NR Discounts on London journeys (+TFL)

[Buzby]

I’m trying to get my head round this - TFL say that the benefits of Oyster are broadly the same as Contactless meaning I could use either. On obtaining a NR Railcard, they say take it to a tube station and have your Oyster validated - but no mention of Contactless. Does this mean I can only get my discount if I use Oyster? Hardly similar benefits!

 

[CyrusWuff]

I’m trying to get my head round this - TFL say that the benefits of Oyster are broadly the same as Contactless meaning I could use either. On obtaining a NR Railcard, they say take it to a tube station and have your Oyster validated - but no mention of Contactless. Does this mean I can only get my discount if I use Oyster? Hardly similar benefits!

Contactless doesn't currently support Railcard discounts, though it's in the pipeline as part of the second stage of Project Oval. No date has been announced for it going live yet, however.

 

[Buzby]

Aha! That’ll make quite a difference as contactless will mean I pay 33% more to travel! I’m glad I spotted that in time!

 

[Haywain]

Contactless doesn't currently support Railcard discounts, though it's in the pipeline as part of the second stage of Project Oval. No date has been announced for it going live yet, however.

I'm hearing that the railcard element has been pushed back and won't be seen for several years.

 

[bakerstreet]

Aha! That’ll make quite a difference as contactless will mean I pay 33% more to travel! I’m glad I spotted that in time!

Worse. You’d pay 50 per cent more.

My workings.

Fare is £90.
1/3 off is £60.

So if your fare would have been £60 with railcard and you end up paying £90, that’s £30 or 50 per cent more.

 

[30907]

Aha! That’ll make quite a difference as contactless will mean I pay 33% more to travel! I’m glad I spotted that in time!

The good news is that the process has been straightforward whenever my wife and I have used it.

 

[Buzby]

It was really for local Overground journeys - if I used Apple Pay there was no easy way to ensure my commutes to Edmonton Green station > Liverpool Street were correctly discounted. As the Saltire/NEC card is invalid in England, only the Senior Railcard can be used to defray some of the costs, so I don’t want to miss out.

A shame too that I can’t even use my Apple Watch as a discounted payment method with Oyster, only ‘contactless’ mode - no wonder folk get confused!

 

[Joe Paxton]

[...]
A shame too that I can’t even use my Apple Watch as a discounted payment method with Oyster, only ‘contactless’ mode - no wonder folk get confused!

And I am confused by what you're trying to get at here?!

 

[Buzby]

Simply trying to use new technology to achieve the maximum discount available. TFL only allow this with an Oyster Card and nothing else. Neither my phone/watch will accept TFL Oyster because they stopped short at Google/ApplePay, so the Express Travel Card functionality is limited to standard contactless cards only, not their long standing Oyster.

 

[Haywain]

Simply trying to use new technology to achieve the maximum discount available. TFL only allow this with an Oyster Card and nothing else. Neither my phone/watch will accept TFL Oyster because they stopped short at Google/ApplePay, so the Express Travel Card functionality is limited to standard contactless cards only, not their long standing Oyster.

Because Oyster is only available as a physical card.

 

[secretlondon]

Because Oyster is only available as a physical card.

Well yes but it feels like a step backwards. I used contactless like most people and now, as a mature student, I’m entitled to a 18-25 railcard. I have to remember to use Oyster on the tube (off peak only afaik) to get a discount.

They’ve really pushed us towards using contactless rather than Oyster but we now have to go back to Oyster. If I forget whether I used my watch or my Oyster card I can be fined £6 for not touching out

I hope the project oval changes come in soon. My oyster, phone and watch are three separate people which is a pain.

 

[Edvid]

I'm hearing that the railcard element has been pushed back and won't be seen for several years.

To clarify, does this mean Railcard discounts on contactless PAYG are now planned for implementation after (not within) Phase 2 of Project Oval?

 

[Haywain]

To clarify, does this mean Railcard discounts on contactless PAYG are now planned for implementation after (not within) Phase 2 of Project Oval?

I am assuming it means after, based on what I have been told, but I am not involved in any way so that's as good as I can say.

 

[Buzby]

Because Oyster is only available as a physical card.

And has been for the last 20 years. The list of countries allowing the Express Transport facility is increasing worldwide - but not in the UK. There is no reason why ITSO cards like the NEC cannot be opened up to mobile use, but TfL either ignore it or suggest it is in development. We’re not much better up here either. Our Saltire NEC can double as our Library Card, but it cannot be loaded onto a phone or watch. During COP 26 in Glasgow, delegates were given a unified Transport Card that worked on Buses, ScotRail and Subway. The normal punters were barred - and 2 years on our McOyster still hasn’t appeared - clearly paying lip service only to those wanting an integrated system like London.

 

[MrJeeves]

There is no reason why ITSO cards like the NEC cannot be opened up to mobile use

They have, but only Tyne & Wear Metro have implemented it on Google Wallet.