TfL payments go through despite insufficient funds

It seems like TfL payments are accepted even though the card doesn’t have any funds on it - my Monzo was near empty when I used it on the subway, and surprisingly the transactions came through and my balance is now -4,99.

Is this the expected behavior or a bug?

It is expected behaviour due to the particular ways TfL process payments and the distinct status of public transit system payments in the card networks.

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Reconciliation of TfL payments occur at night, and settlement of that payments happens well after. In this case, it’s to be expected, and a complete pain in the rear, because they don’t charge when you tap out… they charge for a whole day’s worth of travelling.

There are industries that have exceptions to some of the main card scheme rules, such as low value transport (e.g. TfL) and purchases on board a plane, both of which are allowed to be authorised offline, even if Monzo wishes their card transactions to be carried out online.

Whilst the one-off payment at the end of the day can be a pain, it’s very useful for people using a foreign card who might otherwise be liable for transaction fees on each individual transaction.