> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://toodlepip.co.uk/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Why London Underground’s ‘Card Clash’ Will Confuse Your Finances
- URL: https://toodlepip.co.uk/london-undergrounds-card-clash-will-confuse-finances/
- Published: 2014-02-04T10:54:17.000Z
- Updated: 2014-02-04T11:29:58.000Z
- Author: Sam Michel
- Tags: Cantankerism, Marketing, boris johnson, card clash, london transport, oyster, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-10-23 15:06

In a delightful combination of user experience fails, Transport for London troubled my inbox this morning with an email alert about ‘card clash’.

A new term for me. Maybe some variation of [curiosity gap](http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/08/the-itch-of-curiosity/?ref=toodlepip.co.uk) involved [Twitter cards](https://dev.twitter.com/docs/cards?ref=toodlepip.co.uk)? Nope. In a rather irritating case of technological progress and unintended consequences, [card clash](http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/26416.aspx?ref=toodlepip.co.uk) means your contactless bank card may now get charged for tube journeys instead of your Oystercard.

Their advice?

> Keeping your Oyster cards and any contactless payment cards separate helps to avoid ‘card clash’.

Argh! So, for someone who is adept at losing things, I have to separate the cards and remember to pick up the right wallet when I tap the Oystercard reader. This should be a delightful recipe for chaos.

Of course, I know there’s no easy way round this. That’s not going to stop an avalanche of complaints for the tube’s [1bn annual users](http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/modesoftransport/londonunderground/1608.aspx?ref=toodlepip.co.uk), most of whom won’t have read that email.

![Oystercard Ring by Dhani Sutanto](https://toodlepip.co.uk/content/images/toodlepip-wpengine-com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/screen-shot-2014-02-04-at-11-17-22.png)

Update: [Phil Lang](https://twitter.com/langphil/status/430660381871448064?ref=toodlepip.co.uk) pointed out a brilliant solution: [The Oyster Ring](http://www.ds72.com/latest-work/oyster-ring?ref=toodlepip.co.uk).

After all – why do Oystercards need to be cards at all?