You’re entitled to a refund if your journey was delayed by 15 minutes or more on Tube, DLR, London Overground, or TfL Rail. That’s the golden rule: 15 minutes of your life stolen by delays, and TfL owes you the fare back. Pro tip: This doesn’t apply to buses or trams, because apparently those are “free to mess with your schedule.”
Also, if you got charged twice (common if your contactless card got confused by a beeping gate), or if your Oyster card failed and you had to buy a single ticket anyway—that’s refund territory. And yes, if you forgot to tap out and got charged the maximum fare for a trip to the moon (Zone 9, anyone?), you can appeal that too.
The “Oops, I Paid for the Wrong Zone” Refund
Maybe you tapped out at Canary Wharf but meant to go to Stratford. TfL will refund the difference, but you have to do it within 28 days. Think of it like a magic window—after that, your money becomes a ghost.
