[Asraelite]

Yes, but it will inevitably lead to paper tickets being removed completely, which has already happened in some places. That is an absolute nightmare both in terms of privacy and in terms of ceding power to the credit card duopoly.

For the same reason that we need cash, we need to keep paper tickets at least as an option. I'm surprised the sentiment in this thread is so strongly in favor of cards; normally HN is a bit more cash-friendly.

[EVa5I7bHFq9mnYK]

The future is facial recognition instead of paper/electronic tickets; already being used in China, Russia and other such advanced countries.

[vidarh]

You can buy an Oyster card and top it up with cash.

[zeristor]

I believe Oyster cards are to be retired in due course

[ghaff]

It seems that you need some way for people without credit cards to pay and the OP is about TfL trying to get away from cash for paper tickets.

[vidarh]

I'm not aware of any plans to do so, not least because while cards have overtaken Oyster for pay as you go, Oyster season tickets / travel cards still remains a very significant use case. As do free / discounted children Oyster cards.

Neither has a credit/debit-card based viable solution at present that'd be tolerable.

[dotnet00]

That sounds like a bad idea, considering that children and tourists are very likely to not have a credit card (or at least not necessarily a compatible one).

[vidarh]

I think the tourists argument is rapidly fally, but not children (though they are available in the UK via providers like Go Henry). Credit/debit cards also won't solve the season-ticket issue.

[deadbunny]

[citation needed]

[multjoy]

Paper tickets can also be tracked with ease and they can only be purchased at places guaranteed to have CCTV, so...