The short answer
TfL.gov.uk/CP is one of the labels Transport for London says contactless pay as you go payments can show on a bank statement. It is tied to tapping a card, phone or watch on London buses, the Tube and other TfL services, not to the Congestion Charge for driving. Start by matching the date and amount with your TfL contactless journey and payment history.
What the tfl.gov.uk/cp label means
TfL's pay as you go page says contactless payments may appear on a bank statement as Travel charges, Travel refunds, Unpaid fares or tfl.gov.uk/cp. Pay as you go with contactless covers buses, the Tube, trams, the DLR, London Overground, most Elizabeth line services, the London Cable Car, Thames Clippers River Bus and most National Rail services in London Zones 1-9.
TfL's contactless conditions of use say the fares for your journeys are charged to your card after you have completed your journeys for that day, and the amount is based on the services and zones you actually used plus any unpaid fares owed. A single TfL.gov.uk/CP line can therefore cover more than one ride on the same day.
Sources for this section: TfL: Pay as you go · TfL: Contactless Cards and Devices Conditions of Use (2 March 2025). See the claim limits below.
The TFL UNPAID FA variant and declined cards
If your card is declined when TfL submits the day's fares, the conditions of use say TfL may try again, and that retry shows on your bank account as TFL.GOV.UK/CP TFL UNPAID FA. TfL states it will not try more than three times, not more than once a day, and not for longer than 30 days after the decline.
TfL also says it will try to collect unpaid fares the next time you touch that card on a yellow reader, and that a card with unpaid fares against it cannot be used for travel until the amount is paid. You can pay unpaid fares by signing in to your TfL online account or by calling TfL Customer Services on 0343 222 1234.
Why did TfL.gov.uk/CP charge me days after my trip?
One documented reason is an unpaid fare retry. TfL says a declined day's fares can be retried, shown as TFL.GOV.UK/CP TFL UNPAID FA, up to three times and for no longer than 30 days after the decline.
Sources for this section: TfL: Contactless Cards and Devices Conditions of Use (2 March 2025) · TfL: Apply for a refund. See the claim limits below.
Not the same as the Congestion Charge
The Congestion Charge is a separate daily road charge for driving in the central London zone. TfL lists it at 18 pounds when paid in advance or on the day and 21 pounds when paid by midnight on the third day after travel, paid through Auto Pay, the London road user charging account or the TfL Pay to drive in London app, which shows your payment history. If you drove in London rather than riding transit, check that account instead of your contactless travel history.
Sources for this section: TfL: Pay as you go · TfL: Congestion Charge payments. See the claim limits below.
How to check the charge or report a problem
TfL's conditions say your TfL online account shows detailed journey and payment history for up to 12 months. If you were overcharged, TfL may refund automatically; it asks you to wait at least 24 hours, then apply after 48 hours and within 8 weeks of the journey through your online account or TfL Customer Services. TfL's pay as you go page also notes that cards issued outside the UK may carry overseas charges from your issuer.
If you did not travel in London and nobody else used your card or phone wallet, the OCC advises notifying your card issuer promptly about any unauthorized charge, in person, by phone or in writing.
Sources for this section: TfL: Pay as you go · TfL: Contactless Cards and Devices Conditions of Use (2 March 2025) · TfL: Apply for a refund · OCC HelpWithMyBank: unauthorized credit card charges. See the claim limits below.
Independent reference — not affiliated with Transport for London. Billing names and policies change; verify with the merchant or your bank before acting.
Sources and evidence
Sources may support different parts of this page. A company homepage does not establish a statement descriptor, refund policy or contact detail. Check the claim notes and your own receipt before acting.
Descriptor identity documented · Checked 2026-11-01
Read TfL's pay as you go page, contactless conditions of use PDF, refunds page and Congestion Charge payments page. Corrected the old claim that CP means Congestion Charge: TfL lists tfl.gov.uk/cp as a contactless travel label and documents TFL.GOV.UK/CP TFL UNPAID FA for retries. Removed the rental-car penalty FAQ, homepage sources, generic fraudRisk, cancelSteps and the invented 14 to 30 day refundWindow. TfL's contact-and-account page returned a block page and was not cited.
- TfL lists tfl.gov.uk/cp as a statement label for contactless pay as you go payments and names the services covered.
The exact bank rendering (capitalization, trailing city text) varies by issuer and is not shown by TfL.
Sources: TfL: Pay as you go (checked 2026-11-01) · TfL: Contactless Cards and Devices Conditions of Use (2 March 2025) (checked 2026-11-01) - Fares are charged after the day's journeys, based on services and zones used plus unpaid fares.
Does not state how many days later a bank posts the entry.
Sources: TfL: Contactless Cards and Devices Conditions of Use (2 March 2025) (checked 2026-11-01) - Declined fares are retried as TFL.GOV.UK/CP TFL UNPAID FA, at most three times, once a day, within 30 days; unpaid fares block travel on that card.
Retry is one explanation for a later charge, not the only one.
Sources: TfL: Contactless Cards and Devices Conditions of Use (2 March 2025) (checked 2026-11-01) - Unpaid fares can be paid in the TfL online account or via TfL Customer Services on 0343 222 1234.
UK number; call charges may apply. The script is an illustrative inquiry.
Sources: TfL: Contactless Cards and Devices Conditions of Use (2 March 2025) (checked 2026-11-01) · TfL: Apply for a refund (checked 2026-11-01) - The Congestion Charge is a separate daily road charge with its own prices, payment routes and payment history.
TfL does not state the bank statement text for Congestion Charge payments; this page only notes it is not among the contactless labels.
Sources: TfL: Pay as you go (checked 2026-11-01) · TfL: Congestion Charge payments (checked 2026-11-01) - Account history covers 12 months; overcharge refunds may be automatic, otherwise apply after 48 hours and within 8 weeks; overseas cards may carry issuer charges.
Eligibility depends on touching in and out correctly; no refund is promised.
Sources: TfL: Pay as you go (checked 2026-11-01) · TfL: Contactless Cards and Devices Conditions of Use (2 March 2025) (checked 2026-11-01) · TfL: Apply for a refund (checked 2026-11-01) - Unauthorized charges should be reported promptly to the card issuer.
OCC page covers credit cards; it does not determine liability for any specific charge.
Sources: OCC HelpWithMyBank: unauthorized credit card charges (checked 2026-11-01)
- TfL: Pay as you go https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/ways-to-pay/pay-as-you-go
Lists tfl.gov.uk/cp, Travel charges, Travel refunds and Unpaid fares as bank statement labels for contactless payments, the services covered and possible overseas card charges; does not show Congestion Charge statement text. · Checked 2026-11-01
- TfL: Contactless Cards and Devices Conditions of Use (2 March 2025) https://tfl.gov.uk/cdn/static/cms/documents/tfl-contactless-cards-and-devices-conditions-of-use.pdf
End-of-day charging, the TFL.GOV.UK/CP TFL UNPAID FA retry text and limits, 12-month account history, refund timing and the 0343 222 1234 Customer Services number; does not cover road charges. · Checked 2026-11-01
- TfL: Congestion Charge payments https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/congestion-charge/paying-the-congestion-charge
Congestion Charge prices, payment routes and payment history in the Pay to drive in London app; does not say how the charge appears on a card statement. · Checked 2026-11-01
- TfL: Apply for a refund https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/refunds
Incomplete journey refund timing and the TfL contact number 0343 222 1234; does not decide individual eligibility. · Checked 2026-11-01
- OCC HelpWithMyBank: unauthorized credit card charges https://www.helpwithmybank.gov/help-topics/credit-cards/disputes-unauthorized-charges/unauthorized-charges/unauthorized-charge-steps.html
Prompt notice to the card issuer about unauthorized charges and the ways to give notice; says nothing about TfL. · Checked 2026-11-01
Descriptor identity documented · high · About UnknownCharges