We are headed to London in a couple of days. We have oyster cards from a previous trip - they are registered and still have a small balance on each. I seem unable to top up online from Canada. Can someone tell me how we top up our existing Oyster cards? I KNOW there are a million queries posted on the Oyster card - apologies if this particular question has been asked recently.

Just do it at the first tube station - whether at LHR or in town. Can be done in a machine or at the window.

Or if the tube station is busy look for a newsagent (shop selling newspapers)

I do this all the time at the tube stations with old Oyster cards-no problems so don't worry1

Does the above hold true if the card is "inactive" - not used for what? 18 months?
Somewhere I saw that an agent has to re-activate the Oyster then.
Or, maybe topping off is considered reactivation?

I don't think they inactivate...we have used one after several years for a guest and it worked just fine...

just got back from london and it is easy.
you can do it with a machine at the bigger tube stations or any of the manned stations will add money for you

even the tourist offices at the train stations added money to mine: victoria, paddington and st pancreas.

No problems with your Oyster card being "inactive". In fact a couple of months there was some publicity about the number of Oyster cards in existence that had not been used for more than 12 months that have money on them. See http://www.standard.co.uk/news/trans...internalSearch

Technically I think VonVan is right about the card going inactive but after 2 years,
not 18 months:

"However, if you do not use your Oyster card for two years it will stop working, even if you still have money on it. You will need to reactivate it or claim back any unused cash by calling the Oyster helpline on 0343 222 1234 (open 08:00 - 20:00 daily)"


Whether or not this holds true IRL I don't know, but it's from the Tfl site.

https://custserv.tfl.gov.uk/icss_csi...Tabtext=Oyster

We used our Oyster cards we had not used since January 2010 and they worked just fine. Easy to top up at the station machines or at the window.