Oystercard and Annual Gold Card Discounts

[Bill Badger]

A while back I queried why Gold Card holders couldn't get a discount on National Rail, now Oyster has been introduced everywhere. I've just been told by a friend that Annual Gold Card Holders can now get a 1/3 discount off Oyster tickets on National Rail

This would appear to be confirmed by the TfL Website

http://http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/14414.aspx

The relevant piece is right at the bottom of the page:

Railcard holders
Senior, 16-25, Disabled Persons, Family and friends, Annual Gold card and HM Forces Railcard holders
A third off the adult Off-peak Oyster single fare for most journeys
A third off the off-peak daily price cap

Not sure if 'most journeys' is defined anywhere!

 

[Barn]

A while back I queried why Gold Card holders couldn't get a discount on National Rail, now Oyster has been introduced everywhere. I've just been told by a friend that Annual Gold Card Holders can now get a 1/3 discount off Oyster tickets on National Rail

This would appear to be confirmed by the TfL Website

http://http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/14414.aspx

The relevant piece is right at the bottom of the page:



Not sure if 'most journeys' is defined anywhere!

Just tried at London Bridge and got an (extremely abrupt) "no".

 

[Daniel]

Ignore them. Go to an LUL ticket office, ask them to double check your discount entitlements, and if you have nothing ask them to add the gold card discount.

 

[Barn]

Ignore them. Go to an LUL ticket office, ask them to double check your discount entitlements, and if you have nothing ask them to add the gold card discount.

This was an LUL office, and the guy was having none of it.

 

[bakerstreet]

This was an LUL office, and the guy was having none of it.

Try again. I actually did this on Friday thanks to the OP. I had printed out the article originally linked to in case but there was no need - he just inputted by paper gold card ticket number into the machine.

For what it's worth I did mine on the northern line north of Euston.

Mind you I haven't used PAYG yet but when I checked my recent journey history it described it as an adult rate PAYG and didn't mention the discount so I hope he did it ok!

 

[Daniel]

This was an LUL office, and the guy was having none of it.

Okay, well next time go back, and tell him what to do - he's obviously forgotten his training.

Tell him to check your Oyster card's discount entitlement fields and to add the Gold Card section if its not there.

 

[Barn]

Okay, well next time go back, and tell him what to do - he's obviously forgotten his training.

Thanks, will do. Unfortunately, while these members of staff may be ok for selling singles, they appear to be intellectually incapable of dealing with the complexity of the ticketing system that we use today. If I hadn't been a member of an enthusiast forum, I'd have just been ripped off.

 

[yorkie]

I think ultimately it's a failing of management to ensure sufficient checks are in place to employ suitable people in those jobs, and then to train them sufficiently, keep them informed of developments, and to arrange for sufficient 'mystery shopping' to ensure high standards.

My local station does not suffer from those problems, but I feel for those who do. I suggest asking to speak to a manager at the station and/or writing to customer services with your concerns.

 

[Daniel]

Thanks, will do. Unfortunately, while these members of staff may be ok for selling singles, they appear to be intellectually incapable of dealing with the complexity of the ticketing system that we use today.

Although we're not all like that!!

 

[Barn]

Although we're not all like that!!

No, sorry. I meant "these" as in people like that chap, not all ticket office staff.

 

[Hager98]

A while back I queried why Gold Card holders couldn't get a discount on National Rail, now Oyster has been introduced everywhere. I've just been told by a friend that Annual Gold Card Holders can now get a 1/3 discount off Oyster tickets on National Rail

This would appear to be confirmed by the TfL Website

http://http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/14414.aspx

The relevant piece is right at the bottom of the page:



Not sure if 'most journeys' is defined anywhere!

You cannot use Oyster pay as you go on:
Heathrow Express
Heathrow Connect between Hayes and Harlington and Heathrow
Southeastern High Speed services.

You can use Oyster to pay as you go on all other services. Hope this helps

 

[Daniel]

No, sorry. I meant "these" as in people like that chap, not all ticket office staff.

Good to know

But 'tis a shame you've had problems with one of them, they're normally okay on LU =/

 

[philjo]

I was in London today so visited the northern ticket hall at Kings cross to ask for my Gold Card to be registered on my Oyster.

He checked his manual & said that he couldn't do this as my season does not include a travelcard (it is an annual for FCC to Potters Bar).
He showed me the page form his manual which implied that they could only register annual 1-6 and 1-9 travelcards as a goldcard on the oyster card. He then said that the National Rail ticket office upstairs could do it for rail-only gold cards.

I went to FCC ticket office in St Pancras who at first told me that I just needed to show the gold card each time I used it to get the discount :roll:
When I queried how this would work with PAYG they then told me to go the the LU ticket office I had just come from.
As I had to go to a meeting I will try again aother time!

update:

I have just found this which indicates that gold card discounts will be aavailable on PAYG from the end of May.
http://mqt.london.gov.uk/mqt/public/question.do?id=30225

 

[Daniel]

...I'm next in (office based) work next Friday.. best I can do is check the rule books there, see if I can find anything which you guys can quote?

 

[Greenback]

Is it just me or has the Oyster introduction caused a lot of problems? There seems to have been a lot of confusion on things like season ticket extensions, railcards and interchanges. From the perspective of someone who lives outside London, it looks a nightmare and I feel sorry for those who have to get to grips with it! Are the reported problems just normal teething troubles or has the roll out been badly implemented?

 

[Bill Badger]

I think the principle of Oyster is good, but as so often is the case the devil is in the detail. It works well for the vast majority of straightforward journeys, but when you want to do something slightly out of the ordinary the systems find it difficult to cope with all eventualities; extension permits being the most stiking example.

Trying to combine the requirements and practices of the National Rail system, with those of London Transport was always going to prove challenging!

 

[Greenback]

That's what concerns me! It's the same all over the country, there are so many companies and interests involved, yet many people see smartcards as the way forward! As you say, they work very well for strightforward single journeys, but there are also all sorts of permutations available everywhere. For instance, in Llanelli I cen get a twon ticket for Llanelli and the surrounding area, a First day rover, a West Wales Day Rover (valid on all buses in three counties but no trains), plusbus for Swansea and Llanelli, as well as season tickets for bus and train of various descriptions! At least in London there is tfl to oversee it all!

 

[Bill Badger]

Apologies for reserecting an old thread. I don't go to London often but am going next week, so plan to see if i can get my Gold Card discount loaded onto my Oystercard. Expecting problels I went to the link I previously posted so as to have a copy with me, but it now appears the reference to Gold Cards has now been removed

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/14414.aspx

Did anyone successful get a non-Travelcard Gold card discount added to their Oystercard?

 

[ess]

do you have to remember to go and renew your discount each year or does the discount continue after you renew your gold card?

 

[Daniel]

You need to go and renew it - the discount expires when your gold card does.

 

[philjo]

I notice that the Gold Card terms & conditions have been updated & now state (clause 1.4)that as from 23 May 2010 you can register a Gold Card on an oyster card (including PAYG) & get the discounted/reduced price caps for off-peak travel.

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/mobile/times_fares/season_tickets/GC_TandC_May10.pdf

The Tfl site still seems to be silent about this.
Has anyone managed to do this?
I shall be in London next week so will try it at St Pancras.

 

[jon0844]

I'm a little confused by what this means. I've got an annual Travelcard on my Oyster card, and got a Gold Record Card to go with it. I've had this for the last 3-4 years.

What exactly has changed, if anything? That you can now put a point-to-point ticket (annual) on an Oyster card if it is from outside the zonal area? I presume this means you use your normal paper ticket outside, and can use the Oyster within the zones to open gates?

 

[philjo]

Until now, you could only use a goldcard on oyster if it was an annual travelcard, and not a point to point ticket. therefore, even though I have a goldcard (point to point season with Potters Bar being the nearest station to London which is outside the London zones), I cannot get the gold card discount if using oyster on national rail within London, so it is usually still cheaper to buy a discounted travelcard or paper ticket.
The new terms & conditions now mention oyster payg & don't specify that the goldcard must be a travelcard (as the Tfl website used to say), so hopefully that situation has now changed. Obviously I still need a (discounted when relevant) paper ticket to get me from Potters Bar into London to start with.

 

[jon0844]

Even if you have a Gold Card for just one station to the next, you can still get discounts throughout the former NSE area. However, it is clearly more convenient to have a ticket loaded on an Oyster to operate the gatelines without needing the paper ticket. What a shame they can't roll out Oyster readers beyond the zones.

 

[barrykas]

Got my Gold Card discount registered onto my Oyster at Marylebone (Chiltern) Ticket Office with no trouble.

Cheers,

Barry

 

[philjo]

Yes, but now Oyster is used on National rail, the off-peak return paper tickets have been abolished within London.

Previously (Dec 2009):
London terminals to Hampton Court : CDR : £4.30 including Gold card discount.

After (Jan 2010):
London terminals to Hampton court: Anytime return £6.45 inc gold card discount.
oyster PAYG single £3.20 off-peak. no discount.

Introducing the goldcard discount on PAYG would reduce the payg single to around £2.10 which would be the same as the old discounted CDR.

=========
Barry,

that's good to know.

 

[ess]

digging up this old thread in the context of the 2011 fares, does the gold card discount give an off peak discount where there's no difference in fare? for example paddington to latimer road is £1.90 at all times so is a discounted off peak fare available?

 

[MikeWh]

digging up this old thread in the context of the 2011 fares, does the gold card discount give an off peak discount where there's no difference in fare? for example paddington to latimer road is £1.90 at all times so is a discounted off peak fare available?

Gold card discount on tube only fares is a new facility from Jan 2nd. If you use the single fare finder for next year and select National Railcard rather than Adult as the type it splits the fare into £1.90 (6.30-9.30 and 16.00-19-00 M-F) and £1.25 at other times. Note also that the off-peak cap applies in the afternoon, so even though you might be charged the peak fare it will count towards the discounted off-peak cap.