Gold Card

[dlj83]

When I bought my zone 1-3 Travelcard on Oyster I was given a gold record card.

Am I able to show this ticket at the ticket office and buy for someone else a discounted ticket all zones travelcard, at Willesden Junction I was told "You can't buy tickets for tomorrow in advance, but if you want to buy this ticket you must get your discount registered on your friends oyster"

Also if I need to travel outside my travelcard can I do so with my gold card (obviously providing for enough pre pay and touching in and out

 

[clagmonster]

Am I able to show this ticket at the ticket office and buy for someone else a discounted ticket all zones travelcard,

If you are travelling together throughout the day, then yes:
"Holders of Gold Card Season tickets and Travelcards get 1/3 off:
...
Up to three other adults aged 16 or over, each receiving a 34% discount
...
The Gold Card holder must travel with the group at all times."
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/ticket_types/46573.aspx

at Willesden Junction I was told "You can't buy tickets for tomorrow in advance,

It is perfectly possibly to issue a ticket in advance like this.

if you want to buy this ticket you must get your discount registered on your friends oyster"

This is not the case. In fact, it would only be possible to get the discount loaded onto your own Oyster, not onto your friends.

Also if I need to travel outside my travelcard can I do so with my gold card (obviously providing for enough pre pay and touching in and out

Yes. Just make sure that your gold card discount is loaded onto your Oyster card. This can be done at any LU booking office.

 

[IanD]

Unless you have a zone 1-6 travelcard, you can only buy a discounted travel card for someone else if you also buy one for yourself.

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/ticket_types/46573.aspx

 

[dlj83]

Haha more conflicting advice, it really is complicated. Ill try at the ticket office and if not ill have to get the more expensive ticket (probably what the TOCs want)

 

[hairyhandedfool]

IanD is absolutely correct in stating that to buy a discounted 1-6 Travelcard for someone else you would also have to buy one as you do not not hold a 1-6 Travelcard, however I do not believe all staff are aware of this (like that is a surprise).

 

[clagmonster]

Unless you have a zone 1-6 travelcard, you can only buy a discounted travel card for someone else if you also buy one for yourself.

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/ticket_types/46573.aspx

Oops, yes I agree I have made a mistake there. If travel does not go beyond Zone 4, then a discounted Zone 1-4 travelcard and the Gold Card holder using their PAYG in zone 4 would appear to work though.

 

[MikeWh]

Oops, yes I agree I have made a mistake there. If travel does not go beyond Zone 4, then a discounted Zone 1-4 travelcard and the Gold Card holder using their PAYG in zone 4 would appear to work though.

The cheapest discounted travelcard is zone 1-6. You can get cheaper Oyster caps, but not paper travelcards.

 

[Be3G]

It is perfectly possibly to issue a ticket in advance like this.

Perfectly possible, maybe, but I get the impression that some TOCs have a policy of not selling railcard-discounted tickets (maybe just travelcards?) in advance. I recall I often used to have battles over this with Southeastern – there was one clerk at New Cross who would sell me a travelcard with Y-P discount in advance, but no-one else from that TOC (i.e. different stations too) would without a debate. One clerk at Lewisham even said “I know the guy at New Cross does this for you so I will too just this once” or words to that effect, as though they'd been talking about me.

 

[IanD]

IanD is absolutely correct in stating that to buy a discounted 1-6 Travelcard for someone else you would also have to buy one as you do not not hold a 1-6 Travelcard, however I do not believe all staff are aware of this (like that is a surprise).

Every underground ticket office I've tried (only about 10!) have insisted on this. However, some National Rail stations are a bit less clued up.

 

[clagmonster]

The cheapest discounted travelcard is zone 1-6. You can get cheaper Oyster caps, but not paper travelcards.

Railcard discounted Zone 1-4 and Zone 1-2 Travelcards are available (I have seen them issued), but they are the same price as the discounted Zone 1-4 Travelcard so should be a rarity.

 

[CyrusWuff]

IanD is absolutely correct in stating that to buy a discounted 1-6 Travelcard for someone else you would also have to buy one as you do not not hold a 1-6 Travelcard, however I do not believe all staff are aware of this (like that is a surprise).

Whilst that's technically the case, I would suggest that custom and practice among the vast majority of staff is not to enforce it 99% of the time, in much the same way as luggage limits are rarely enforced.

 

[dlj83]

ISo say for example I buy my friend the discounted zone 1-6 card then I travel beyond my zone 1-3 annual from say Streatham (Zone 3) to Sutton (Zone 5) isnt valid because despite me touching in and paying between STE & SUT isnt valid for either of us because in order for me to travel outside Zone 3 I myself need a discounted zone 1-6 paper card?

Also if we was fined are we to be responsible for being given incorrect advice by staff.

 

[island]

Oops, yes I agree I have made a mistake there. If travel does not go beyond Zone 4, then a discounted Zone 1-4 travelcard and the Gold Card holder using their PAYG in zone 4 would appear to work though.

That seems technically correct.

My reading of the intent of the rule was not to make the Gold Card Holder have to buy a mostly superfluous ticket to access the discount for his fellow traveller, but rather to re-emphasise that the Gold Card holder must have or purchase a valid ticket for all of the journey. Hence why enforcement is patchy. (In general, you could just buy the ticket online or from a TVM anyhow, and online you get to pick an interesting starting station .)

The advice given at Willesden Junction was, however, almost entirely without accuracy.