London is a wonderful city for living and exploring, filled with multicultural people, diverse opportunities, and unique experiences. Many people dream of living their ideal life in London. However, living in this dream city isn’t easy due to its high cost of living and lifestyle. London is known as one of the most expensive cities in the world, and traveling within the city can also be quite costly. If you are a student commuting to school or someone traveling to work during peak hours, Transport for London (TFL) can take a significant chunk out of your monthly budget.

The pink card reader allows passengers to take advantage of cheaper fares. You can tap a pink card reader with your Oyster card or contactless card when traveling on the London Underground. If you’re traveling across London but not through Zone 1, make sure to tap the pink card reader when changing trains. This allows TFL to charge you the correct fare. If you don’t tap the pink card reader while interchanging trains, TFL will charge you the maximum fare. Start your journey by tapping in on the yellow card reader, then tap the pink card reader when changing trains (if available), and finish your journey by tapping out on the yellow card reader. This informs TFL that your route didn’t go through Zone 1, ensuring you’re charged the correct fare for your journey.

When I was in my first year of university and new to London, I didn’t know about the pink card reader. While traveling from my home to university (Zone 9 to Zone 3), I was charged the maximum fare, including Zone 1. Zone 1 is the most expensive zone, and avoiding it can save you a significant amount of money. After my first year, I discovered the pink card reader and started planning my journeys using the single fare finder. By using the pink card reader at interchanging train stations during peak hours, I easily saved £5 per day.

Pink card readers are located on or between the platforms where you change trains at certain stations:

• Blackhorse Road
• Canada Water
• Clapham Junction
• Ealing Broadway
• Gospel Oak
• Gunnersbury
• Hackney Central/Hackney Downs
• Highbury & Islington
• Kensington (Olympia)
• Rayners Lane
• Richmond
• Stratford
• Surrey Quays
• West Brompton
• Whitechapel
• Willesden Junction
• Wimbledon

Tip: Before your journey on the London Underground, use the single fare finder to find the best fare.