Although I always keep some positive PAYG balance on my Oyster card for extrazonal travel, it is always less than a Gatwick Express fare. What will happen if I present such card at the Gatwick Express barrier?
For southbound direction, I always take the first train out of Victoria so there is a high chance that I can avoid the problem, by taking a Southern service before it, but if the first departing train is a Gatwick Express service to Brighton, how should I get through the barrier?
However, what will happen if I take a northbound Gatwick Express train all the way to Victoria, with my Brighton to St Pancras ticket and my Oyster card with Travelcard and a small amount of PAYG loaded? What should I put in the barrier in such circumstances?
Or should I put a large amount of PAYG balance on the card to get through the barrier, and reclaim the cost from TfL afterwards? I plan to do this frequently, multiple times per month throughout the summer.