Oyster Cards

Can you use Oyster cards on the Heathrow Express?

In this helpful guide, we’ll look at how to use your Oyster card on the Heathrow Express.

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Buying your Oyster Card at Heathrow Airport

You can buy an Oyster card once you land at Heathrow to use on both the Heathrow Express and a variety of London Transport options within the city.


It’s quick and easy to buy an Oyster card from either Heathrow Central station or Heathrow Terminal 5 station. Either queue up at the ticket office or use one of the many ticket machines and follow the on-screen instructions. You’ll need your bank card or some cash to pay the £7 for your card and add some credit to your account.


You’ll also find various visitor centres within the terminals where you can pick up Visitor Oyster cards.

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Oyster Card

What is an Oyster card?

An Oyster card is a pre-paid travel card that you can add money to, so you can pay-as-you-go on a variety of transport options in and around London. You can use an Oyster card to pay on the bus, tube, tram, DLR and London Overground, as well as most Elizabeth Line, IFS Cloud Cable Car and Thames Clippers River Bus services. You can also use it on the Heathrow Express.

You simply touch in with your Oyster at the start of your journey and touch out at the end on yellow card readers to pay the right fare.

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Can you use your Oyster card on the Heathrow Express?

Yes, you can use your Oyster card on the Heathrow Express. Just like getting the tube or London Overground, you simply tap your Oyster on the ticket barriers as you enter and leave the station.

Say, you’re travelling from London Paddington to Heathrow Central on the Heathrow Express. You’ll tap your Oyster Card at the ticket barriers before you arrive on our Heathrow Express platforms (usually six and seven). And when you leave the train at Heathrow Central, you’ll tap your Oyster card again to complete your journey.

For a single journey on the Heathrow Express, you’ll be charged for a single ticket with a cost of £25.

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Don’t have an Oyster? Here’s how to get one

You can buy an Oyster card in a variety of ways, including:


  • Online with a contactless and Oyster account, if you live in the UK

  • At Oyster Ticket Stops in many newsagents in London

  • At all Tube, most London Overground and most Elizabeth line stations

  • At Visitor Centres



To buy one in London, it will cost you £7 and you’ll need to top it up with credit before you travel. You can also choose auto top-up where your card will automatically top-up if your balance drops below £20.

How to recharge your Oyster Card (online and in-person)

It’s a simple process to recharge your Oyster card, either online or in person.

To recharge your Oyster card online, all you need to do is:


  • Visit the Transport for London website and sign up for an Oyster contactless account or log in to your existing one

  • Add your Oyster card to your account if you haven’t already

  • Navigate to the section for topping up your card and choose your desired amount

  • Choose your payment method and complete the payment

  • You’ll usually need to touch your card in at a yellow Oyster card reader within 30 minutes of making your top-up

In-person recharging at Oyster ticket machines works like this:


  • Find an Oyster ticket machine at a London Underground, DLR, London Overground, Elizabeth Line station or National Rail station

  • Touch your Oyster card on the yellow card reader

  • Select “Top Up Oyster” or “Add Money” on the screen

  • Choose the amount you want to add to your card

  • Follow the on-screen instructions to make your payment, either cash or card

  • Touch your Oyster card on the card reader again to complete the top-up

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