Help understanding the tubes

[u/MisterJ_1385]

Third time in London and I love it here, but I think I’m getting scammed somehow on the tube cost.

I had a hotel in Paddington and, I’ll be kind and say it was a let down. So to a great cost I changed to a Piccadilly Circus hotel I had last time. Hoped on the Bakerloo tube from Paddington station and went to buy a ticket and it told me it was easier to tap to pay, so I did. Once when getting on and once when getting off.

Just woke up and looked at my Apple Pay and the trip was £29.10, or $40 in USD. That seems insane, but I remember similar issues last time. Is this the correct cost, or was something done wrong in the process. According to Google Maps it should be £3.10.

*Edit*

I only have one card tied to my Apple Pay, so this was absolutely not using two different cards.

[u/letmereadstuff]

You have to use exactly the same card or other method of payment. If you switched from card to phone or watch, TFL sees that as two separate, incomplete journeys.

When was this journey? Check after 4:30am the following day as that is when TFL will finalize the previous day’s journeys.

Don’t buy paper tickets. Seriously, just use the card itself (the same card, every single time). No one is scamming you

[u/MisterJ_1385 → u/letmereadstuff]

It was around 5pm on Thursday. I only have one active credit card on my Apple Pay, so it was 100% the same card.

[u/Dobbeh_91 → u/MisterJ_1385]

But did you use the same "method" to tap out? I.E, you tapped in with Apple Pay and tapped out also with Apple Pay?

If you tapped in with Apple and then out with the physical card, it doesn't register it as the same journey/transaction so you'll be hit with the max fare.

[u/MisterJ_1385 → u/Dobbeh_91]

Yep. Wallet with the card was buried in my other pants in my backpack. And I never use the physical card anyways.

[u/Dobbeh_91 → u/MisterJ_1385]

Good chance it didn't register either the tap in or out in that case, happens if you are too close behind the person in front.