In message , at 21:46:57 on Sat, 27
Apr 2013, Peter Smyth remarked:
I did an un-planned set of trips on Wednesday, which quite by chance
emulated the Oyster capping conundrum discussed here recently.

viz: Several trips within Z12, all charged to £2.10 each until I hit
the off-peak cap of £7, and then later in the day a sole Z13 trip.

If I had bought that last trip in isolation it would have cost £3.20
because it was during the evening peak, but because the *cap* doesn't
have an evening peak period I was only charged 70p, via the higher Z13
cap of £7.70

This lack of triggering a Z123 peak cap, within the journey scenario
above, makes it moot whether the day's travel would be charged at the
Z13 peak cap (£10.60), or the sum of a Z12 offpeak Travelcard (£7.30)
+ a peak Z23 single (£1.60) - which totals £1.70p less.

I hope that's completely put the conundrum to bed!

I am not sure how making a number of journeys that were all in the
off-peak capping window proves anything.

All it shows is that the £7 cap had been reached.

Had you started with a peak Z23 journey (£1.60), then made several
off-peak Z12 trips, I suspect you would have been charged £10.60 rather
than £7.30 + £1.60.

Right, so that's the original conundrum which I posed, but turned inside
out. Although actually wouldn't another possibility be £1.60 + £7 (the
Z23 Peak fare plus the Z12 offpeak cap?)

Looks like someone could save £2 by having two Oyster cards.

[I'm also assuming that you have to touch out, and back in (after a
suitable pause or walk between stations) after 9.29 in order to 'mark'
your second leg as off-peak].
--
Roland Perry