What is the TfL Travel Ch charge?

How TfL turns a day of taps into one Travel charges line

TfL's pay as you go page lists Travel charges, Travel refunds, Unpaid fares and tfl.gov.uk/cp as the ways contactless payments may appear on a bank statement. The bank text you see, such as TfL Travel Ch or TFL TRAVEL CHGE, is a truncated version that TfL does not spell out letter for letter.

Under TfL's contactless conditions of use, fares are charged to your card after you have completed your journeys for that day, and the amount reflects the services and zones you actually used plus any unpaid fares. TfL's fare capping page says a travel day for capping runs from 04:30 to 04:29 the next morning, and a weekly cap runs Monday to Sunday, so a late-night ride can count toward the previous day.

Sources for this section: TfL: Pay as you go · TfL: Contactless Cards and Devices Conditions of Use (2 March 2025) · TfL: Fare capping. See the claim limits below.

Why the amount may be higher than expected

TfL charges a maximum fare when it cannot work out a journey, for example if you touch in but not out on the Tube or rail. Maximum fares do not count toward capping. On buses and trams you only touch in, and TfL says touching out there may cost more than you need to pay.

Using two devices also changes the bill. TfL's conditions say touching in with a phone and out with a watch or card is charged as two separate incomplete journeys, and caps only build up when the same card or device is used all day and all week.

• A missing touch in or touch out on a Tube, DLR, Overground, Elizabeth line or rail journey led to a maximum fare.
• Different cards or devices were used for the start and end of a journey, or across the day, so caps did not apply.
• Several journeys on the same day were combined into one charge after the day ended.

Sources for this section: TfL: Contactless Cards and Devices Conditions of Use (2 March 2025) · TfL: Fare capping · TfL: Touching in and out. See the claim limits below.

Checking journeys and asking for a refund

TfL says your online account shows detailed journey and payment history for up to 12 months, and that an unregistered contactless card can still be checked through its 7-day unregistered card service for journeys in the past 7 days. TfL's pay as you go page adds that cards must be registered to be eligible for refunds.

For a maximum fare after an incomplete journey, TfL asks you to wait at least 48 hours because most refunds are processed automatically, then claim within 8 weeks of the journey. When gates are left open for big events and TfL completes a journey for you, its touching in and out page says any refund due on contactless goes back to your bank account automatically. You can also call TfL on 0343 222 1234.

1. Find the travel day Match the statement date and amount to the previous travel day in your TfL contactless account or the 7-day unregistered card service.
2. Look for incomplete journeys Check for journeys without a touch out, which TfL may charge at the maximum fare.
3. Wait, then claim Allow at least 48 hours for an automatic refund, then apply within 8 weeks if one has not appeared.

Sources for this section: TfL: Pay as you go · TfL: Contactless Cards and Devices Conditions of Use (2 March 2025) · TfL: Touching in and out · TfL: Apply for a refund. See the claim limits below.

If you were not in London

TfL's pay as you go page notes that many cards issued outside the UK work for travel and that overseas charges from your issuer may apply. If no one using your card or phone wallet travelled in London on that date, the OCC advises notifying your card issuer promptly about the unauthorized charge, in person, by phone or in writing.

Sources for this section: TfL: Pay as you go · OCC HelpWithMyBank: unauthorized credit card charges. See the claim limits below.

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.

• TfL: Pay as you go https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/ways-to-pay/pay-as-you-go

  Lists Travel charges, Travel refunds, Unpaid fares and tfl.gov.uk/cp as statement labels for contactless payments, refund eligibility needing a registered card and overseas card charges; does not show the truncated TfL Travel Ch 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

  Charging after the day's journeys, maximum fares, two-device incomplete journeys, same-card capping and 12-month account history. · Checked 2026-11-01

• TfL: Fare capping https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/find-fares/capping

  Daily cap window of 04:30 to 04:29, Monday to Sunday weekly cap and the same-card requirement; cap prices change and are not repeated here. · Checked 2026-11-01

• TfL: Touching in and out https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/touching-in-and-out

  Maximum fares for missing touches, maximum fares not counting toward caps, bus and tram touch-in only, and automatic contactless refunds to the bank account. · Checked 2026-11-01

• TfL: Apply for a refund https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/refunds

  48-hour wait, 8-week claim limit for incomplete journey refunds, the 7-day unregistered card service and the 0343 222 1234 number. · 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; says nothing about TfL. · Checked 2026-11-01