |
| You tapped in but the gate was already open | Same process - submit the refund, explain. TfL can see whether the reader logged your tap. |
| Your phone died mid-journey | Tap out at the destination with another card or device, then submit a claim explaining what happened. |
| Reader was broken | Tell a member of staff at the time and ask them to log it. Then submit an incomplete journey claim once 48 hours have passed. |
How to claim: sign in to your contactless and Oyster account or TfL online account, find the journey, and select "Get a refund". TfL says claims may take up to 10 working days to review.
Maximum fares
The maximum fare is what TfL charges by default when it can't see where your journey ended (or began). It is not a punishment - it's a placeholder while the system waits to see what happened. If you don't claim it back, it stays on your statement.
You'll see it most often when:
- You forgot to tap in or tap out
- You used different payment methods at each end (card clash)
- You exited through an open gate without your card registering
- The reader at one end was faulty
What to do: wait at least 48 hours after the journey - TfL's system needs time to settle and try to match the trip, and many incomplete journeys are corrected automatically during that window. Then sign in, find the journey marked as "incomplete" or showing the maximum fare, and request a refund. TfL says claims may take up to 10 working days to review.
Same-station exits and abandoned journeys
If you touch in and touch out at the same station, TfL applies same-station exit rules. A quick exit is not always free.
| Time between tap in and tap out | What TfL charges |
|---|---|
| 0 to 2 minutes | A maximum fare. This may be refunded if you re-enter the same or another station within 45 minutes - but the refund does not apply if you take a bus or tram before re-entering. |
| 2 to 30 minutes | The minimum pay-as-you-go fare from that station. |
| More than 30 minutes | TfL may treat it as two incomplete journeys and charge two maximum fares. |
If you left because the line was suspended, claim through the incomplete journey route and explain what happened. Mention the suspension, where you tapped in, and that you didn't travel - it strengthens the claim.
Oyster pay-as-you-go credit refunds
Standard Oyster pay-as-you-go credit can be refunded online via your TfL Oyster account, or at any Tube station ticket machine if your remaining credit is £10 or less. Larger balances go through the online process.
Visitor Oyster cards have a separate process: refunds are by phone (call 0343 222 1234) or by post. Paper-ticket refunds also have their own routes.
Travelcards loaded onto Oyster have their own pro-rata refund rules depending on the type and remaining validity. Use the TfL online process or visit a TfL Visitor Centre for the exact calculation.
Common edge cases
"I tapped in with my card and out with Apple Pay"
Classic card clash. Both payment methods will probably show an incomplete journey and a maximum fare. Submit refund claims on both - in the notes, say which one you used at the start and which at the end. TfL can usually merge the trip and charge you the correct single fare.
"I left the station because the line was suspended"
Same-station exit rules apply: if you tap out within two minutes you may see a maximum fare (refundable if you re-enter elsewhere within 45 minutes); within 30 minutes you'll typically be charged the minimum pay-as-you-go fare from that station; longer than that and you may see two maximum fares. Submit an incomplete journey refund and clearly explain the suspension. If you eventually arrived at your destination later than expected by a different route, you may also have a separate service delay claim if it crossed the threshold (15 minutes Tube/DLR, 30 minutes Overground/Elizabeth line).
"I touched in, changed my mind, and left"
The same-station exit rules apply - see the same-station section above. A short same-station exit is not always free, and the charge depends on how long you were inside the gates. If the charge looks wrong, submit an incomplete journey refund and explain.
"The station I used isn't listed in the dropdown"
Pick the nearest station and explain in the notes which station you actually used. New, renamed and recently-changed stations sometimes lag in the refund interface.
"TfL rejected my claim"
You can appeal. TfL says to call 0343 222 1234 for unsuccessful service delay and incomplete journey claims (charges may apply). Be specific about timing, what you saw on platform indicators, and where you were trying to get to. If the rejection cited a cause that was outside TfL's control (strike, weather), that's harder to appeal - but other refusals are often reconsidered.
Claim templates you can paste in
TfL's refund forms include a free-text notes box. Short and specific is best - here are templates for the most common situations. Tap "Copy" and replace the bracketed parts.
Service delay (Tube, DLR, Overground, Elizabeth line)
Incomplete journey - missed tap-out
Card clash (different card or device at each end)
Appeal a rejected claim
TfL asks you to appeal unsuccessful claims by phone on 0343 222 1234. The wording below is for what to say or send.
Find out about disruption before you leave the house
Tube Alerter sends a free email the moment your line gets disrupted in your commute window. Catching delays early means you can reroute, and if it's a TfL-controlled delay you'll know to claim a refund.
Set up free alertsFrequently asked questions
How long do I have to claim?
Service delay refunds: 28 days from the journey. Submit incomplete journey refunds (including card clash, missed taps and maximum fares) as soon as you spot the charge - and after a 48-hour wait, since many are corrected automatically. Oyster credit refunds and Travelcard refunds have their own processes.
Can I claim during a strike?
No. Industrial action sits in TfL's "outside our control" list, alongside severe weather, security incidents, planned engineering works and customer incidents. You can still claim if you were affected by a separate, unrelated TfL-controlled delay during the same period.
Can I claim if I used contactless or Apple Pay?
Yes. Refunds work the same whether you used Oyster, contactless or a phone wallet. Sign in to TfL's contactless and Oyster account using the email tied to your card, find the journey, and claim. You can also register a card after the trip and link it to your account to claim historic journeys.
How long does a refund take to arrive?
TfL says service delay claims and incomplete journey refunds may take up to 10 working days to review. Successful refunds are typically paid as Oyster pay-as-you-go credit, contactless refund or bank transfer.
Can tourists claim?
Yes. The same rules apply, and you can claim against the contactless card or device you used to pay even after you've left the UK. You can add a contactless card to a TfL online account after the journey, but the normal claim deadlines still apply: 28 days for a service delay refund, and TfL recommends submitting incomplete journey refunds promptly (after a 48-hour wait). For unused standard Oyster pay-as-you-go credit, refund online via your TfL Oyster account; Visitor Oyster has a separate phone or postal route.
Will TfL refund me automatically?
Sometimes. If you have a registered contactless and Oyster account and TfL spots a clear delay, you may receive an automatic credit. But the system is not exhaustive - many eligible journeys are not auto-refunded, so it's worth checking your travel history yourself.
Does claiming affect my future fares or capping?
No - refunds simply correct the original charge. In the case of incomplete journey refunds they often improve your daily or weekly cap, because TfL can re-attribute the journey to the right zones.
Official TfL refund pages
Always submit your claim through TfL's own pages. These are the canonical sources for the latest values, deadlines, and processes: