Contactless
KON-takt-lis /ˈkɒntæktləs/
Neutral Neutral
What it really means
Paying by tapping a bank card, phone or watch on a reader, without entering a PIN. On London transport, contactless is charged the same fares as Oyster.
Chinese explanation
非接触式支付，把银行卡、手机或手表在读卡器上碰一下即可付款，无需输密码。在伦敦交通系统，非接支付与Oyster卡票价相同。
Example conversation
A: Can I pay cash on this bus?
B: No, London buses are cashless. Just tap your contactless card on the yellow reader.
A：这趟公交能付现金吗？
B：不行，伦敦公交不收现金。用非接触式银行卡在黄色读卡器上刷一下就行。
What you could say back
No spoken reply needed for this one.
Related phrases
Official sources
Rules and amounts change — confirm important details with the official source.
All Transport
Reviewed by the UK Decoded editorial team
· Last checked 24 July 2026 · Report a mistake