Am I right in thinking that I can just use my iPhone to tap in / out of tube stations without having to buy a Travelcard anymore?

[BahrainLad]

Yes TfL accept all of those.

 

[jfollows]

Can I use any payment system? I mean Visa, MasterCard, American Express

I suggest you go to https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/how-to-pay...s-you-go/contactless-and-mobile-pay-as-you-go:

Contactless cards​

If your bank card shows the contactless payment symbol, you can use it to pay as you go straight away. You'll pay an adult rate fare.
Many contactless cards issued outside the UK can be used to pay as you go for travel (overseas transaction fees may apply):

• American Express (AMEX)
• MasterCard and Maestro (some cards issued in the USA, Canada and the Netherlands aren't accepted)
• Visa and V PAY (some cards issued outside the UK aren't accepted)

If you have a prepaid card, it may be accepted on our transport services. Check with your card issuer if you're not sure if your card is contactless or if it's rejected.

 

[mm333]

A couple of tips for iPhone usage on the tube

- the Apple Pay chip is towards the top of the phone, just underneath the camera. So often putting the middle of the phone on the reader won’t work (I’ve seen my Dad do this on more than one occasion ), you need just to tap the top.

That was the bit that flummoxed me for my first few attempts to use my iPhone on gatelines. Eventually I figured it out.

 

[Richardr]

My phone works straight forwardly - it does need to be woken up from complete standby, but only so as the login screen is seen.

However, I have failed to get TfL to log the number (which is specific to the phone app and isn't the usual number) and hence I can't see my history. As a result I've gone back to using the actual card. I've not had any issues, but just worry that without seeing the history, one day a tap will fail and I'll be unable to correct it. I can see from the account that TfL have got as far as the account (there's their name against a zero amount, so the number is correct), but they have an issue somewhere.

 

[stuu]

My phone works straight forwardly - it does need to be woken up from complete standby, but only so as the login screen is seen.

However, I have failed to get TfL to log the number (which is specific to the phone app and isn't the usual number) and hence I can't see my history. As a result I've gone back to using the actual card. I've not had any issues, but just worry that without seeing the history, one day a tap will fail and I'll be unable to correct it. I can see from the account that TfL have got as far as the account (there's their name against a zero amount, so the number is correct), but they have an issue somewhere.

Apple Pay/Google Pay create their own number so the merchant can never see the real card number- If you attempt to register that with TfL, they will run a check to see if that is a real card number, which it will almost certainly fail. However, if you register your actual card with TfL, the system links the use of mobile payments back to the correct card

 

[jfollows]

As stuu says, you're trying to be too clever if you're trying to register the Device Primary Account Number (DPAN) recorded against your card in Apple Pay. You should always register the real card itself. Then your TFl account will show payments made against the real card, in my experience you may have to wait until the following day to see them, but that may not be correct.
As we discussed earlier in this topic, you should probably not mix use of the Apple Phone with the real card, because they use different DPANs and you could miss out on capping if so, or even incomplete journeys which need reconciling manually.
I have always used my Apple Watch since it was possible, I always register the actual cards themselves, and I have never had a problem obtaining a breakdown of my usage against the actual card from my TFl account shortly after.

 

[Statto]

Last time i was in London, i used my contactless bank card, very easy (easier than using my phone, saves worrying that battery life in the phone is good).

 

[BahrainLad]

The later model iPhones and Apple Watches will continue to work the readers even if the battery is completely flat. Certainly for enough time for you to find a charge.

 

[sprunt]

As stuu says, you're trying to be too clever if you're trying to register the Device Primary Account Number (DPAN) recorded against your card in Apple Pay. You should always register the real card itself. Then your TFl account will show payments made against the real card, in my experience you may have to wait until the following day to see them, but that may not be correct.

This worked for me, but a few weeks ago I got a new phone and have been using that since - the payments I made no longer show up on the Oyster website, presumably because it's now using a different DPAN. Is there anything I can do to get it to reconnect or is it likely to sort it out itself eventually? I'm not *that* bothered because my use isn't especially heavy these days.

 

[jfollows]

This worked for me, but a few weeks ago I got a new phone and have been using that since - the payments I made no longer show up on the Oyster website, presumably because it's now using a different DPAN. Is there anything I can do to get it to reconnect or is it likely to sort it out itself eventually? I'm not *that* bothered because my use isn't especially heavy these days.

I'm not enough of an expert, others may comment, but I don't think changing phone should have this effect. Last time I was in London I used the watch on day 1 and the phone on day 2 - different DPANs as we verified earlier on - and both their transactions (against the same real card) showed up in my account in due course. I found I had to wait until the next day I think in order for this to happen, but that's never an issue for me.

Others with more knowledge and experience may have good ideas and suggestions.

 

[_toommm_]

The later model iPhones and Apple Watches will continue to work the readers even if the battery is completely flat. Certainly for enough time for you to find a charge.

I said this a while ago and was told categorically on the forum that it isn’t possible of course it is, but hey ho.

 

[nanstallon]

Last time i was in London, i used my contactless bank card, very easy (easier than using my phone, saves worrying that battery life in the phone is good).

I agree; that is what I do. The only drawback is that you don't then get the benefit of a National Railcard, that gives you a third off on NR journeys. For that reason, you could be better off going to the booking office to buy a Travelcard - I believe that you will then be allowed a third off.