London transport offers free and reduced-price travel based on age, residency and specific personal circumstances. Cards do different things: a Railcard can reduce an eligible fare, while a daily cap limits spending without being an age discount.
Before buying, check three things: whether you qualify, where the benefit applies and how to activate it. Carrying a discount card does not mean a bank-card reader automatically recognises it.
🎟 Age-based Discounts
- Under 11s: up to four children can travel free with a fare-paying adult on the Underground, DLR, Overground and Elizabeth line within the permitted area. Under 11s also travel free on buses and trams without that same accompanying-adult condition. Do not extend this to all National Rail services; check the journey.
- Ages 11–15: the 11-15 Zip Oyster photocard gives free bus and tram travel and child fares on eligible rail services. It requires an application and an administration fee. For a short visit, compare the Young Visitor discount before applying.
- Young Visitor discount for visitors aged 11–15: staff can add it to an Oyster or Visitor Oyster. It gives half adult-rate pay-as-you-go fares for up to 14 days. Ask before travelling; buying the card does not activate it automatically, and it cannot be added to a contactless bank card. Our travelling with children guide explains the options.
- Ages 16–17: the 16+ Zip Oyster photocard gives 50% off adult pay-as-you-go fares on eligible services. Free bus and tram travel depends on living in London. Young people from outside the UK can also apply, following the relevant procedures and deadlines.
- London residents aged 60 and over: the 60+ London Oyster photocard requires residence in a London borough and is used until eligibility for a Freedom Pass. On TfL services, free travel excludes 04:30–09:00 Monday to Friday, except public holidays; it applies at any time on weekends and public holidays. National Rail has its own times, routes and exclusions.
- Senior Railcard, from age 60: you do not have to wait until 65 or live in the UK to meet the age requirement. It provides one-third off eligible rail tickets and can be added to Oyster for off-peak discounts within the permitted area. You need to buy it, activate it where required and carry it on discounted journeys.
💳 Discount Cards and Other Options
- Travelcards: provide unlimited travel within the covered zones, services and validity period. They are not automatic discounts for older people or tourists. Compare the price with your itinerary and pay as you go.
- Pay as you go with contactless or Oyster: spending caps apply to eligible journeys and services. Always use the same card or device so journeys accumulate correctly. Caps do not mean free transport or cover every service in London.
- Visitor Oyster Card: offers pay as you go, generally cheaper than paper single tickets. Commercial visitor offers have their own conditions; the card does not by itself add an age reduction or additional rail discount.
- Group Day Travelcard: an option for at least 10 people travelling together, for off-peak travel with specific coverage conditions. Do not confuse it with National Rail GroupSave or assume it is always cheaper for every group.
- Railcards linked to Oyster: TfL accepts cards including 16–25, 26–30, Senior, HM Forces and Veterans for one-third off eligible off-peak pay-as-you-go travel. Not all Railcards have the same options: Two Together, for example, cannot be added to pay-as-you-go credit like a Senior Railcard. Check TfL’s official list and instructions.
How to activate it: show your valid Railcard to staff to have the discount added to Oyster at a suitable location. Do this before your first intended discounted journey. When renewing the Railcard, the discount must be added again. Carry the Railcard and do not assume the system links it automatically to Apple Pay, Google Pay or your bank card.
♿ Discounts for Disabled People
- Disabled Persons Railcard: you must meet specific criteria and provide evidence of eligibility. Linked to Oyster, it gives one-third off eligible pay-as-you-go fares both at peak and off-peak times. This differs importantly from Senior or 16–25. Check companion ticket conditions separately.
- Disabled Person’s Freedom Pass: a concession for eligible London residents, with its own criteria, times and coverage limits. An overseas disability certificate does not automatically qualify as this pass. Check the application with the issuing body and do not confuse it with the Railcard.
🚶♂️ Discounts for Visitors Over 65
A visitor over 65 does not automatically get free transport by showing a passport or a pensioner card from their home country. However, they can buy a Senior Railcard from age 60 if eligible, even without living in the UK.
Visitor Oyster Card
It can be used to pay as you go, but buying it does not give you a pensioner fare. Before choosing Visitor Oyster, standard Oyster or contactless, consider how you want to pay and whether you will add a discount.
Standard Oyster + Senior Railcard
With a valid Senior Railcard, you can ask for its discount to be added to an Oyster. This gives one-third off eligible off-peak services. You still need credit and must touch correctly; buying the Railcard does not turn Oyster into an unlimited pass.
Overseas visitors: the official website provides for visitors to buy a digital Railcard. An address outside Great Britain does not prevent choosing this format. Check age documents, a compatible device and that the Railcard is available to show before using discounted tickets. See where to buy it.
Day Tickets for People Aged 60 and Over
An ordinary Day Travelcard has no special price simply for being 60 or 65. Some Railcards allow discounted Day Travelcards under their conditions; check the specific product, times and any minimum fare. Freedom Pass and 60+ London Oyster are not tourist passes: they require local residency and eligibility.
Bus Discounts
An older visitor without another valid concession pays the adult fare. The Senior Railcard does not give a general discount on London buses.
At the time of checking, adult pay as you go costs £1.75 and the bus and tram daily cap is £5.25. TfL announces a £1.85 fare and £5.55 cap from 1 November 2026. Check your visit date against the official fares. Hopper allows bus or tram connections within one hour using the same payment method, subject to its conditions.
Alternative: Senior Railcard for Suburban Trains
It can also help with National Rail tickets, including some airport services, where the ticket allows the discount. Check operator, time and route: rail-ticket conditions are not identical to those of the discount added to Oyster. Our National Rail guide explains how to check validity.
Before buying for a short break: add the cost of the Railcard, Oyster if you need a new one, and the journeys that genuinely qualify. If you will hardly use trains or the Underground off-peak, the savings may not cover those costs. If you already have both cards, the comparison changes.
First identify your situation: adult without a discount, visiting child, resident with a concession or eligible Railcard holder. Then compare the price of your itinerary. This avoids buying a card that gives no reduction on your actual journeys.
Last reviewed: 21 October 2026.
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