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London: Oyster Card Automatic Top-up

London: Oyster Card Automatic Top-up

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Old Jan 31st 2007, 9:03 pm
  #1  
Larry in London
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Default London: Oyster Card Automatic Top-up

If you get an Oyster Card for use on London Transport, it can be
changed to provide automatic top-up of the amount on the card, charged
to your credit card. This has to be arranged online, as far as I
know, but the London Transport computer will not accept any postcodes
that do not fit the UK standard (e.g., like W2V 0PJ). This would seem
to make it impossible for US credit card holders or some others
overseas to arrange auto top-up.

However, it turns out that if you give all your credit card details
correctly but put in a fake UK postcode for your billing address, it
works OK. There may be a computer error, but eventually London
Transport will clear that and send you an e-mail confirming the new
arrangements. At least, that worked for me today.

Larry in London
 
Old Jan 31st 2007, 10:36 pm
  #2  
Miss L. Toe
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Default Re: London: Oyster Card Automatic Top-up

"Larry in London" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected] oups.com...
> If you get an Oyster Card for use on London Transport, it can be
> changed to provide automatic top-up of the amount on the card, charged
> to your credit card. This has to be arranged online, as far as I
> know, but the London Transport computer will not accept any postcodes
> that do not fit the UK standard (e.g., like W2V 0PJ). This would seem
> to make it impossible for US credit card holders or some others
> overseas to arrange auto top-up.
>
> However, it turns out that if you give all your credit card details
> correctly but put in a fake UK postcode for your billing address, it
> works OK. There may be a computer error, but eventually London
> Transport will clear that and send you an e-mail confirming the new
> arrangements. At least, that worked for me today.
>
> Larry in London
>

And what happens if you lose the card and dont keep a record of the number ?
Some lucky person gets free transport for life !!
Can you image tfl being able to cancel an oyster just with the CC no ??
 
Old Jan 31st 2007, 10:43 pm
  #3  
-Martin
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Default Re: London: Oyster Card Automatic Top-up

On Thu, 1 Feb 2007 11:36:11 -0000, "Miss L. Toe" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>
>"Larry in London" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected] roups.com...
>> If you get an Oyster Card for use on London Transport, it can be
>> changed to provide automatic top-up of the amount on the card, charged
>> to your credit card. This has to be arranged online, as far as I
>> know, but the London Transport computer will not accept any postcodes
>> that do not fit the UK standard (e.g., like W2V 0PJ). This would seem
>> to make it impossible for US credit card holders or some others
>> overseas to arrange auto top-up.
>>
>> However, it turns out that if you give all your credit card details
>> correctly but put in a fake UK postcode for your billing address, it
>> works OK. There may be a computer error, but eventually London
>> Transport will clear that and send you an e-mail confirming the new
>> arrangements. At least, that worked for me today.
>>
>> Larry in London
>>
>
>And what happens if you lose the card and dont keep a record of the number ?
>Some lucky person gets free transport for life !!
>Can you image tfl being able to cancel an oyster just with the CC no ??

LT should be checking that the address matches the adress of the card holder.
--

Martin
 
Old Feb 1st 2007, 2:40 am
  #4  
Neil Williams
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Posts: n/a
Default Re: London: Oyster Card Automatic Top-up

On Feb 1, 12:36 pm, "Miss L. Toe" <[email protected]>
wrote:

> And what happens if you lose the card and dont keep a record of the number ?
> Some lucky person gets free transport for life !!

No. You can't set up auto-top-up without registering the card, and to
do that TfL need a record of your name and address, so the same
details would be sufficient to have it blocked as well.

Neil
 
Old Feb 1st 2007, 6:02 am
  #5  
Tim.....
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Default Re: London: Oyster Card Automatic Top-up

"Neil Williams" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected] ps.com...
> On Feb 1, 12:36 pm, "Miss L. Toe" <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
>> And what happens if you lose the card and dont keep a record of the
>> number ?
>> Some lucky person gets free transport for life !!
>
> No. You can't set up auto-top-up without registering the card, and to
> do that TfL need a record of your name and address, so the same
> details would be sufficient to have it blocked as well.

But if he's anything like me, when I make up an address
to work around a web site registration, I can't recall it
if I need it

tim
 
Old Feb 2nd 2007, 2:12 am
  #6  
Larry in Berkeley
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Posts: n/a
Default Re: London: Oyster Card Automatic Top-up

> But if he's anything like me, when I make up an address
> to work around a web site registration, I can't recall it
> if I need it

You will have to use a real address to arrange auto top-up billed to
your credit card, it is only the postcode that is a problem and you
will not need to remember the false one.

Once you register your Oyster card you have some protection against
loss.

Larry in Berkeley, California
 
Old Feb 2nd 2007, 6:34 am
  #7  
Tamzen Cannoy
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Posts: n/a
Default Re: London: Oyster Card Automatic Top-up

In article <[email protected] om>,
"Larry in Berkeley" <[email protected]> wrote:

> > But if he's anything like me, when I make up an address
> > to work around a web site registration, I can't recall it
> > if I need it
>
> You will have to use a real address to arrange auto top-up billed to
> your credit card, it is only the postcode that is a problem and you
> will not need to remember the false one.
>
> Once you register your Oyster card you have some protection against
> loss.
>
> Larry in Berkeley, California
>

However registering your card allows you to be tracked. I merely pop my
card in and top it up with cash to remain anonymous.
 
Old Feb 2nd 2007, 7:20 am
  #8  
Tim.....
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Posts: n/a
Default Re: London: Oyster Card Automatic Top-up

"Larry in Berkeley" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected] ps.com...
>
>> But if he's anything like me, when I make up an address
>> to work around a web site registration, I can't recall it
>> if I need it
>
> You will have to use a real address to arrange auto top-up billed to
> your credit card, it is only the postcode that is a problem and you
> will not need to remember the false one.

I am obviously missing something here.

I have been told that in the UK, it is the Postcode part of the
customer address that is validated in a CNP transaction.

This is because it is the part with numbers, that can be
entered easily into the standard 10 button keypad that most
retailers will already have.

tim
 
Old Feb 3rd 2007, 10:37 pm
  #9  
Contrex
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Posts: n/a
Default Re: London: Oyster Card Automatic Top-up

On 2 Feb, 20:20, "tim....." <[email protected]> wrote:
> "Larry in Berkeley" <[email protected]> wrote in messagenews:[email protected] glegroups.com...
>
>
>
> >> But if he's anything like me, when I make up an address
> >> to work around a web site registration, I can't recall it
> >> if I need it
>
> > You will have to use a real address to arrange auto top-up billed to
> > your credit card, it is only the postcode that is a problem and you
> > will not need to remember the false one.
>
> I am obviously missing something here.
>
> I have been told that in the UK, it is the Postcode part of the
> customer address that is validated in a CNP transaction.
>
> This is because it is the part with numbers, that can be
> entered easily into the standard 10 button keypad that most
> retailers will already have.
>
> tim

Who told you that? UK postcodes have letters as well as numbers eg BS8
1LR. Also, aren't you a bit confused? "CNP" stands for "customer not
present". The keypad that retailers use (when the customer is
present) is for the customer to enter their 4 digit PIN.
 
Old Feb 3rd 2007, 11:44 pm
  #10  
Tim.....
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Posts: n/a
Default Re: London: Oyster Card Automatic Top-up

"contrex" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected] oups.com...
> On 2 Feb, 20:20, "tim....." <[email protected]> wrote:
>> "Larry in Berkeley" <[email protected]> wrote in
>> messagenews:[email protected] glegroups.com...
>>
>>
>>
>> >> But if he's anything like me, when I make up an address
>> >> to work around a web site registration, I can't recall it
>> >> if I need it
>>
>> > You will have to use a real address to arrange auto top-up billed to
>> > your credit card, it is only the postcode that is a problem and you
>> > will not need to remember the false one.
>>
>> I am obviously missing something here.
>>
>> I have been told that in the UK, it is the Postcode part of the
>> customer address that is validated in a CNP transaction.
>>
>> This is because it is the part with numbers, that can be
>> entered easily into the standard 10 button keypad that most
>> retailers will already have.
>>
>> tim
>
> Who told you that?

two people.

One of them the person in the shop performing a CNP
transaction for me whilst I was there (can't remember why)

>UK postcodes have letters as well as numbers eg BS8
> 1LR.

Yes, but they have enough digits to use as a secondary
check. The chances of somone having the credit card
registered at no 34, AA1 2BB when they really lived at
no 34, BB1 2CC is slim

> Also, aren't you a bit confused? "CNP" stands for "customer not
> present". The keypad that retailers use (when the customer is
> present) is for the customer to enter their 4 digit PIN.

Many people who have real shops also take telephone orders.
They need to be able to perform these transactions with the
same equipment.

tim

>
 
Old Feb 4th 2007, 1:19 am
  #11  
barney2
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Posts: n/a
Default Re: London: Oyster Card Automatic Top-up

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected]
(tim.....) wrote:

> *From:* "tim....." <[email protected]>
> *Date:* Sun, 4 Feb 2007 12:44:47 -0000
>
>
> "contrex" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected] oups.com...
> > On 2 Feb, 20:20, "tim....." <[email protected]> wrote:
> >> "Larry in Berkeley" <[email protected]> wrote in
> >> messagenews:[email protected] glegroups.com...
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> >> But if he's anything like me, when I make up an address
> >> >> to work around a web site registration, I can't recall it
> >> >> if I need it
> >>
> >> > You will have to use a real address to arrange auto top-up billed
> > > to
> >> > your credit card, it is only the postcode that is a problem and you
> >> > will not need to remember the false one.
> >>
> >> I am obviously missing something here.
> >>
> >> I have been told that in the UK, it is the Postcode part of the
> >> customer address that is validated in a CNP transaction.
> >>
> >> This is because it is the part with numbers, that can be
> >> entered easily into the standard 10 button keypad that most
> >> retailers will already have.
> >>
> >> tim
> >
> > Who told you that?
>
> two people.
>
> One of them the person in the shop performing a CNP
> transaction for me whilst I was there (can't remember why)

It may depend on the merchant services provider. Certainly, I have put
through many credit-card transactions in my partner's store - both CNP and
otherwise - and it has never asked for a postcode.
 

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