new oyster phone

As I've said 'elsewhere' though - it's putting all yer eggs in one basket........loose that phone and you've lost your credit card, Oyster and phone; so if you get caught out, you can't phone for help, travel anywhere or spend any money.

Another repeat of what I've said elsewhere: technology is a wonderful thing, but I think this is going a step too far.

That seems a rather retrograde step to me. Why they don't embed the holder's photo on the Oyster as done with a staff priv is beyond me.
As LU is using UTS in a Big Brother role these days it could do even better by using gateline CCTV to confirm the person using the card as the registered holder of the card using facial recognition and ANPR technology.

AFAIK it's not on the Oyster but it would be a good way of ensuring that the user was the registered owner!

Photocards are currently used only for discount cards/freedom passes - the aim being to stop illegal travel on someone else's card. Otherwise everyone and their mother would be travelling on Freedom Passes - there are always a few caught at stations like Wood Green when the RCI's (Revenue Control, for those who don't know) do a spot check. They either leave the photocard at home (so you can't tell it's not theirs), or the picture doesn't match. Strictly speaking a Freedom card can't be used without the accompanying photocard so therefore a fine can be issued for irregular use, and if necessary the card confiscated. Staff ones have photocards both for this reason, and because they're our all-purpose work ID cards for the most part. And discount ones have them for similar reasons, basically it's all to ensure that only the person entitled to the discount is getting it. I can only assume the pre-pay one mentioned with a photo was issued very early on before everything was set in stone...? Having not been with LU long it's hard for me to say for sure, but I have seen a few people with photocard Oysters but no discount.