Transport for London

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Transport for London (TfL) is the local government body responsible for managing the public transport network and main roads in Greater London, including the Underground, buses, trams, Overground, and some rail services.

London, United Kingdom
tfl.gov.uk

About Transport for London

Transport for London (TfL) is the public body that runs and oversees most transport services in Greater London, UK. This includes the London Underground (Tube), buses, trams, Docklands Light Railway (DLR), London Overground, Elizabeth line, some National Rail routes, river services, Santander Cycles (bike hire), and major roads. TfL also manages the Congestion Charge, Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), Low Emission Zone (LEZ), and certain road user charges. Payments can be made using contactless bank cards, mobile wallets (e.g., Apple Pay, Google Pay), Oyster cards, online accounts, and via the TfL website at tfl.gov.uk.

A TfL charge on your bank or card statement usually relates to travel or road-use in or around London. Common reasons include pay-as-you-go journeys using a contactless card or device, Oyster card top-ups (including auto top-up), daily or weekly fare caps, bus or Tube journeys, bike hire (Santander Cycles), and charges for the Congestion Charge, ULEZ, or LEZ. You may also see delayed or aggregated charges where multiple journeys in a day or week are combined into a single charge, or pre-authorisation amounts for bike hire or certain online transactions that later adjust to the final fare.

If you’re unsure about a TfL charge, first check whether you, a family member, or someone with access to your card recently travelled in London or drove into the Congestion Charge or ULEZ zone. You can view detailed journey and payment history by creating or logging into a TfL account at tfl.gov.uk and registering your card, Oyster card, or vehicle. For billing disputes or refunds, you can contact TfL customer services via the online forms on tfl.gov.uk, by phone at +44 (0)343 222 1234 (standard UK rates), or via social media. Common issues—such as being charged twice, being overcharged for a journey, or being billed after a card was lost—are typically resolved by submitting proof of travel and transaction details through TfL’s official support channels.

Bank Statement Variations

2 known variations

These are the raw merchant codes that appear on bank and credit card statements that we've identified as belonging to Transport for London.

  1. TfL Travel Charge TFL.gov.uk/C GB
  2. TfL Travel Charge TFL.gov.uk/CP GBR

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do I see a Transport for London or TFL.gov.uk charge on my bank statement?

This usually indicates you used your bank card or mobile wallet to pay for travel on London’s public transport network, such as the Tube, buses, DLR, Overground, or Elizabeth line, or to pay a road charge like the Congestion Charge or ULEZ. TfL often groups your daily contactless journeys into a single charge, which may appear a day or two after you travelled. If multiple people used the same card, all their journeys may be included in that total.

What are the typical amounts TfL charges for contactless or Oyster travel?

Typical daily charges reflect pay-as-you-go fares and fare caps. Bus and tram pay-as-you-go fares are usually a flat rate per journey, while Tube, DLR, and rail fares vary by zones and time of day (peak vs off-peak). TfL applies daily and weekly caps, so your total charge for repeated travel may stop at a certain limit instead of increasing with each journey. You can see current fare tables and caps at tfl.gov.uk/fares.

Why was I charged by TfL several days after I travelled?

TfL often applies charges for contactless travel after your travel day, once all journeys are calculated and any caps are applied. In some cases, technical delays or bank processing times can cause charges to appear a few days later. The delayed charge still corresponds to journeys made on earlier dates; you can confirm this by checking your journey history on your TfL account.

Why is there a higher-than-expected TfL charge or multiple days’ travel on one transaction?

For contactless payments, TfL aggregates journeys by card and may apply daily or weekly capping, meaning what you see could be the total for a day or a week rather than a single trip. If your card was used for multiple trips by you or others, or for both travel and road charges (such as Congestion Charge or ULEZ), the total can be higher than expected. Log in at tfl.gov.uk, register your bank card under ‘contactless and Oyster’, and review each day’s journeys and charges to understand how the total was calculated.

What is the TfL charge related to Congestion Charge, ULEZ, or LEZ, and how is it billed?

If you drove into central London’s Congestion Charge zone or within the ULEZ/LEZ with a non-compliant vehicle, you may see a TfL road user charge on your statement. These are typically one-off payments made online at tfl.gov.uk, via the TfL Pay to Drive in London app, by phone, or via auto pay if you are registered. If you miss payment deadlines, you may receive a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN), which is billed separately and referenced with a unique PCN number.

Why do I see a TfL or Santander Cycles pre-authorisation or odd amount for bike hire?

When you hire a Santander Cycles bike, TfL (via its contractor) may place a temporary pre-authorisation or deposit-like hold on your card to confirm it’s valid. This hold can be higher than the final usage charge but is automatically adjusted or released once your ride is completed and the actual hire fee is calculated. If a hold remains for more than a few working days, contact your bank and, if needed, TfL customer services with your hire details.

How can I cancel or change auto top-up or automatic TfL charges?

If you’ve enabled auto top-up on your Oyster card or set up Congestion Charge Auto Pay, you can manage or cancel these through your TfL online account at tfl.gov.uk. Go to your account, select the relevant Oyster card or vehicle, and adjust or disable auto top-up/auto pay settings. Changes apply to future usage; any existing top-ups or charges already applied cannot be reversed automatically.

How do I dispute a TfL charge or request a refund for an overcharge or incomplete journey?

First, log in to your TfL account and check your journey history to identify the specific charge or journey in question. If you believe you were overcharged, charged for a journey you didn’t make, or affected by a technical issue (e.g., card didn’t tap out), use the ‘contact us’ or ‘claim a refund’ forms at tfl.gov.uk, providing the date, time, station, and last four digits of your card. You can also call TfL customer services on +44 (0)343 222 1234; refunds, where approved, are usually issued back to the original payment method or as credit on your Oyster card.

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