“To pick a random example, an off-peak trip from Paddington to Canary Wharf would cost £6.70 if buying a paper ticket but £2.80 if using contactless payments.”
TfL added one pop-up to its ticket machines and paper ticket sales fell by about a third overnight. Staff noticed people buying paper singles and paying for them with a contactless card, which means they were paying more than double for the privilege. For years the machine let tourists overpay without a word. One screen of honesty fixed it.