Hi folks,

With the recent changes to PAYG Oyster, ATOC has produced an updated
Staff Guide.

It starts of with the basics (What is Oyster? What is an Oyster card?
What is PAYG?), but then gets into the "meat". Here's a few extracts:

quote

*What is the Entry/Exit Charge?*

When a card holder 'touches in' at the start of their Journey an Entry
Charge is debited from the balance on their Oyster card as their
authority to travel - the Entry Charge represent(sic) a "Right to
Travel" and is NOT a ticket. From 19th November 2006, the Entry Charge
will be £5 at the following stations:

London Blackfriars
City Thameslink
Elephant & Castle
London Euston
London Fenchurch Street
London Kings Cross (suburban platforms 9 - 11)
London Liverpool Street
London Bridge
London Marylebone

At all other TOC stations, and all Underground stations the Entry Charge
is £4.

Child PAYG cards will apply a £2.50 Entry / Exit Charge at the £5
stations above and £1 at all other stations.

Remember, different types of Oyster cards charge different prices for
the journey made, BUT the card has this information and when presented
on a reader the correct fare is calculated appropriate to the card type
and journey.

If the card holder fails to touch in correctly at the start of their
journey BUT touches out correctly at the end, their account is debited
£4 (or £5 at the stations listed above).

Cards entitled to a child discount will have a common Entry and Exit
Charge of £2.50.

*Can holders use Oyster PAYG in combination with paper tickets on valid
National Rail services?

NO - Customers should be advised that PAYG cannot be used in conjunction
with any paper ticket. This is because there is no opportunity for the
customer to touch in or touch out at the boundary point on the journey
covered by the paper ticket.

*Are there any time limits to the use of PAYG on Oyster?*

YES. Once a card holder touches in they must touch out within two hours
or the £4/£5 Entry Charge will remain on the card. Once two hours have
expired, any attempt to touch out will be subject to a further charge of
£4/£5 (an Exit Charge).

Please be aware this applies in all circumstances; - for example if a
card holder is delayed due to operating difficulties, customers will
need to contact the Oyster Helpline to explain the cirumstances and
request their card balance be credited accordingly. TfL intend to
implement a change to the Oyster software, which will remove extra
charges resulting from service disruption, at the next time an Oyster
card touches in or out on a reader. In the interim passengers should be
instructed to contact the Oyster helpline to get their card balance amended.

*Can holders using PAYG on Oyster use other modes during service
disruption?*

NO. If a holder touches in correctly, but before reaching their
destination the train service is terminated short of their intended
destination and they decide, or are advised, to seek an alternative mode
or route, they must touch out on exit and start a new pay as you go
journey. Where, for example, a PAYG customer is using a National Rail
service between two stations that accept PAYG, e.g. Walthamstow Central
and London Liverpool Street, and the train is terminated at Hackney
Downs where PAYG is NOT accepted, the customer will be charged £4 as
they have not touched out. In these circumstances they need to contact
the Oyster Helpline to have the fare for the journey they had wished to
undertake deducted from their balance and the £4 or £5 entry
charged(sic) reinstated.

Similarly Oyster PAYG holders whose bus, LUL, DLR or Tramlink journey is
disrupted cannot use PAYG on National Rail services from stations or on
routes that do not accept PAYG. Of course if there is an alternative
National Rail service that does accept Oyster PAYG the holder may start
a new journey by touching in and touching out as in the normal manner.

*FAQs*

*Why is National Rail introducing these charges?*

The Entry and Exit Charges are being introduced on LUL, DLR and Tram
from the 19th November 2006. They are necessary because there are so
many Oyster users who are travelling without touching in and out at the
start and end of their journeys. As a result, revenue is loat which is
unfair to those who pay for their travel. From 19th November 2006, the
Entry Charge will no count towards any of the advertised Oyster price
caps. For consistency, participating National Rail services that accept
Oyster PAYG for travel payment are also introducing the Entry and Exit
Charges.

*How can I be charged the Entry/Exit Charge and a Penalty Fare?*

Your travel is not compliant with National Conditions of Carriage and
the rules for using Oyster PAYG on National Rail and a Penalty Fare is
applied. You should speak to the Oyster Helpline (tel. 0845 330 9876
between 8am and 8pm daily) to get a refund on the Entry/Exit Charge once
you have paid the Penalty Fare in full.

*I have only £2 on my card and cannot use the system*

You can use the system so long as the £2 covers your intended fare. If
you travel beyond the value of £2 you may be liable to a Penalty Fare.

*What happens if I've reached my daily Oyster cap?*

Even if you have reached the daily Oyster cap for the zones you travel
in, you must continue to touch in at the start and out at the end of
each PAYG journey.

An Entry Charge will still be deducted when you start a journey, and
this will be adjusted at the end of the trip, so that you only pay the
fare due for the journey you've just made. If you have already reached a
cap, or are getting close to a cap for all the journeys you have made in
one day, this will be taken in to account when you touch out. If you do
not touch out, the Entry Charge will still be applied in addition to any
cap reached for that day's travel.

If you do not touch in at the start of your journey, you will be liable
for a Penalty Fare and/or prosecution, even if you have already reached
a cap for the London Fare Zones you are travelling in. If you touch out
at the end of your journey without touching in at the start of your
journey, an Exit Charge will be deducted from your card balance and will
not count towards any cap for that day; this is because, unless we know
where your journey started and ended, we do not know whether you have
travelled in additional London Fare Zones.

*What should I do if I can't touch out at the end of my journey?*

There may be times when, for safety reasons, we will instruct you to
leave the station quickly and it may not be possible to touch out.

If you choose to continue your journey by LUL or DLR from a nearby
station or from the same station once the incident has been cleared, we
will have made arrangements so that your previous journey is continued
and you should incur no penalty.

If you do not continue your journey immediately, arrangements will be
put in place so that your Entry Charge is adjusted when you next touch
in at the start of a PAYG journey. Until this happens, the Entry Charge
will remain on your card, and you may have to top-up your card if you
plan to use it on bus or tram journeys. In this circumstance we cannot
guarantee that any daily cap will be taken in to account.

If, as a consequence of the above, you still have an Entry Charge
outstanding due to a station evacuation or service disruption, you
should call the Oyster Helpline on 0845 330 9876 between 8am and 8pm
daily, or visit tfl.gov.uk/oyster.

/quote

Cheers,

Barry