Simple reason why you could be charged double on Tube

Londoners may be owed hundreds of pounds after paying nearly double on a hidden transport charge.

Those using the London Underground are at risk of paying more than they need to if they swap from credit card to mobile when tapping in and out.

This is despite whether they are linked to the same bank account or not, as Transport for London (TfL) does not recognise them as the same card.

Smart phones, watches and cards carry separate unique device codes or permanent account numbers.

This means ticket readers think they are two separate journeys, and mark them as ‘incomplete’.

Grace, a musician, pays for her travel with a debit card and noticed unusually high prices after setting up an online TfL account.

She was eventually given a refund of £706.56 for her overpayments from 2018.

She told MoneySavingExpert: ‘At first TfL told me it was my responsibility to read the terms and conditions, but in the end they were very helpful in getting my account refunded.

‘I’d lost hundreds of pounds to this, and have incurred interest charges from my bank as I’d been using my overdraft – I could have avoided this if I hadn’t been paying such high fares every month.

‘I’m sure this has happened to a lot of people who may not even be aware of it.’

The London Underground, the London Overground, the DLR, Elizabeth line and even the Thames Clipper boat services are all affected.

London TravelWatch said: ‘We’d like TfL to work with the issuing banks to see if this issue can be resolved in the interests of hard-pressed passengers where every penny really does count right now.

‘We don’t think it should matter if the devices being used are different, only that the same registered bank account is paying for the journey.

‘We know that once someone works out they have been charged twice due to a “mixed-device payment” issue, requesting a refund is relatively straightforward.

‘But it is not immediately obvious that a double charge has taken place as the ticket gates still open as normal.’

Transport for London said: ‘All customers using pay as you go are required to touch in and out using the same card or mobile device to ensure that they pay the correct fare and avoid incomplete journeys.

‘This is particularly important when using mobile devices as each device is treated uniquely.

‘Where customers believe they have been overcharged, we are always happy to investigate and refund where we can.

‘We will also look to automatically correct contactless journeys where we can based on previous journey patterns.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.