Is it possble for 2 people to use 1 Oyster Card? Can you swipe it twice for the same trip?

I have looked at the TFL site, and it says you can "lend it to a friend" if you have the pay as you go option, which I do have. I interpret that to mean it can be swiped twice, but who knows?

Back in June, we didn't have an Oyster card, just a one-day Tfl pass, but we did that - used the same card twice, so I imagine you could do the same. This is all a bit fuzzy now, but I think you had to be careful that you were getting two separate fares, not one fare and a transfer. There was some way to do this, though.

Ann

Technically it would seem obvious, if you have PAYG, that a swipe registers a charge, and it wouldn't make any difference if it's a different body on each swipe - it's all the same money.

However, they're not going to want two people trying to travel on one Travelcard at the same time.

Whether or not the equipment can make the calculation if it gets two swipes in quick succession, I don't know. Bear in mind it's going to have to calculate from both the touching in and the touching out, and I don't know if it's set up to calculate more than one journey per card at a time. I don't think I'd rely on it doing so. I think what they mean is that you can let someone else use it if you're not doing so.

I agree with Patrick. I think the consequence of using the card in this way is that the first time you touch out, the card would have the discounted price for the journey deducted from the card. But the second time you touch out might not be read as closing off the other journey and that would be charged at the non-discounted price. I can't remember what those charges are but it's something like £4 as against £1.50.

I'd certainly email Transport for London to find out before trying it anyway.

What they mean is you can lend it to someone when you are not using it - as there isn't a photo on it, it doesn't matter who uses it - you can't both use it at the same time for the same journey.

As for two people using the same 1 day travelcard - same thing, as long as you aren't doing it together. Trying to get around together on one travelcard (pass as opposed to Pay as you Go )is paying for one person and the other cheating - not sure how you could manage it, technically, anyway - sitting on someone's shoulders?!

Thanks everyone.

Great idea, Beebee. I will email TFL for a definitive answer.