It happens quite a lot when people look at their credit card or bank account statements and they don’t recognize some transactions. Many of them are just the ones they forgot, and it seems to be the case with “tfl travel ch” as well. How? Well, let’s talk about just that because a lot of people have been seeing this charge appear on their bank statements or credit card bills.
What Is the TfL Travel Charge?
Don’t know what it is? Well, just so you know, the TfL Travel Charge is the fare that one has to pay to use the public transport services in London. That’s what it is. The automatic payment of the tickets happens through contactless credit or debit cards or the Oyster card mode of transport which is TfL. Oftentimes, the bank statement simply reflects “TfL Travel ch” or “TfL.gov.uk/CP” indicating the charges deducted for the trips you made on that day. However, remember that it is a charge directly associated with the amount and extent of travel inside the TfL network that you did.
Common Reasons for Seeing the TfL Charge
You see, when you come across a TfL Travel Charge shown on your bank statement, the use of a contactless payment method is most likely the reason, such as your bank card, handset, or Oyster card, for your transport on the network of TfL. Most of the time, a common cause of confusion is the process of contactless payments. At the beginning and the end of your journey, the card is tapped, and you are charged at a rate calculated according to various factors such as distance and time of day, you know?
The procedure is quite similar for Oyster card users. You have money on the card, you swipe in and out during the journey, and the system deducts the fare, that’s how it works. Automatic top-ups or direct debit from the bank account might also explain where those charges appear on your bank statement if that is the case. Sometimes, if you forget to tap out at the end of your journey, you may be asked to pay more. In such a case, however, TfL presumes that you have gone the farthest distance and thus charges you for the longest trip. Quite a few people who were surprised by the amounts they saw on their statements had forgotten to tap out. So it can very well be just that.