In a perfect world, of course, you wouldn't need to touch the reader at all. That's the case with contactless debit and credit cards, as well as mobile payment platforms such as Apple Pay. Still, it's a step forward for the trusty Oyster. The app also lists your journey history from the last eight weeks (how did I spent that much last month?) and will send a notification when your balance is running low. The latter feature sounds pretty useful, because no-one wants to be that person holding everyone up at the barrier, or rushing to top up while the train glides away from the station. In the future, TfL says you'll be able to apply for refunds through the app too.