How long does a TfL delay have to be to claim?

Fifteen minutes on the Tube and DLR, thirty on the Elizabeth line and London Overground. Worth knowing that TfL words this inconsistently on its own site: the refund page says "more than" those figures while the refunds hub says "or more". At exactly fifteen or thirty minutes it is worth claiming and letting them decide.

Is a TfL delay refund automatic?

No, and this is the one that catches people. Transport for London auto-corrects several other kinds of overcharge, but never a service delay. If you do not claim, nothing happens.

Can I claim if the delay was caused by a strike?

No. Strikes are on the excluded list, along with bad weather, security alerts, engineering works and incidents such as a passenger being taken ill. The refund is for delays inside TfL’s control.

What about a delay on a bus or tram?

Not refundable. Transport for London says plainly that it does not give service delay refunds for delays on a bus or tram, whatever the cause.

How long does it take to hear back?

TfL says it may take up to ten working days to review a claim. It does not publish how long the money then takes to reach your card, so treat any specific figure you read elsewhere with caution.

TfL service delay refund

Delayed on the Tube, DLR, Elizabeth line or Overground and you can get the fare back. Unlike most Transport for London refunds this one is never automatic, the window is shorter than people expect, and a long list of causes is excluded.

Last checked July 2026

How late counts

Two thresholds, and which applies depends on what you were travelling on.

15 minutes on London Underground and the DLR
30 minutes on London Overground and the Elizabeth line

A small oddity worth knowing: Transport for London words this two different ways on its own website. The service delay refund page says a delay of "more than" 15 or 30 minutes, while the refunds hub says "15 minutes or more". Those are not the same test at exactly fifteen minutes. If you are on the line, claim and let them decide rather than talking yourself out of it.

What does not count

The exclusions are broader than most people assume, and they are the main reason a claim comes back refused. Transport for London does not pay when the delay was outside its control, and it lists:

Strikes
Security alerts
Bad weather
Engineering works
Customer incidents, such as a passenger being taken ill on a train

There are also two situations where there is no fare to refund, so nothing to claim: travelling free on a Freedom Pass, a 60+ Oyster photocard or a Veterans photocard, and children under 11 travelling free with an adult.

What is left is the everyday stuff: signal failures, a fleet problem, a points failure, staff shortages. Those are TfL's own operations, and those are what the refund is for.

What you get back

The value of a single fare for the delayed journey. Not the day's travel, not the cap, and not a multiple of the fare the way train Delay Repay pays 50 or 100 per cent for longer delays. One delay, one single fare.

It arrives as pay as you go credit or as a transfer to your bank account, depending on how you paid.

How to claim

It happens inside your Transport for London account rather than on a public form.

Sign in to your TfL account
Open journey and payment history
Find the delayed journey and choose the service delay refund option
Say which line you were on and roughly how long you were held up

Transport for London says it may take up to ten working days to review the claim. If it is refused and you think that is wrong, the appeal route is a phone call rather than a form. See how to contact them.

The 28-day window

You have 28 days from the delay. That is materially shorter than the eight weeks you get for an incomplete journey, and mixing the two up is an easy way to miss it. Two different refunds, two different deadlines.

Combined with the fact that nothing here is automatic, the short window is why this refund goes unclaimed more than any other on the network. The delay is annoying for twenty minutes and forgotten by the weekend.

Buses and trams

There is no service delay refund on buses or trams. Transport for London states it directly, and it applies regardless of how long you waited or why.

The one adjacent case worth knowing about is the London Cable Car, which has its own compensation terms rather than sitting under this scheme. If the system stops for reasons within TfL's control and you are held for more than fifteen minutes, the single fare is refundable, and there the claim goes through the Oyster helpline within 28 days.

Common questions

How long does a TfL delay have to be to claim?: Fifteen minutes on the Tube and DLR, thirty on the Elizabeth line and London Overground. Worth knowing that TfL words this inconsistently on its own site: the refund page says "more than" those figures while the refunds hub says "or more". At exactly fifteen or thirty minutes it is worth claiming and letting them decide.
Is a TfL delay refund automatic?: No, and this is the one that catches people. Transport for London auto-corrects several other kinds of overcharge, but never a service delay. If you do not claim, nothing happens.
Can I claim if the delay was caused by a strike?: No. Strikes are on the excluded list, along with bad weather, security alerts, engineering works and incidents such as a passenger being taken ill. The refund is for delays inside TfL’s control.
What about a delay on a bus or tram?: Not refundable. Transport for London says plainly that it does not give service delay refunds for delays on a bus or tram, whatever the cause.
How long does it take to hear back?: TfL says it may take up to ten working days to review a claim. It does not publish how long the money then takes to reach your card, so treat any specific figure you read elsewhere with caution.

Other Transport for London refunds

Back to the full tfl refunds guide

Untap helps people in the UK find money they are already owed. We do not file claims for you and we do not take a share of any refund. Transport for London changes its fares and rules from time to time, so their own pages are always the final word.