Contactless cards: how to avoid paying twice A huge number of the accidental payments made as a result of what TfL calls "card clash" are being automatically refunded within 3-5 working days. TfL has automatically handed back about £300,000 to about 50,000 customers, with refunds averaging £5.93. But not all journeys are being automatically refunded as TfL only knows a contactless card payment was accidental in the case of incomplete journeys, where the card has only been used to pay at the start of the journey. In an unknown quantity of trips in which a contactless card overrides an Oyster card when touching out, as well as touching in, the fare is being be charged to the contactless card. Unregistered oyster card holders are at the biggest risk of being charged without realising, as these cards are able to track only the last eight journeys they made. This also gives them a very limited window in which to complain and ask for a refund, whereas registered oyster card holders have up to eight weeks. Despite a campaign to raise awareness of "card clash," TFL estimates that around 1,500 instances of are occurring every day. Shashi Verma of TfL said: "Card clash is being closely monitored and we are working to identify and automatically refund customers when they may have accidentally touched more than one card on a reader and paid with a card they did not intend to use. Customers are also able to contact us on 0343 222 1234 or can go online to get a refund. When contactless is cheaper than Oyster Passengers who use Oyster on a "pay as you go" (PAYG) basis rather than as a season ticket are paying up to £107 more per week than people using a contactless card, according to claims by Labour politicians in the London Assembly. A spokesman for the group said: "Peak-time commuters who hit the daily cap travelling between zones 4 and 7 for example would pay £19.60 a day using Oyster. On contactless this would only cost £29.40 for a whole week, thanks to a weekly cap, meaning savings of £107.80 over Oyster if they were to hit the daily cap for a whole week. A zones 1-6 commuter who hits the peak-time daily cap would save £53.40 per week by switching from Oyster to contactless. TfL said it would introduce weekly capping on Oyster to level the playing field once it had developed the technology to allow it. Other problems with contactless cards The London transport network is just the latest service to be hit by problems with contactless cards, which have potential to crop up wherever retailers and services allow people to pay with them. Reports last year warned that Marks & Spencer customers were being charged twice for the same items by contactless card payment machines. In response to such claims, one bank, First Direct, told its customers to remove their contactless cards from wallets before making a payment. It said: "We have made changes to clarify that if you have a contactless debit card you must remove it from your wallet or purse before using it to make a contactless payment." Card machines are only supposed to recognise cards that are no more than 5cm, or 2 inches, from the scanner, but some customers have reported being charged while their wallets and purses were still in their pocket or handbag. Some 23.8 million contactless transactions were made in October, 7pc more than in September, according to the UK Cards Association Four tips for avoiding contactless card nightmares Check your bank statement regularly The value of the average contactless card transaction is relatively small at £6.65, meaning they are easy to miss on bank statements. Regularly checking your statements is a good idea if you have a contactless card as the sooner you spot a double payment, the easier it will be to rectify. Claim your refund If you find you've been the victim of a double or accidental payment, contact the retailer or service provider, rather than your bank or building society. If you're claiming a TfL refund you'll need to provide your Oyster or Oyster photo card number and/or your contactless payment card number. Consider buying a protective case If you're worried about accidental contactless card payments, you can buy a case that effectively disables the card until you remove it. A firm called RFID sells protective sleeves for £2.50; you can also find them on Amazon. Londoners - register your Oyster card or, better, switch to contactless payments If you've got a contactless payment card, there isn't really much use for your Oyster card any more, especially as it seems as if paying with Oyster may actually be more expensive than contactless cards, depending in which zones you travel in. Just tap your contactless card to the Oyster reader and the appropriate fare will be calculated based on the adult pay as you go rate. Daily and weekly caps come into play once you've spent the equivalent to a travelcard.