Contactless pay as you go can now be used on both GWR and TfL Rail services between Reading and London Paddington.

Now there’s no need to top up or queue for tickets at the station.

  • use your contactless debit/credit card, or mobile device, to pay for journeys by touching in and out
  • TfL’s Oyster card also offers pay as you go but isn’t available between Reading and West Drayton, fares and daily caps are the same
As contactless pay as you go is based on single fares, it may not always be the cheapest way to pay for a journey. Find out more about pay as you go fares.

Always remember to touch in and out. Find out more, and register, at contactless.tfl.gov.uk.

Fare capping

Caps limit how much you pay for all your journeys in one day or week.

Start using your contactless payment card on a Monday for maximum benefit. Although you can buy a paper season ticket to start on any day of the week, capping always calculates your travel week from a Monday and finishes on the following Sunday.

For many journeys, particularly those only going as far as Paddington, it may be cheaper to buy a paper season ticket, rather than use Weekly (Monday – Sunday) capping. Find out more about fare capping here.

For journeys involving stations Reading through to Iver, capping levels are the same as the paper Travelcard fares to London Zones 1-6 for Anytime Day (Peak), Off-Peak Day and Weekly Season tickets. Details of these caps can be found here.

Stations beyond Zone 6

Contactless pay as you go is available on the GWR network beyond London Zone 6 to the following stations:

  • Iver
  • Langley
  • Slough
  • Windsor & Eton Central
  • Burnham
  • Taplow
  • Maidenhead
  • Furze Platt
  • Cookham
  • Bourne End
  • Marlow
  • Twyford
  • Wargrave
  • Shiplake
  • Henley-on-Thames
  • Reading

Oyster cards and Freedom Passes

  • all Oyster products (including Oyster pay as you go, season tickets on Oyster cards, Children’s ZIP Oyster cards, 60+ London Oyster photocards and Veterans Oyster photocards) are not valid to these stations
  • London Freedom Passes are valid on TfL Rail services ONLY to these stations. They are not valid on GWR services between West Drayton and Reading
  • under 11s travel free on TfL Rail in this area when accompanied by an adult. This doesn’t apply on GWR services

Good to know

Card clash

If you use your contactless card when it’s in the same wallet or purse as your others, you may pay with a card you didn't want to. It’s a good idea to separate the card or device you want to use.

Always touch in and out at the start and end of your journey, even if the gates are open. When changing trains, you may need to touch your card on a pink reader.

If you're using a bus or tram you only have to touch in.

Contactless payments with Google, Apple and Android pay
  • Can I use a discount with contactless pay as you go?
  • Can I claim Delay Repay with contactless pay as you go?
  • Can I use Contactless pay as you go in First Class?
  • Can I use any train between London and Reading with contactless pay as you go?
  • Can I travel between Waterloo and Reading on SWR services with contactless pay as you go?
  • What are Peak / Off-Peak times on contactless pay as you go?
  • If I have a problem with contactless pay as you go, who do I need to contact?