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Transport · the UK
Updated September 2026

🚇 My public transport card is lost or blocked — how do I get my balance and pass back?

Direct answer

A registered card can be blocked and its balance and season pass transferred to a new one — through Your public transport operator, your operator's customer service or the card scheme's site, usually within a few days. An anonymous card is like cash: gone. If the operator refuses a transfer or a refund that the terms promise, Citizens Advice consumer helpline (0808 223 1133) — the consumer body — and for rail Rail Ombudsman / Transport Focus (0330 094 0362) decide. Block first, argue later: every trip on the lost card until the block is yours.

Call firstYour public transport operator
Report toCitizens Advice consumer helpline
If that failsRail Ombudsman / Transport Focus

🗣️ What to say

"My transport card [number], registered in my name, was [lost/stolen] on [date]. Please block it, transfer the remaining balance and my [season ticket] to a replacement card, and tell me the cost and the timing."

🪜 Step by step

  1. Block itOnline account or app; by phone if needed. Note the time.
  2. Replacement and transferOrdered from the same place; season tickets are re-issued, balance is credited.
  3. Fined meanwhile?A fine issued while your pass was being replaced is usually cancelled on showing the replacement request — write to the operator with the dates.
  4. Refusal: Citizens Advice consumer helplineIf the terms promise a transfer and the operator refuses, the consumer body or the transport ombudsman.
  5. Register the new cardAnd add it to your phone wallet if the scheme allows — losing the phone is then not losing the pass.

📇 All contacts

Your public transport operatorLost cards, refunds, blocked passes, lost propertyFirst step for anything about your card or pass
Citizens Advice consumer helplineConsumer rights, complaint letters, referral to Trading StandardsWhen the shop refuses📞 0808 223 1133🔗 www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer
Rail Ombudsman / Transport FocusFree, binding complaints against train operatorsWhen the operator does not pay📞 0330 094 0362🔗 www.railombudsman.org
Small claims — money claim onlineClaims up to £10,000 without a solicitor (£5,000 Scotland)When advice did not help🔗 www.gov.uk/make-court-claim-for-money

❓ Frequently asked

Can I get a refund instead of a new card?

Balance yes, in most schemes minus a fee; season tickets pro rata. Check the terms and ask in writing.

The card stopped working, I did not lose it

Defective cards are replaced free with balance transferred. Keep the old card; the chip is read to recover the balance.

Found my old card after replacement

It stays blocked; hand it in. Using a blocked card is a fare offence.

📎 Sources

Last checked: 2026-09-26

🔎 Common searches

Recognise your own search? The answer above covers all of these.

  • “transport card lost balance refund the UK”
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🧭 Is this still correct?

We check this information carefully, but phone numbers, websites and rules change — and sometimes we get something wrong. Spotted a mistake or a change? Let us know below.

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